ΣΟΦΙΑ ΣΑΛΩΜΩΝ - Sapienza - Wisdom 7

GREEK BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 εἰμὶ μὲν κἀγὼ θνητὸς ἄνθρωπος ἴσος ἅπασιν καὶ γηγενοῦς ἀπόγονος πρωτοπλάστου καὶ ἐν κοιλίᾳ μητρὸς ἐγλύφην σὰρξ	1 I too am mortal like everyone else, a descendant of the first man formed from the earth. I was model edin flesh inside a mother's womb,
2 δεκαμηνιαίῳ χρόνῳ παγεὶς ἐν αἵματι ἐκ σπέρματος ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἡδονῆς ὕπνῳ συνελθούσης	2 where, for ten months, in blood I acquired substance -- the result of virile seed and pleasure, sleep'scompanion.
3 καὶ ἐγὼ δὲ γενόμενος ἔσπασα τὸν κοινὸν ἀέρα καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ὁμοιοπαθῆ κατέπεσον γῆν πρώτην φωνὴν τὴν ὁμοίαν πᾶσιν ἴσα κλαίων	3 I too, when I was born, drew in the common air, I fel on the same ground that bears us al , and cryingwas the first sound I made, like everyone else.
4 ἐν σπαργάνοις ἀνετράφην καὶ φροντίσιν	4 I was nurtured in swaddling clothes, with every care.
5 οὐδεὶς γὰρ βασιλέων ἑτέραν ἔσχεν γενέσεως ἀρχήν	5 No king has known any other beginning of existence;
6 μία δὲ πάντων εἴσοδος εἰς τὸν βίον ἔξοδός τε ἴση	6 for there is only one way into life, and one way out of it.
7 διὰ τοῦτο εὐξάμην καὶ φρόνησις ἐδόθη μοι ἐπεκαλεσάμην καὶ ἦλθέν μοι πνεῦμα σοφίας	7 And so I prayed, and understanding was given me; I entreated, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.
8 προέκρινα αὐτὴν σκήπτρων καὶ θρόνων καὶ πλοῦτον οὐδὲν ἡγησάμην ἐν συγκρίσει αὐτῆς	8 I esteemed her more than sceptres and thrones; compared with her, I held riches as nothing.
9 οὐδὲ ὡμοίωσα αὐτῇ λίθον ἀτίμητον ὅτι ὁ πᾶς χρυσὸς ἐν ὄψει αὐτῆς ψάμμος ὀλίγη καὶ ὡς πηλὸς λογισθήσεται ἄργυρος ἐναντίον αὐτῆς	9 I reckoned no precious stone to be her equal, for compared with her, al gold is a pinch of sand, andbeside her, silver ranks as mud.
10 ὑπὲρ ὑγίειαν καὶ εὐμορφίαν ἠγάπησα αὐτὴν καὶ προειλόμην αὐτὴν ἀντὶ φωτὸς ἔχειν ὅτι ἀκοίμητον τὸ ἐκ ταύτης φέγγος	10 I loved her more than health or beauty, preferred her to the light, since her radiance never sleeps.
11 ἦλθεν δέ μοι τὰ ἀγαθὰ ὁμοῦ πάντα μετ’ αὐτῆς καὶ ἀναρίθμητος πλοῦτος ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῆς	11 In her company al good things came to me, and at her hands incalculable wealth.
12 εὐφράνθην δὲ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ὅτι αὐτῶν ἡγεῖται σοφία ἠγνόουν δὲ αὐτὴν γενέτιν εἶναι τούτων	12 All these delighted me, since Wisdom brings them, though I did not then realise that she was theirmother.
13 ἀδόλως τε ἔμαθον ἀφθόνως τε μεταδίδωμι τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτῆς οὐκ ἀποκρύπτομαι	13 What I learned diligently, I shal pass on liberally, I shal not conceal how rich she is.
14 ἀνεκλιπὴς γὰρ θησαυρός ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις ὃν οἱ κτησάμενοι πρὸς θεὸν ἐστείλαντο φιλίαν διὰ τὰς ἐκ παιδείας δωρεὰς συσταθέντες	14 For she is to human beings an inexhaustible treasure, and those who acquire this win God'sfriendship, commended to him by the gifts of instruction.
15 ἐμοὶ δὲ δῴη ὁ θεὸς εἰπεῖν κατὰ γνώμην καὶ ἐνθυμηθῆναι ἀξίως τῶν δεδομένων ὅτι αὐτὸς καὶ τῆς σοφίας ὁδηγός ἐστιν καὶ τῶν σοφῶν διορθωτής	15 May God grant me to speak as he would wish and conceive thoughts worthy of the gifts I havereceived, since he is both guide to Wisdom and director of sages;
16 ἐν γὰρ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ λόγοι ἡμῶν πᾶσά τε φρόνησις καὶ ἐργατειῶν ἐπιστήμη	16 for we are in his hand, yes, ourselves and our sayings, and al intellectual and al practical knowledge.
