1 Κρείσσων ἀτεκνία μετὰ ἀρετῆς, ἀθανασία γάρ ἐστιν ἐν μνήμῃ αὐτῆς, ὅτι καὶ παρὰ Θεῷ γινώσκεται καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις· 2 παροῦσάν τε μιμοῦνται αὐτὴν, καὶ ποθοῦσιν ἀπελθοῦσαν καὶ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι στεφανηφοροῦσα πομπεύει, τὸν τῶν ἀμιάντων ἄθλων ἀγῶνα νικήσασα. 3 Πολύγονον δὲ ἀσεβῶν πλῆθος οὐ χρησιμεύσει, καὶ ἐκ νόθων μοσχευμάτων οὐ δώσει ῥίζαν εἰς βάθος, οὐδὲ ἀσφαλῆ βάσιν ἑδράσει. 4 Κᾂν γὰρ ἐν κλάδοις πρὸς καιρὸν ἀναθάλῃ, ἐπισφαλῶς βεβηκότα ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευθήσεται, καὶ ὑπὸ βίας ἀνέμων ἐκριζωθήσεται. 5 Περικλασθήσονται κλῶνες ἀτέλεστοι, καὶ ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῶν ἄχρηστος, ἄωρος εἰς βρῶσιν, καὶ εἰς οὐθὲν ἐπιτήδειος. 6 Ἐκ γὰρ ἀνόμων ὕπνων τέκνα γεννώμενα μάρτυρές εἰσι πονηρίας κατὰ γονέων ἐν ἐξετασμῷ αὐτῶν. 7 Δίκαιος δὲ ἐὰν φθάσῃ τελευτῆσαι, ἐν ἀναπαύσει ἔσται. 8 Γῆρας γὰρ τίμιον οὐ τὸ πολυχρόνιον, οὐδὲ ἀριθμῷ ἐτῶν μεμέτρηται. 9 Πολιὰ δέ ἐστιν φρόνησις ἀνθρώποις, καὶ ἡλικία γήρως βίος ἀκηλίδωτος. 10 Εὐάρεστος τῷ Θεῷ γενόμενος ἠγαπήθη, καὶ ζῶν μεταξὺ ἁμαρτωλῶν μετετέθη. 11 Ἡρπάγη μὴ κακία ἀλλάξῃ σύνεσιν αὐτοῦ, ἢ δόλος ἀπατήσῃ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ. 12 Βασκανία γὰρ φαυλότητος ἀμαυροῖ τὰ καλὰ, καὶ ῥεμβασμὸς ἐπιθυμίας μεταλλεύει νοῦν ἄκακον. 13 Τελειωθεὶς ἐν ὀλίγῳ ἐπλήρωσε χρόνους μακρούς. 14 Ἀρεστὴ γὰρ ἦν Κυρίῳ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ· διὰ τοῦτο ἔσπευσεν ἐκ μέσου πονηρίας. 15 Οἱ δὲ λαοὶ ἰδόντες καὶ μὴ νοήσαντες, μηδὲ θέντες ἐπὶ διανοίᾳ τὸ τοιοῦτο, ὅτι χάρις καὶ ἔλεος ἐν τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπισκοπὴ ἐν τοῖς ὁσίοις αὐτοῦ. 16 Κατακρινεῖ δὲ δίκαιος καμὼν τοῦς ζῶντας ἀσεβεῖς, καὶ νεότης τελεσθεῖσα ταχέως πολυετὲς γῆρας ἀδίκου. 17 Ὄψονται γὰρ τελευτὴν σοφοῦ, καὶ οὐ νοήσουσι τί ἐβουλεύσατο περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰς τί ἠσφαλίσατο αὐτὸν ὁ Κύριος. 18 Ὄψονται καὶ ἐξουθενήσουσιν, αὐτοὺς δὲ ὁ Κύριος ἐκγελάσεται· καὶ ἔσονται μετὰ τοῦτο εἰς πτῶμα ἄτιμον, καὶ εἰς ὕβριν ἐν νεκροῖς διʼ αἰῶνος. 19 Ὅτι ῥήξει αὐτοὺς ἀφώνους πρηνεῖς, καὶ σαλεύσει αὐτοὺς ἐκ θεμελίων, καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου χερσωθήσονται, καὶ ἔσονται ἐν ὀδύνῃ, καὶ ἡ μνήμη αὐτῶν ἀπολεῖται. 20 Ἐλεύσονται ἐν συλλογισμῷ ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῶν δειλοὶ, καὶ ἐλέγξει αὐτοὺς ἐξεναντίας τὰ ἀνομήματα αὐτῶν.
Wisdom of Solomon · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Wisdom of Solomon 4 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Of whom it was said before in Wisdom, "Their own iniquities shall convince them to their face." Without doubt they will see that they are justly condemned for their sins and wickednesses; yet it will be as though He said to them, "It is not in consequence of this that ye think, but because I was hungry, and ye gave …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
What if "he was taken away, lest wickedness should alter his understanding." But he was a sinner, thou sayest, and therefore I wished him to live, that he might be corrected.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
Now God grants them the approach of a healthy shame, if they despise not the medicine of confession: but if they will not now be ashamed, then they shall be ashamed, when "their iniquities shall convince them to their face." How shall they be ashamed?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)