ΣΟΦΙΑ ΣΑΛΩΜΩΝ - Sapienza - Wisdom 16

GREEK BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 διὰ τοῦτο δι’ ὁμοίων ἐκολάσθησαν ἀξίως καὶ διὰ πλήθους κνωδάλων ἐβασανίσθησαν	1 Therefore they were fittingly punished by similar creatures, and were tormented by a swarm of insects.
2 ἀνθ’ ἧς κολάσεως εὐεργετήσας τὸν λαόν σου εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν ὀρέξεως ξένην γεῦσιν τροφὴν ἡτοίμασας ὀρτυγομήτραν	2 Instead of this punishment, you benefited your people with a novel dish, the delight they craved, by providing quail for their food;
3 ἵνα ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἐπιθυμοῦντες τροφὴν διὰ τὴν εἰδέχθειαν τῶν ἐπαπεσταλμένων καὶ τὴν ἀναγκαίαν ὄρεξιν ἀποστρέφωνται αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐπ’ ὀλίγον ἐνδεεῖς γενόμενοι καὶ ξένης μετάσχωσι γεύσεως	3 That those others, when they desired food, since the creatures sent to plague them were so loathsome, should be turned from even the craving of necessities, While these, after a brief period of privation, partook of a novel dish.
4 ἔδει γὰρ ἐκείνοις μὲν ἀπαραίτητον ἔνδειαν ἐπελθεῖν τυραννοῦσιν τούτοις δὲ μόνον δειχθῆναι πῶς οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν ἐβασανίζοντο	4 For upon those oppressors, inexorable want had to come; but these needed only be shown how their enemies were being tormented.
5 καὶ γὰρ ὅτε αὐτοῖς δεινὸς ἐπῆλθεν θηρίων θυμὸς δήγμασίν τε σκολιῶν διεφθείροντο ὄφεων οὐ μέχρι τέλους ἔμεινεν ἡ ὀργή σου	5 For when the dire venom of beasts came upon them and they were dying from the bite of crooked serpents, your anger endured not to the end.
6 εἰς νουθεσίαν δὲ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐταράχθησαν σύμβολον ἔχοντες σωτηρίας εἰς ἀνάμνησιν ἐντολῆς νόμου σου	6 But as a warning, for a short time they were terrorized, though they had a sign of salvation, to remind them of the precept of your law.
7 ὁ γὰρ ἐπιστραφεὶς οὐ διὰ τὸ θεωρούμενον ἐσῴζετο ἀλλὰ διὰ σὲ τὸν πάντων σωτῆρα	7 For he who turned toward it was saved, not by what he saw, but by you, the savior of all.
8 καὶ ἐν τούτῳ δὲ ἔπεισας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἡμῶν ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ῥυόμενος ἐκ παντὸς κακοῦ 9οὓς μὲν γὰρ ἀκρίδων καὶ μυιῶν ἀπέκτεινεν δήγματα καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη ἴαμα τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτῶν ὅτι ἄξιοι ἦσαν ὑπὸ τοιούτων κολασθῆναι	8 And by this also you convinced our foes that you are he who delivers from all evil.
9 ουκ ηλεησεν εθνος απωλειας τους εξηρμενους εν αμαρτιαις αυτων	9 For the bites of locusts and of flies slew them, and no remedy was found to save their lives because they deserved to be punished by such means;
10 τοὺς δὲ υἱούς σου οὐδὲ ἰοβόλων δρακόντων ἐνίκησαν ὀδόντες τὸ ἔλεος γάρ σου ἀντιπαρῆλθεν καὶ ἰάσατο αὐτούς	10 But not even the fangs of poisonous reptiles overcame your sons, for your mercy brought the antidote to heal them.
11 εἰς γὰρ ὑπόμνησιν τῶν λογίων σου ἐνεκεντρίζοντο καὶ ὀξέως διεσῴζοντο ἵνα μὴ εἰς βαθεῖαν ἐμπεσόντες λήθην ἀπερίσπαστοι γένωνται τῆς σῆς εὐεργεσίας	11 For as a reminder of your injunctions, they were stung, and swiftly they were saved, Lest they should fall into deep forgetfulness and become unresponsive to your beneficence.
12 καὶ γὰρ οὔτε βοτάνη οὔτε μάλαγμα ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτούς ἀλλὰ ὁ σός κύριε λόγος ὁ πάντας ἰώμενος	12 For indeed, neither herb nor application cured them, but your all-healing word, O LORD!
13 σὺ γὰρ ζωῆς καὶ θανάτου ἐξουσίαν ἔχεις καὶ κατάγεις εἰς πύλας ᾅδου καὶ ἀνάγεις	13 For you have dominion over life and death; you lead down to the gates of the nether world, and lead back.
14 ἄνθρωπος δὲ ἀποκτέννει μὲν τῇ κακίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐξελθὸν δὲ πνεῦμα οὐκ ἀναστρέφει οὐδὲ ἀναλύει ψυχὴν παραλημφθεῖσαν	14 Man, however, slays in his malice, but when the spirit has come away, it does not return, nor can he bring back the soul once it is confined.
15 τὴν δὲ σὴν χεῖρα φυγεῖν ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν	15 But your hand none can escape.
