ΣΟΦΙΑ ΣΑΛΩΜΩΝ - Sapienza - Wisdom 10

LXX	NEW JERUSALEM
1 αὕτη πρωτόπλαστον πατέρα κόσμου μόνον κτισθέντα διεφύλαξεν καὶ ἐξείλατο αὐτὸν ἐκ παραπτώματος ἰδίου	1 It was Wisdom who protected the first man to be fashioned, the father of the world, who had beencreated al alone, she it was who rescued him from his fal
2 ἔδωκέν τε αὐτῷ ἰσχὺν κρατῆσαι ἁπάντων	2 and gave him the strength to subjugate al things.
3 ἀποστὰς δὲ ἀπ’ αὐτῆς ἄδικος ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ ἀδελφοκτόνοις συναπώλετο θυμοῖς	3 But when in his wrath a wicked man deserted her, he perished in his fratricidal fury.
4 δι’ ὃν κατακλυζομένην γῆν πάλιν ἔσωσεν σοφία δι’ εὐτελοῦς ξύλου τὸν δίκαιον κυβερνήσασα	4 When because of him the earth was drowned, it was Wisdom again who saved it, piloting the uprightman on valueless timber.
5 αὕτη καὶ ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ πονηρίας ἐθνῶν συγχυθέντων ἔγνω τὸν δίκαιον καὶ ἐτήρησεν αὐτὸν ἄμεμπτον θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τέκνου σπλάγχνοις ἰσχυρὸν ἐφύλαξεν	5 Again, when, concurring in wickedness, the nations had been thrown into confusion, she singled outthe upright man, preserved him blameless before God and fortified him against pity for his child.
6 αὕτη δίκαιον ἐξαπολλυμένων ἀσεβῶν ἐρρύσατο φυγόντα καταβάσιον πῦρ Πενταπόλεως	6 She it was who, while the godless perished, saved the upright man as he fled from the fire rainingdown on the Five Cities,
7 ἧς ἔτι μαρτύριον τῆς πονηρίας καπνιζομένη καθέστηκε χέρσος καὶ ἀτελέσιν ὥραις καρποφοροῦντα φυτά ἀπιστούσης ψυχῆς μνημεῖον ἑστηκυῖα στήλη ἁλός	7 in witness against whose evil ways a desolate land still smokes, where plants bear fruit that neverripens and where, monument to an unbelieving soul, there stands a pillar of salt.
8 σοφίαν γὰρ παροδεύσαντες οὐ μόνον ἐβλάβησαν τοῦ μὴ γνῶναι τὰ καλά ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἀφροσύνης ἀπέλιπον τῷ βίῳ μνημόσυνον ἵνα ἐν οἷς ἐσφάλησαν μηδὲ λαθεῖν δυνηθῶσιν 9σοφία δὲ τοὺς θεραπεύοντας αὐτὴν ἐκ πόνων ἐρρύσατο	8 For, by ignoring the path of Wisdom, not only did they suffer the loss of not knowing the good, but theyleft the world a memorial to their fol y, so that their offences could not pass unnoticed.
	9 But Wisdom delivered her servants from their ordeals.
10 αὕτη φυγάδα ὀργῆς ἀδελφοῦ δίκαιον ὡδήγησεν ἐν τρίβοις εὐθείαις ἔδειξεν αὐτῷ βασιλείαν θεοῦ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ γνῶσιν ἁγίων εὐπόρησεν αὐτὸν ἐν μόχθοις καὶ ἐπλήθυνεν τοὺς πόνους αὐτοῦ	10 The upright man, fleeing from the anger of his brother, was led by her along straight paths. Sheshowed him the kingdom of God and taught him the knowledge of holy things. She brought him success in hislabours and gave him ful return for all his efforts;
11 ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ κατισχυόντων αὐτὸν παρέστη καὶ ἐπλούτισεν αὐτόν	11 she stood by him against grasping and oppressive men and she made him rich.
12 διεφύλαξεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ ἐχθρῶν καὶ ἀπὸ ἐνεδρευόντων ἠσφαλίσατο καὶ ἀγῶνα ἰσχυρὸν ἐβράβευσεν αὐτῷ ἵνα γνῷ ὅτι παντὸς δυνατωτέρα ἐστὶν εὐσέβεια	12 She preserved him from his enemies and saved him from the traps they set for him. In an arduousstruggle she awarded him the prize, to teach him that piety is stronger than al .
13 αὕτη πραθέντα δίκαιον οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἀλλὰ ἐξ ἁμαρτίας ἐρρύσατο αὐτόν	13 She did not forsake the upright man when he was sold, but snatched him away from sin;
14 συγκατέβη αὐτῷ εἰς λάκκον καὶ ἐν δεσμοῖς οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτόν ἕως ἤνεγκεν αὐτῷ σκῆπτρα βασιλείας καὶ ἐξουσίαν τυραννούντων αὐτοῦ ψευδεῖς τε ἔδειξεν τοὺς μωμησαμένους αὐτὸν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ δόξαν αἰώνιον	14 she accompanied him down into the pit, nor did she abandon him in his chains until she had broughthim the sceptre of a kingdom and authority over his despotic masters, thus exposing as liars those who hadtraduced him, and giving him honour everlasting.
15 αὕτη λαὸν ὅσιον καὶ σπέρμα ἄμεμπτον ἐρρύσατο ἐξ ἔθνους θλιβόντων	15 It was Wisdom who delivered a holy people, a blameless race, from a nation of oppressors.
16 εἰσῆλθεν εἰς ψυχὴν θεράποντος κυρίου καὶ ἀντέστη βασιλεῦσιν φοβεροῖς ἐν τέρασι καὶ σημείοις	16 She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord, and withstood fearsome kings with wonders and signs.
17 ἀπέδωκεν ὁσίοις μισθὸν κόπων αὐτῶν ὡδήγησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν ὁδῷ θαυμαστῇ καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς εἰς σκέπην ἡμέρας καὶ εἰς φλόγα ἄστρων τὴν νύκτα	17 To the holy people she gave the wages of their labours; she guided them by a marvellous road,herself their shelter by day -- and their starlight through the night.
18 διεβίβασεν αὐτοὺς θάλασσαν ἐρυθρὰν καὶ διήγαγεν αὐτοὺς δι’ ὕδατος πολλοῦ	18 She brought them across the Red Sea, leading them through an immensity of water,
19 τοὺς δὲ ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν κατέκλυσεν καὶ ἐκ βάθους ἀβύσσου ἀνέβρασεν αὐτούς	19 whereas she drowned their enemies, then spat them out from the depths of the abyss.
20 διὰ τοῦτο δίκαιοι ἐσκύλευσαν ἀσεβεῖς καὶ ὕμνησαν κύριε τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἅγιόν σου τήν τε ὑπέρμαχόν σου χεῖρα ᾔνεσαν ὁμοθυμαδόν	20 So the upright despoiled the godless; Lord, they extol ed your holy name, and with one accordpraised your protecting hand;
21 ὅτι ἡ σοφία ἤνοιξεν στόμα κωφῶν καὶ γλώσσας νηπίων ἔθηκεν τρανάς	21 for Wisdom opened the mouths of the dumb and made eloquent the tongues of babes.