ΣΟΦΙΑ ΣΑΛΩΜΩΝ - Sapienza - Wisdom 4

GREEK BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 κρείσσων ἀτεκνία μετὰ ἀρετῆς ἀθανασία γάρ ἐστιν ἐν μνήμῃ αὐτῆς ὅτι καὶ παρὰ θεῷ γινώσκεται καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις	1 O how beautiful is the chaste fruit of purity! For its remembrance is immortal, because it is observed both with God and with men.
2 παροῦσάν τε μιμοῦνται αὐτὴν καὶ ποθοῦσιν ἀπελθοῦσαν καὶ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι στεφανηφοροῦσα πομπεύει τὸν τῶν ἀμιάντων ἄθλων ἀγῶνα νικήσασα	2 When it is present, they imitate it, and they desire it when it has withdrawn itself, and it triumphs crowned forever, winning the reward of undefiled conflicts.
3 πολύγονον δὲ ἀσεβῶν πλῆθος οὐ χρησιμεύσει καὶ ἐκ νόθων μοσχευμάτων οὐ δώσει ῥίζαν εἰς βάθος οὐδὲ ἀσφαλῆ βάσιν ἑδράσει	3 But the great number of the many different kinds of the impious will not be to their advantage, and spurious seedlings will not be given deep roots, nor will they establish any firm foundation.
4 κἂν γὰρ ἐν κλάδοις πρὸς καιρὸν ἀναθάλῃ ἐπισφαλῶς βεβηκότα ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευθήσεται καὶ ὑπὸ βίας ἀνέμων ἐκριζωθήσεται	4 And if they spring forth with branches for a time, yet, being set infirmly, they will be shaken by the wind, and, by the superabundance of the winds, they will be eradicated.
5 περικλασθήσονται κλῶνες ἀτέλεστοι καὶ ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῶν ἄχρηστος ἄωρος εἰς βρῶσιν καὶ εἰς οὐθὲν ἐπιτήδειος	5 For the incomplete branches will be broken, and their fruits will be useless, and bitter to eat, and fit for nothing.
6 ἐκ γὰρ ἀνόμων ὕπνων τέκνα γεννώμενα μάρτυρές εἰσιν πονηρίας κατὰ γονέων ἐν ἐξετασμῷ αὐτῶν	6 For all the sons born from iniquity are witnesses of wickedness against their parents at their interrogation.
7 δίκαιος δὲ ἐὰν φθάσῃ τελευτῆσαι ἐν ἀναπαύσει ἔσται	7 But the just, if death seizes him beforehand, will be refreshed.
8 γῆρας γὰρ τίμιον οὐ τὸ πολυχρόνιον οὐδὲ ἀριθμῷ ἐτῶν μεμέτρηται	8 For old age is made venerable, neither by lasting long, nor by counting the number of years; yet understanding is the gray hair of wisdom for men,
9 πολιὰ δέ ἐστιν φρόνησις ἀνθρώποις καὶ ἡλικία γήρως βίος ἀκηλίδωτος	9 and an immaculate life is a generation of sages.
10 εὐάρεστος θεῷ γενόμενος ἠγαπήθη καὶ ζῶν μεταξὺ ἁμαρτωλῶν μετετέθη	10 Pleasing to God, having been made beloved, and living among sinners, he was transformed.
11 ἡρπάγη μὴ κακία ἀλλάξῃ σύνεσιν αὐτοῦ ἢ δόλος ἀπατήσῃ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ	11 He was quickly taken away, for malice could not alter his understanding, nor could deceit beguile his soul.
12 βασκανία γὰρ φαυλότητος ἀμαυροῖ τὰ καλά καὶ ῥεμβασμὸς ἐπιθυμίας μεταλλεύει νοῦν ἄκακον	12 For fascination with entertainment obscures good things, and the unfaithfulness of desire subverts the mind without malice.
13 τελειωθεὶς ἐν ὀλίγῳ ἐπλήρωσεν χρόνους μακρούς	13 Completed in a short time, he fulfilled many times.
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	14 Truly his soul was pleasing to God. Because of this, he hastened to bring him out of the midst of iniquities, but the people see this and do not understand, nor do they place such things in their hearts:
15 ὅτι χάρις καὶ ἔλεος ἐν τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπισκοπὴ ἐν τοῖς ὁσίοις αὐτοῦ	15 that the grace and mercy of God is with his holy ones, and he watches over his elect.
16 κατακρινεῖ δὲ δίκαιος καμὼν τοὺς ζῶντας ἀσεβεῖς καὶ νεότης τελεσθεῖσα ταχέως πολυετὲς γῆρας ἀδίκου	16 But the just dead will condemn the impious living, and youth hastily completed results in a long unjust life.
17 ὄψονται γὰρ τελευτὴν σοφοῦ καὶ οὐ νοήσουσιν τί ἐβουλεύσατο περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς τί ἠσφαλίσατο αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος	17 For they will see the end of the wise, and will neither understand, nor imagine, that he is of God, and that therefore the Lord has safeguarded him.
18 ὄψονται καὶ ἐξουθενήσουσιν αὐτοὺς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἐκγελάσεται	18 For they will see and despise him, but the Lord will ridicule them.
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	19 And after this, they will fall without honor and with contempt among the dead forever. Seeing that they are puffed up and speechless, he will shatter them and will shake them from the foundations all the way to the top, to their utter desolation, and they will grieve and their remembrance will perish.
20 ἐλεύσονται ἐν συλλογισμῷ ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῶν δειλοί καὶ ἐλέγξει αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἐναντίας τὰ ἀνομήματα αὐτῶν	20 They will hurry with fear at the understanding of their sins, and their iniquities will bear witness against them.
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