Wisdom 4

NEW JERUSALEM	GREEK BIBLE
1 Better to have no children yet to have virtue, since immortality perpetuates its memory; for God andhuman beings both recognise it.	1 κρείσσων ἀτεκνία μετὰ ἀρετῆς ἀθανασία γάρ ἐστιν ἐν μνήμῃ αὐτῆς ὅτι καὶ παρὰ θεῷ γινώσκεται καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις
2 Present, we imitate it, absent, we long for it; crowned, it holds triumph through eternity, having strivenfor untainted prizes and emerged the victor.	2 παροῦσάν τε μιμοῦνται αὐτὴν καὶ ποθοῦσιν ἀπελθοῦσαν καὶ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι στεφανηφοροῦσα πομπεύει τὸν τῶν ἀμιάντων ἄθλων ἀγῶνα νικήσασα
3 But the offspring of the godless come to nothing, however prolific, sprung from a bastard stock, they willnever strike deep roots, never put down firm foundations.	3 πολύγονον δὲ ἀσεβῶν πλῆθος οὐ χρησιμεύσει καὶ ἐκ νόθων μοσχευμάτων οὐ δώσει ῥίζαν εἰς βάθος οὐδὲ ἀσφαλῆ βάσιν ἑδράσει
4 They may branch out for a time, but, on unsteady foundations, they will be rocked by the wind anduprooted by the force of the storm;	4 κἂν γὰρ ἐν κλάδοις πρὸς καιρὸν ἀναθάλῃ ἐπισφαλῶς βεβηκότα ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευθήσεται καὶ ὑπὸ βίας ἀνέμων ἐκριζωθήσεται
5 their branches, yet unformed, wil be snapped off, their fruit be useless, too unripe to eat, fit for nothing.	5 περικλασθήσονται κλῶνες ἀτέλεστοι καὶ ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῶν ἄχρηστος ἄωρος εἰς βρῶσιν καὶ εἰς οὐθὲν ἐπιτήδειος
6 For children begotten of unlawful bed witness, when put on trial, to their parents' wickedness.	6 ἐκ γὰρ ἀνόμων ὕπνων τέκνα γεννώμενα μάρτυρές εἰσιν πονηρίας κατὰ γονέων ἐν ἐξετασμῷ αὐτῶν
7 The upright, though he die before his time, will find rest.	7 δίκαιος δὲ ἐὰν φθάσῃ τελευτῆσαι ἐν ἀναπαύσει ἔσται
8 Length of days is not what makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life;	8 γῆρας γὰρ τίμιον οὐ τὸ πολυχρόνιον οὐδὲ ἀριθμῷ ἐτῶν μεμέτρηται
9 understanding, this is grey hairs, untarnished life, this is ripe old age.	9 πολιὰ δέ ἐστιν φρόνησις ἀνθρώποις καὶ ἡλικία γήρως βίος ἀκηλίδωτος
10 Having won God's favour, he has been loved and, as he was living among sinners, has been takenaway.	10 εὐάρεστος θεῷ γενόμενος ἠγαπήθη καὶ ζῶν μεταξὺ ἁμαρτωλῶν μετετέθη
11 He has been carried off so that evil may not warp his understanding or deceitfulness seduce his soul;	11 ἡρπάγη μὴ κακία ἀλλάξῃ σύνεσιν αὐτοῦ ἢ δόλος ἀπατήσῃ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ
12 for the fascination of evil throws good things into the shade, and the whirlwind of desire corrupts asimple heart.	12 βασκανία γὰρ φαυλότητος ἀμαυροῖ τὰ καλά καὶ ῥεμβασμὸς ἐπιθυμίας μεταλλεύει νοῦν ἄκακον
13 Having come to perfection so soon, he has lived long;	13 τελειωθεὶς ἐν ὀλίγῳ ἐπλήρωσεν χρόνους μακρούς
14 his soul being pleasing to the Lord, he has hurried away from the wickedness around him. Yet peoplelook on, uncomprehending; and it does not enter their heads	14 ἀρεστὴ γὰρ ἦν κυρίῳ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦτο ἔσπευσεν ἐκ μέσου πονηρίας οἱ δὲ λαοὶ ἰδόντες καὶ μὴ νοήσαντες μηδὲ θέντες ἐπὶ διανοίᾳ τὸ τοιοῦτο
15 that grace and mercy await his chosen ones and that he intervenes on behalf of his holy ones.	15 ὅτι χάρις καὶ ἔλεος ἐν τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπισκοπὴ ἐν τοῖς ὁσίοις αὐτοῦ
16 The upright who dies condemns the godless who survive, and youth quickly perfected condemns thelengthy old age of the wicked.	16 κατακρινεῖ δὲ δίκαιος καμὼν τοὺς ζῶντας ἀσεβεῖς καὶ νεότης τελεσθεῖσα ταχέως πολυετὲς γῆρας ἀδίκου
17 These people see the end of the wise without understanding what the Lord has in store or why he hastaken such a one to safety;	17 ὄψονται γὰρ τελευτὴν σοφοῦ καὶ οὐ νοήσουσιν τί ἐβουλεύσατο περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς τί ἠσφαλίσατο αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος
18 they look on and sneer, but the Lord wil laugh at them.	18 ὄψονται καὶ ἐξουθενήσουσιν αὐτοὺς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἐκγελάσεται
19 Soon they wil be corpses without honour, objects of horror among the dead for ever. For he wilshatter them and fling them headlong and dumbfounded. He wil shake them from their foundations; they wil beutterly laid waste, a prey to grief, and their memory wil perish.	19 καὶ ἔσονται μετὰ τοῦτο εἰς πτῶμα ἄτιμον καὶ εἰς ὕβριν ἐν νεκροῖς δι’ αἰῶνος ὅτι ῥήξει αὐτοὺς ἀφώνους πρηνεῖς καὶ σαλεύσει αὐτοὺς ἐκ θεμελίων καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου χερσωθήσονται καὶ ἔσονται ἐν ὀδύνῃ καὶ ἡ μνήμη αὐτῶν ἀπολεῖται
20 When the count of their sins has been drawn up, in terror they wil come, and their crimes, confrontingthem, wil accuse them.	20 ἐλεύσονται ἐν συλλογισμῷ ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῶν δειλοί καὶ ἐλέγξει αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἐναντίας τὰ ἀνομήματα αὐτῶν
	21 εστιν γαρ αισχυνη επαγουσα αμαρτιαν και εστιν αισχυνη δοξα και χαρις
	22 μη λαβης προσωπον κατα της ψυχης σου και μη εντραπης εις πτωσιν σου
	23 μη κωλυσης λογον εν καιρω χρειας
	24 εν γαρ λογω γνωσθησεται σοφια και παιδεια εν ρηματι γλωσσης
	25 μη αντιλεγε τη αληθεια και περι της απαιδευσιας σου εντραπηθι
	26 μη αισχυνθης ομολογησαι εφ' αμαρτιαις σου και μη βιαζου ρουν ποταμου
	27 και μη υποστρωσης ανθρωπω μωρω σεαυτον και μη λαβης προσωπον δυναστου
	28 εως θανατου αγωνισαι περι της αληθειας και κυριος ο θεος πολεμησει υπερ σου
	29 μη γινου θρασυς εν γλωσση σου και νωθρος και παρειμενος εν τοις εργοις σου
	30 μη ισθι ως λεων εν τω οικω σου και φαντασιοκοπων εν τοις οικεταις σου
	31 μη εστω η χειρ σου εκτεταμενη εις το λαβειν και εν τω αποδιδοναι συνεσταλμενη