17 αὐτὸς γάρ μοι ἔδωκεν τῶν ὄντων γνῶσιν ἀψευδῆ εἰδέναι σύστασιν κόσμου καὶ ἐνέργειαν στοιχείων	17 He it was who gave me sure knowledge of what exists, to understand the structure of the world andthe action of the elements,
18 ἀρχὴν καὶ τέλος καὶ μεσότητα χρόνων τροπῶν ἀλλαγὰς καὶ μεταβολὰς καιρῶν	18 the beginning, end and middle of the times, the alternation of the solstices and the succession of theseasons,
19 ἐνιαυτοῦ κύκλους καὶ ἄστρων θέσεις	19 the cycles of the year and the position of the stars,
20 φύσεις ζῴων καὶ θυμοὺς θηρίων πνευμάτων βίας καὶ διαλογισμοὺς ἀνθρώπων διαφορὰς φυτῶν καὶ δυνάμεις ῥιζῶν	20 the natures of animals and the instincts of wild beasts, the powers of spirits and human mentalprocesses, the varieties of plants and the medical properties of roots.
21 ὅσα τέ ἐστιν κρυπτὰ καὶ ἐμφανῆ ἔγνων ἡ γὰρ πάντων τεχνῖτις ἐδίδαξέν με σοφία	21 And now I understand everything, hidden or visible, for Wisdom, the designer of all things, hasinstructed me.
22 ἔστιν γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ πνεῦμα νοερόν ἅγιον μονογενές πολυμερές λεπτόν εὐκίνητον τρανόν ἀμόλυντον σαφές ἀπήμαντον φιλάγαθον ὀξύ	22 For within her is a spirit intel igent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, mobile, incisive, unsul ied, lucid,invulnerable, benevolent, shrewd,
23 ἀκώλυτον εὐεργετικόν φιλάνθρωπον βέβαιον ἀσφαλές ἀμέριμνον παντοδύναμον πανεπίσκοπον καὶ διὰ πάντων χωροῦν πνευμάτων νοερῶν καθαρῶν λεπτοτάτων	23 irresistible, beneficent, friendly to human beings, steadfast, dependable, unperturbed, almighty, al -surveying, penetrating al intel igent, pure and most subtle spirits.
24 πάσης γὰρ κινήσεως κινητικώτερον σοφία διήκει δὲ καὶ χωρεῖ διὰ πάντων διὰ τὴν καθαρότητα	24 For Wisdom is quicker to move than any motion; she is so pure, she pervades and permeates allthings.
25 ἀτμὶς γάρ ἐστιν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεως καὶ ἀπόρροια τῆς τοῦ παντοκράτορος δόξης εἰλικρινής διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲν μεμιαμμένον εἰς αὐτὴν παρεμπίπτει	25 She is a breath of the power of God, pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; so nothing impurecan find its way into her.
26 ἀπαύγασμα γάρ ἐστιν φωτὸς ἀϊδίου καὶ ἔσοπτρον ἀκηλίδωτον τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνεργείας καὶ εἰκὼν τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ	26 For she is a reflection of the eternal light, untarnished mirror of God's active power, and image of hisgoodness.
27 μία δὲ οὖσα πάντα δύναται καὶ μένουσα ἐν αὑτῇ τὰ πάντα καινίζει καὶ κατὰ γενεὰς εἰς ψυχὰς ὁσίας μεταβαίνουσα φίλους θεοῦ καὶ προφήτας κατασκευάζει	27 Although she is alone, she can do everything; herself unchanging, she renews the world, and,generation after generation, passing into holy souls, she makes them into God's friends and prophets;
28 οὐθὲν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ ὁ θεὸς εἰ μὴ τὸν σοφίᾳ συνοικοῦντα	28 for God loves only those who dwel with Wisdom.
29 ἔστιν γὰρ αὕτη εὐπρεπεστέρα ἡλίου καὶ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ἄστρων θέσιν φωτὶ συγκρινομένη εὑρίσκεται προτέρα 30τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ διαδέχεται νύξ σοφίας δὲ οὐ κατισχύει κακία	29 She is indeed more splendid than the sun, she outshines al the constel ations; compared with light,she takes first place,
30 εν ολη δυναμει αγαπησον τον ποιησαντα σε και τους λειτουργους αυτου μη εγκαταλιπης	30 for light must yield to night, but against Wisdom evil cannot prevail.
31 φοβου τον κυριον και δοξασον ιερεα και δος την μεριδα αυτω καθως εντεταλται σοι απαρχην και περι πλημμελειας και δοσιν βραχιονων και θυσιαν αγιασμου και απαρχην αγιων
32 και πτωχω εκτεινον την χειρα σου ινα τελειωθη η ευλογια σου
33 χαρις δοματος εναντι παντος ζωντος και επι νεκρω μη αποκωλυσης χαριν
34 μη υστερει απο κλαιοντων και μετα πενθουντων πενθησον
35 μη οκνει επισκεπτεσθαι αρρωστον ανθρωπον εκ γαρ των τοιουτων αγαπηθηση
36 εν πασι τοις λογοις σου μιμνησκου τα εσχατα σου και εις τον αιωνα ουχ αμαρτησεις