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 | |