1 ἀκούσατε οὖν βασιλεῖς καὶ σύνετε μάθετε δικασταὶ περάτων γῆς | 1 Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. |
2 ἐνωτίσασθε οἱ κρατοῦντες πλήθους καὶ γεγαυρωμένοι ἐπὶ ὄχλοις ἐθνῶν | 2 Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations. |
3 ὅτι ἐδόθη παρὰ κυρίου ἡ κράτησις ὑμῖν καὶ ἡ δυναστεία παρὰ ὑψίστου ὃς ἐξετάσει ὑμῶν τὰ ἔργα καὶ τὰς βουλὰς διερευνήσει | 3 For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels. |
4 ὅτι ὑπηρέται ὄντες τῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλείας οὐκ ἐκρίνατε ὀρθῶς οὐδὲ ἐφυλάξατε νόμον οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπορεύθητε | 4 Because, being ministers of his kingdom, ye have not judged aright, nor kept the law, nor walked after the counsel of God; |
5 φρικτῶς καὶ ταχέως ἐπιστήσεται ὑμῖν ὅτι κρίσις ἀπότομος ἐν τοῖς ὑπερέχουσιν γίνεται | 5 Horribly and speedily shall he come upon you: for a sharp judgment shall be to them that be in high places. |
6 ὁ γὰρ ἐλάχιστος συγγνωστός ἐστιν ἐλέους δυνατοὶ δὲ δυνατῶς ἐτασθήσονται | 6 For mercy will soon pardon the meanest: but mighty men shall be mightily tormented. |
7 οὐ γὰρ ὑποστελεῖται πρόσωπον ὁ πάντων δεσπότης οὐδὲ ἐντραπήσεται μέγεθος ὅτι μικρὸν καὶ μέγαν αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν ὁμοίως τε προνοεῖ περὶ πάντων | 7 For he which is Lord over all shall fear no man's person, neither shall he stand in awe of any man's greatness: for he hath made the small and great, and careth for all alike. |
8 τοῖς δὲ κραταιοῖς ἰσχυρὰ ἐφίσταται ἔρευνα | 8 But a sore trial shall come upon the mighty. |
9 πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὖν ὦ τύραννοι οἱ λόγοι μου ἵνα μάθητε σοφίαν καὶ μὴ παραπέσητε | 9 Unto you therefore, O kings, do I speak, that ye may learn wisdom, and not fall away. |
10 οἱ γὰρ φυλάξαντες ὁσίως τὰ ὅσια ὁσιωθήσονται καὶ οἱ διδαχθέντες αὐτὰ εὑρήσουσιν ἀπολογίαν | 10 For they that keep holiness holily shall be judged holy: and they that have learned such things shall find what to answer. |
11 ἐπιθυμήσατε οὖν τῶν λόγων μου ποθήσατε καὶ παιδευθήσεσθε | 11 Wherefore set your affection upon my words; desire them, and ye shall be instructed. |
12 λαμπρὰ καὶ ἀμάραντός ἐστιν ἡ σοφία καὶ εὐχερῶς θεωρεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγαπώντων αὐτὴν καὶ εὑρίσκεται ὑπὸ τῶν ζητούντων αὐτήν | 12 Wisdom is glorious, and never fadeth away: yea, she is easily seen of them that love her, and found of such as seek her. |
13 φθάνει τοὺς ἐπιθυμοῦντας προγνωσθῆναι | 13 She preventeth them that desire her, in making herself first known unto them. |
14 ὁ ὀρθρίσας πρὸς αὐτὴν οὐ κοπιάσει πάρεδρον γὰρ εὑρήσει τῶν πυλῶν αὐτοῦ | 14 Whoso seeketh her early shall have no great travail: for he shall find her sitting at his doors. |
15 τὸ γὰρ ἐνθυμηθῆναι περὶ αὐτῆς φρονήσεως τελειότης καὶ ὁ ἀγρυπνήσας δι’ αὐτὴν ταχέως ἀμέριμνος ἔσται | 15 To think therefore upon her is perfection of wisdom: and whoso watcheth for her shall quickly be without care. |
16 ὅτι τοὺς ἀξίους αὐτῆς αὐτὴ περιέρχεται ζητοῦσα καὶ ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις φαντάζεται αὐτοῖς εὐμενῶς καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἐπινοίᾳ ὑπαντᾷ αὐτοῖς | 16 For she goeth about seeking such as are worthy of her, sheweth herself favourably unto them in the ways, and meeteth them in every thought. |
17 ἀρχὴ γὰρ αὐτῆς ἡ ἀληθεστάτη παιδείας ἐπιθυμία φροντὶς δὲ παιδείας ἀγάπη | 17 For the very true beginning of her is the desire of discipline; and the care of discipline is love; |
18 ἀγάπη δὲ τήρησις νόμων αὐτῆς προσοχὴ δὲ νόμων βεβαίωσις ἀφθαρσίας | 18 And love is the keeping of her laws; and the giving heed unto her laws is the assurance of incorruption; |
19 ἀφθαρσία δὲ ἐγγὺς εἶναι ποιεῖ θεοῦ | 19 And incorruption maketh us near unto God: |
20 ἐπιθυμία ἄρα σοφίας ἀνάγει ἐπὶ βασιλείαν | 20 Therefore the desire of wisdom bringeth to a kingdom. |
21 εἰ οὖν ἥδεσθε ἐπὶ θρόνοις καὶ σκήπτροις τύραννοι λαῶν τιμήσατε σοφίαν ἵνα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα βασιλεύσητε | 21 If your delight be then in thrones and sceptres, O ye kings of the people, honour wisdom, that ye may reign for evermore. |
22 τί δέ ἐστιν σοφία καὶ πῶς ἐγένετο ἀπαγγελῶ καὶ οὐκ ἀποκρύψω ὑμῖν μυστήρια ἀλλὰ ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς γενέσεως ἐξιχνιάσω καὶ θήσω εἰς τὸ ἐμφανὲς τὴν γνῶσιν αὐτῆς καὶ οὐ μὴ παροδεύσω τὴν ἀλήθειαν | 22 As for wisdom, what she is, and how she came up, I will tell you, and will not hide mysteries from you: but will seek her out from the beginning of her nativity, and bring the knowledge of her into light, and will not pass over the truth. |
23 οὔτε μὴν φθόνῳ τετηκότι συνοδεύσω ὅτι οὗτος οὐ κοινωνήσει σοφίᾳ | 23 Neither will I go with consuming envy; for such a man shall have no fellowship with wisdom. |
24 πλῆθος δὲ σοφῶν σωτηρία κόσμου καὶ βασιλεὺς φρόνιμος εὐστάθεια δήμου | 24 But the multitude of the wise is the welfare of the world: and a wise king is the upholding of the people. |
25 ὥστε παιδεύεσθε τοῖς ῥήμασίν μου καὶ ὠφεληθήσεσθε | 25 Receive therefore instruction through my words, and it shall do you good. |