ΣΟΦΙΑ ΣΑΛΩΜΩΝ - Sapienza - Wisdom 3

LXX	NEW JERUSALEM
1 δικαίων δὲ ψυχαὶ ἐν χειρὶ θεοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἅψηται αὐτῶν βάσανος	1 But the souls of the upright are in the hands of God, and no torment can touch them.
2 ἔδοξαν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀφρόνων τεθνάναι καὶ ἐλογίσθη κάκωσις ἡ ἔξοδος αὐτῶν	2 To the unenlightened, they appeared to die, their departure was regarded as disaster,
3 καὶ ἡ ἀφ’ ἡμῶν πορεία σύντριμμα οἱ δέ εἰσιν ἐν εἰρήνῃ	3 their leaving us like annihilation; but they are at peace.
4 καὶ γὰρ ἐν ὄψει ἀνθρώπων ἐὰν κολασθῶσιν ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν ἀθανασίας πλήρης	4 If, as it seemed to us, they suffered punishment, their hope was rich with immortality;
5 καὶ ὀλίγα παιδευθέντες μεγάλα εὐεργετηθήσονται ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἐπείρασεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εὗρεν αὐτοὺς ἀξίους ἑαυτοῦ	5 slight was their correction, great wil their blessings be. God was putting them to the test and has provedthem worthy to be with him;
6 ὡς χρυσὸν ἐν χωνευτηρίῳ ἐδοκίμασεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ὡς ὁλοκάρπωμα θυσίας προσεδέξατο αὐτούς	6 he has tested them like gold in a furnace, and accepted them as a perfect burnt offering.
7 καὶ ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτῶν ἀναλάμψουσιν καὶ ὡς σπινθῆρες ἐν καλάμῃ διαδραμοῦνται 8κρινοῦσιν ἔθνη καὶ κρατήσουσιν λαῶν καὶ βασιλεύσει αὐτῶν κύριος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας	7 At their time of visitation, they wil shine out; as sparks run through the stubble, so will they.
	8 They wil judge nations, rule over peoples, and the Lord wil be their king for ever.
9 οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπ’ αὐτῷ συνήσουσιν ἀλήθειαν καὶ οἱ πιστοὶ ἐν ἀγάπῃ προσμενοῦσιν αὐτῷ ὅτι χάρις καὶ ἔλεος τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς αὐτοῦ	9 Those who trust in him wil understand the truth, those who are faithful wil live with him in love; forgrace and mercy await his holy ones, and he intervenes on behalf of his chosen.
10 οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς καθὰ ἐλογίσαντο ἕξουσιν ἐπιτιμίαν οἱ ἀμελήσαντες τοῦ δικαίου καὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἀποστάντες	10 But the godless wil be duly punished for their reasoning, for having neglected the upright and desertedthe Lord.
11 σοφίαν γὰρ καὶ παιδείαν ὁ ἐξουθενῶν ταλαίπωρος καὶ κενὴ ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ κόποι ἀνόνητοι καὶ ἄχρηστα τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν	11 Yes, wretched are they who scorn wisdom and discipline: their hope is void, their toil unavailing, theirachievements unprofitable;
12 αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν ἄφρονες καὶ πονηρὰ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἐπικατάρατος ἡ γένεσις αὐτῶν	12 their wives are reckless, their children depraved, their descendants accursed.
13 ὅτι μακαρία στεῖρα ἡ ἀμίαντος ἥτις οὐκ ἔγνω κοίτην ἐν παραπτώματι ἕξει καρπὸν ἐν ἐπισκοπῇ ψυχῶν	13 Blessed the sterile woman if she be blameless, and has not known an unlawful bed, for she wil havefruit at the visitation of souls.
14 καὶ εὐνοῦχος ὁ μὴ ἐργασάμενος ἐν χειρὶ ἀνόμημα μηδὲ ἐνθυμηθεὶς κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου πονηρά δοθήσεται γὰρ αὐτῷ τῆς πίστεως χάρις ἐκλεκτὴ καὶ κλῆρος ἐν ναῷ κυρίου θυμηρέστερος	14 Blessed, too, the eunuch whose hand commits no crime, and who harbours no resentment against theLord: a special favour will be granted to him for his loyalty, a most desirable portion in the temple of the Lord.
15 ἀγαθῶν γὰρ πόνων καρπὸς εὐκλεής καὶ ἀδιάπτωτος ἡ ῥίζα τῆς φρονήσεως	15 For the fruit of honest labours is glorious, and the root of understanding does not decay.
16 τέκνα δὲ μοιχῶν ἀτέλεστα ἔσται καὶ ἐκ παρανόμου κοίτης σπέρμα ἀφανισθήσεται	16 But the children of adulterers wil not reach maturity, the offspring of an unlawful bed wil disappear.
17 ἐάν τε γὰρ μακρόβιοι γένωνται εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθήσονται καὶ ἄτιμον ἐπ’ ἐσχάτων τὸ γῆρας αὐτῶν	17 Even if they live long, they wil count for nothing, their old age wil go unhonoured at the last;
18 ἐάν τε ὀξέως τελευτήσωσιν οὐχ ἕξουσιν ἐλπίδα οὐδὲ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ διαγνώσεως παραμύθιον	18 while if they die early, they have neither hope nor comfort on the day of judgement,
19 γενεᾶς γὰρ ἀδίκου χαλεπὰ τὰ τέλη	19 for the end of a race of evil-doers is harsh.