1 ἀκούσατε οὖν βασιλεῖς καὶ σύνετε μάθετε δικασταὶ περάτων γῆς | 1 Hear, therefore, kings, and understand; learn, you magistrates of the earth's expanse! |
2 ἐνωτίσασθε οἱ κρατοῦντες πλήθους καὶ γεγαυρωμένοι ἐπὶ ὄχλοις ἐθνῶν | 2 Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude and lord it over throngs of peoples! |
3 ὅτι ἐδόθη παρὰ κυρίου ἡ κράτησις ὑμῖν καὶ ἡ δυναστεία παρὰ ὑψίστου ὃς ἐξετάσει ὑμῶν τὰ ἔργα καὶ τὰς βουλὰς διερευνήσει | 3 Because authority was given you by the LORD and sovereignty by the Most High, who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels! |
4 ὅτι ὑπηρέται ὄντες τῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλείας οὐκ ἐκρίνατε ὀρθῶς οὐδὲ ἐφυλάξατε νόμον οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπορεύθητε | 4 Because, though you were ministers of his kingdom, you judged not rightly, and did not keep the law, nor walk according to the will of God, |
5 φρικτῶς καὶ ταχέως ἐπιστήσεται ὑμῖν ὅτι κρίσις ἀπότομος ἐν τοῖς ὑπερέχουσιν γίνεται | 5 Terribly and swiftly shall he come against you, because judgment is stern for the exalted- |
6 ὁ γὰρ ἐλάχιστος συγγνωστός ἐστιν ἐλέους δυνατοὶ δὲ δυνατῶς ἐτασθήσονται | 6 For the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test. |
7 οὐ γὰρ ὑποστελεῖται πρόσωπον ὁ πάντων δεσπότης οὐδὲ ἐντραπήσεται μέγεθος ὅτι μικρὸν καὶ μέγαν αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν ὁμοίως τε προνοεῖ περὶ πάντων | 7 For the Lord of all shows no partiality, nor does he fear greatness, Because he himself made the great as well as the small, and he provides for all alike; |
8 τοῖς δὲ κραταιοῖς ἰσχυρὰ ἐφίσταται ἔρευνα | 8 but for those in power a rigorous scrutiny impends. |
9 πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὖν ὦ τύραννοι οἱ λόγοι μου ἵνα μάθητε σοφίαν καὶ μὴ παραπέσητε | 9 To you, therefore, O princes, are my words addressed that you may learn wisdom and that you may not sin. |
10 οἱ γὰρ φυλάξαντες ὁσίως τὰ ὅσια ὁσιωθήσονται καὶ οἱ διδαχθέντες αὐτὰ εὑρήσουσιν ἀπολογίαν | 10 For those who keep the holy precepts hallowed shall be found holy, and those learned in them will have ready a response. |
11 ἐπιθυμήσατε οὖν τῶν λόγων μου ποθήσατε καὶ παιδευθήσεσθε | 11 Desire therefore my words; long for them and you shall be instructed. |
12 λαμπρὰ καὶ ἀμάραντός ἐστιν ἡ σοφία καὶ εὐχερῶς θεωρεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγαπώντων αὐτὴν καὶ εὑρίσκεται ὑπὸ τῶν ζητούντων αὐτήν | 12 Resplendent and unfading is Wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. |
13 φθάνει τοὺς ἐπιθυμοῦντας προγνωσθῆναι | 13 She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of men's desire; |
14 ὁ ὀρθρίσας πρὸς αὐτὴν οὐ κοπιάσει πάρεδρον γὰρ εὑρήσει τῶν πυλῶν αὐτοῦ | 14 he who watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate. |
15 τὸ γὰρ ἐνθυμηθῆναι περὶ αὐτῆς φρονήσεως τελειότης καὶ ὁ ἀγρυπνήσας δι’ αὐτὴν ταχέως ἀμέριμνος ἔσται | 15 For taking thought of her is the perfection of prudence, and he who for her sake keeps vigil shall quickly be free from care; |
16 ὅτι τοὺς ἀξίους αὐτῆς αὐτὴ περιέρχεται ζητοῦσα καὶ ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις φαντάζεται αὐτοῖς εὐμενῶς καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἐπινοίᾳ ὑπαντᾷ αὐτοῖς | 16 Because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her, and graciously appears to them in the ways, and meets them with all solicitude. |
17 ἀρχὴ γὰρ αὐτῆς ἡ ἀληθεστάτη παιδείας ἐπιθυμία φροντὶς δὲ παιδείας ἀγάπη | 17 For the first step toward discipline is a very earnest desire for her; then, care for discipline is love of her; |
18 ἀγάπη δὲ τήρησις νόμων αὐτῆς προσοχὴ δὲ νόμων βεβαίωσις ἀφθαρσίας | 18 love means the keeping of her laws; To observe her laws is the basis for incorruptibility; |
19 ἀφθαρσία δὲ ἐγγὺς εἶναι ποιεῖ θεοῦ | 19 and incorruptibility makes one close to God; |
20 ἐπιθυμία ἄρα σοφίας ἀνάγει ἐπὶ βασιλείαν | 20 thus the desire for Wisdom leads up to a kingdom. |
21 εἰ οὖν ἥδεσθε ἐπὶ θρόνοις καὶ σκήπτροις τύραννοι λαῶν τιμήσατε σοφίαν ἵνα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα βασιλεύσητε | 21 If, then, you find pleasure in throne and scepter, you princes of the peoples, honor Wisdom, that you may reign as kings forever. |
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 Now what wisdom is, and how she came to be I shall relate; and I shall hide no secrets from you, But from the very beginning I shall search out and bring to light knowledge of her, nor shall I diverge from the truth. |
23 οὔτε μὴν φθόνῳ τετηκότι συνοδεύσω ὅτι οὗτος οὐ κοινωνήσει σοφίᾳ | 23 Neither shall I admit consuming jealousy to my company, because that can have no fellowship with Wisdom. |
24 πλῆθος δὲ σοφῶν σωτηρία κόσμου καὶ βασιλεὺς φρόνιμος εὐστάθεια δήμου | 24 A great number of wise men is the safety of the world, and a prudent king, the stability of his people; |
25 ὥστε παιδεύεσθε τοῖς ῥήμασίν μου καὶ ὠφεληθήσεσθε | 25 so take instruction from my words, to your profit. |