16 ἀρνούμενοι γάρ σε εἰδέναι ἀσεβεῖς ἐν ἰσχύι βραχίονός σου ἐμαστιγώθησαν ξένοις ὑετοῖς καὶ χαλάζαις καὶ ὄμβροις διωκόμενοι ἀπαραιτήτοις καὶ πυρὶ καταναλισκόμενοι	16 For the wicked who refused to know you were punished by the might of your arm, Pursued by unwonted rains and hailstorms and unremitting downpours, and consumed by fire.
17 τὸ γὰρ παραδοξότατον ἐν τῷ πάντα σβεννύντι ὕδατι πλεῖον ἐνήργει τὸ πῦρ ὑπέρμαχος γὰρ ὁ κόσμος ἐστὶν δικαίων	17 For against all expectation, in water which quenches anything, the fire grew more active; For the universe fights on behalf of the just.
18 ποτὲ μὲν γὰρ ἡμεροῦτο φλόξ ἵνα μὴ καταφλέξῃ τὰ ἐπ’ ἀσεβεῖς ἀπεσταλμένα ζῷα ἀλλ’ αὐτοὶ βλέποντες εἰδῶσιν ὅτι θεοῦ κρίσει ἐλαύνονται	18 For now the flame was tempered so that the beasts might not be burnt up that were sent upon the wicked, but that these might see and know they were struck by the judgment of God;
19 ποτὲ δὲ καὶ μεταξὺ ὕδατος ὑπὲρ τὴν πυρὸς δύναμιν φλέγει ἵνα ἀδίκου γῆς γενήματα διαφθείρῃ	19 And again, even in the water, fire blazed beyond its strength so as to consume the produce of the wicked land.
20 ἀνθ’ ὧν ἀγγέλων τροφὴν ἐψώμισας τὸν λαόν σου καὶ ἕτοιμον ἄρτον ἀπ’ οὐρανοῦ παρέσχες αὐτοῖς ἀκοπιάτως πᾶσαν ἡδονὴν ἰσχύοντα καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν ἁρμόνιον γεῦσιν	20 Instead of this, you nourished your people with food of angels and furnished them bread from heaven, ready to hand, untoiled-for, endowed with all delights and conforming to every taste.
21 ἡ μὲν γὰρ ὑπόστασίς σου τὴν σὴν πρὸς τέκνα ἐνεφάνιζεν γλυκύτητα τῇ δὲ τοῦ προσφερομένου ἐπιθυμίᾳ ὑπηρετῶν πρὸς ὅ τις ἐβούλετο μετεκιρνᾶτο	21 For this substance of yours revealed your sweetness toward your children, and serving the desire of him who received it, was blended to whatever flavor each one wished.
22 χιὼν δὲ καὶ κρύσταλλος ὑπέμεινε πῦρ καὶ οὐκ ἐτήκετο ἵνα γνῶσιν ὅτι τοὺς τῶν ἐχθρῶν καρποὺς κατέφθειρε πῦρ φλεγόμενον ἐν τῇ χαλάζῃ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὑετοῖς διαστράπτον	22 Yet snow and ice withstood fire and were not melted, that they might know that their enemies' fruits Were consumed by a fire that blazed in the hail and flashed lightning in the rain.
23 τοῦτο πάλιν δ’ ἵνα τραφῶσιν δίκαιοι καὶ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιλέλησται δυνάμεως	23 But this fire, again, that the just might be nourished, forgot even its proper strength;
24 ἡ γὰρ κτίσις σοὶ τῷ ποιήσαντι ὑπηρετοῦσα ἐπιτείνεται εἰς κόλασιν κατὰ τῶν ἀδίκων καὶ ἀνίεται εἰς εὐεργεσίαν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπὶ σοὶ πεποιθότων	24 For your creation, serving you, its maker, grows tense for punishment against the wicked, but is relaxed in benefit for those who trust in you.
25 διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τότε εἰς πάντα μεταλλευομένη τῇ παντοτρόφῳ σου δωρεᾷ ὑπηρέτει πρὸς τὴν τῶν δεομένων θέλησιν	25 Therefore at that very time, transformed in all sorts of ways, it was serving your all-nourishing bounty according to what they needed and desired;
26 ἵνα μάθωσιν οἱ υἱοί σου οὓς ἠγάπησας κύριε ὅτι οὐχ αἱ γενέσεις τῶν καρπῶν τρέφουσιν ἄνθρωπον ἀλλὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου τοὺς σοὶ πιστεύοντας διατηρεῖ	26 That your sons whom you loved might learn, O LORD, that it is not the various kinds of fruits that nourish man, but it is your word that preserves those who believe you!
27 τὸ γὰρ ὑπὸ πυρὸς μὴ φθειρόμενον ἁπλῶς ὑπὸ βραχείας ἀκτῖνος ἡλίου θερμαινόμενον ἐτήκετο	27 For what was not destroyed by fire, when merely warmed by a momentary sunbeam, melted;
28 ὅπως γνωστὸν ᾖ ὅτι δεῖ φθάνειν τὸν ἥλιον ἐπ’ εὐχαριστίαν σου καὶ πρὸς ἀνατολὴν φωτὸς ἐντυγχάνειν σοι	28 So that men might know that one must give you thanks before the sunrise, and turn to you at daybreak.
29 ἀχαρίστου γὰρ ἐλπὶς ὡς χειμέριος πάχνη τακήσεται καὶ ῥυήσεται ὡς ὕδωρ ἄχρηστον	29 For the hope of the ingrate melts like a wintry frost and runs off like useless water.
30 ψυχη παντος ζωου εκαλυψεν το προσωπον αυτης και εις αυτην η αποστροφη αυτων