ΣΟΦΙΑ ΣΑΛΩΜΩΝ - Sapienza - Wisdom 6

LXX	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 ἀκούσατε οὖν βασιλεῖς καὶ σύνετε μάθετε δικασταὶ περάτων γῆς	1 Wisdom is better than power, and a prudent man is better than a powerful one.
2 ἐνωτίσασθε οἱ κρατοῦντες πλήθους καὶ γεγαυρωμένοι ἐπὶ ὄχλοις ἐθνῶν	2 Therefore, hear, O kings, and understand; learn, you judges of the ends of the earth.
3 ὅτι ἐδόθη παρὰ κυρίου ἡ κράτησις ὑμῖν καὶ ἡ δυναστεία παρὰ ὑψίστου ὃς ἐξετάσει ὑμῶν τὰ ἔργα καὶ τὰς βουλὰς διερευνήσει	3 Listen closely, you who hold the attention of the crowds, and who please yourselves by disturbing the nations.
4 ὅτι ὑπηρέται ὄντες τῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλείας οὐκ ἐκρίνατε ὀρθῶς οὐδὲ ἐφυλάξατε νόμον οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπορεύθητε	4 For power has been given to you from the Lord and strength from the Most High, who will examine your works and scrutinize your thoughts.
5 φρικτῶς καὶ ταχέως ἐπιστήσεται ὑμῖν ὅτι κρίσις ἀπότομος ἐν τοῖς ὑπερέχουσιν γίνεται	5 For, when you were ministers of his kingdom, you did not judge correctly, nor keep the law of justice, nor walk according to the will of God.
6 ὁ γὰρ ἐλάχιστος συγγνωστός ἐστιν ἐλέους δυνατοὶ δὲ δυνατῶς ἐτασθήσονται	6 Horribly and quickly he will appear to you, because he will make a severe judgment for those who are in charge.
7 οὐ γὰρ ὑποστελεῖται πρόσωπον ὁ πάντων δεσπότης οὐδὲ ἐντραπήσεται μέγεθος ὅτι μικρὸν καὶ μέγαν αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν ὁμοίως τε προνοεῖ περὶ πάντων	7 For, to the little, great mercy is granted, but the powerful will endure powerful torment.
8 τοῖς δὲ κραταιοῖς ἰσχυρὰ ἐφίσταται ἔρευνα	8 For the Lord will not exempt anyone’s character, nor will he stand in awe of anyone’s greatness, because he himself made the little and the great, and he is equally concerned for everyone.
9 πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὖν ὦ τύραννοι οἱ λόγοι μου ἵνα μάθητε σοφίαν καὶ μὴ παραπέσητε	9 But a powerful torture pursues the powerful.
10 οἱ γὰρ φυλάξαντες ὁσίως τὰ ὅσια ὁσιωθήσονται καὶ οἱ διδαχθέντες αὐτὰ εὑρήσουσιν ἀπολογίαν	10 Therefore, O kings, these, my words, are for you, so that you may learn wisdom and not perish.
11 ἐπιθυμήσατε οὖν τῶν λόγων μου ποθήσατε καὶ παιδευθήσεσθε	11 For those who have justly preserved justice will be justified, and those who have learned these things will find what to answer.
12 λαμπρὰ καὶ ἀμάραντός ἐστιν ἡ σοφία καὶ εὐχερῶς θεωρεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγαπώντων αὐτὴν καὶ εὑρίσκεται ὑπὸ τῶν ζητούντων αὐτήν	12 Therefore, desire my words, love them, and you will have instruction.
13 φθάνει τοὺς ἐπιθυμοῦντας προγνωσθῆναι	13 Wisdom is pure and never fades away, and is easily seen by those who love her and found by those who seek her.
14 ὁ ὀρθρίσας πρὸς αὐτὴν οὐ κοπιάσει πάρεδρον γὰρ εὑρήσει τῶν πυλῶν αὐτοῦ	14 She anticipates those who desire her, so that she first reveals herself to them.
15 τὸ γὰρ ἐνθυμηθῆναι περὶ αὐτῆς φρονήσεως τελειότης καὶ ὁ ἀγρυπνήσας δι’ αὐτὴν ταχέως ἀμέριμνος ἔσται	15 Whoever awakens early to seek her, will not labor, for he will find her sitting at his door.
16 ὅτι τοὺς ἀξίους αὐτῆς αὐτὴ περιέρχεται ζητοῦσα καὶ ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις φαντάζεται αὐτοῖς εὐμενῶς καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἐπινοίᾳ ὑπαντᾷ αὐτοῖς	16 Therefore, by thinking about her, understanding is perfected, and whoever remains watchful for her, will quickly be secure.
17 ἀρχὴ γὰρ αὐτῆς ἡ ἀληθεστάτη παιδείας ἐπιθυμία φροντὶς δὲ παιδείας ἀγάπη	17 For she goes about seeking such as are worthy of her, and she reveals herself to them cheerfully in the ways, and meets them with all foresight.
18 ἀγάπη δὲ τήρησις νόμων αὐτῆς προσοχὴ δὲ νόμων βεβαίωσις ἀφθαρσίας	18 For the very true beginning of her is the desire for instruction.
19 ἀφθαρσία δὲ ἐγγὺς εἶναι ποιεῖ θεοῦ	19 Therefore, the zeal for instruction is love, and love is the keeping of her laws, and the keeping of her laws is the perfection of incorruptibility,
20 ἐπιθυμία ἄρα σοφίας ἀνάγει ἐπὶ βασιλείαν	20 while incorruptibility makes us near to God.
21 εἰ οὖν ἥδεσθε ἐπὶ θρόνοις καὶ σκήπτροις τύραννοι λαῶν τιμήσατε σοφίαν ἵνα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα βασιλεύσητε	21 And so, the desire for wisdom leads to an everlasting kingdom.
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 If, therefore, your delight is in thrones and scepters, O kings of the people, love wisdom, so that you may reign forever;
23 οὔτε μὴν φθόνῳ τετηκότι συνοδεύσω ὅτι οὗτος οὐ κοινωνήσει σοφίᾳ	23 love the light of wisdom, all you who lead the peoples.
24 πλῆθος δὲ σοφῶν σωτηρία κόσμου καὶ βασιλεὺς φρόνιμος εὐστάθεια δήμου	24 But what wisdom is, and how she was made, I will report, and I will not hide the mysteries of God from you, but I will investigate her from the beginning of her birth, and I will place the knowledge of her in the light, and will not pass over the truth.
25 ὥστε παιδεύεσθε τοῖς ῥήμασίν μου καὶ ὠφεληθήσεσθε	25 Neither will I hold to the path that dwindles away with envy, because such a man will not partake in wisdom.
	26 For the proliferation of the wise is sanity for the world, and a wise king is the mainstay of the people.
	27 Therefore, receive instruction by my words, and it will benefit you.