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ΣΟΦΙΑ ΣΑΛΩΜΩΝΟΣ | WISDOM OF SOLOMON - Brenton|RSV | Reference |
| 1 | Μάταιοι μὲν γὰρ πάντες ἄνθρωποι φύσει, οἷς παρῆν θεοῦ ἀγνωσία,
καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμένων ἀγαθῶν οὐκ ἴσχυσαν εἰδέναι τὸν ὄντα,
οὔτε τοῖς ἔργοις προσέχοντες ἐπέγνωσαν τὸν τεχνίτην,
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For all men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature;
and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know him who exists,
nor did they recognize the craftsman while paying heed to his works;
| Foolishness of nature worship. Wis.13.1-9 |
| 2 | ἀλλ' ἢ πῦρ ἢ πνεῦμα ἢ ταχινὸν ἀέρα
ἢ κύκλον ἄστρων ἢ βίαιον ὕδωρ
ἢ φωστῆρας οὐρανοῦ πρυτάνεις κόσμου θεοὺς ἐνόμισαν.
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but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air,
or the circle of the stars, or turbulent water,
or the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world.
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| 3 | ὧν εἰ μὲν τῇ καλλονῇ τερπόμενοι ταῦτα θεοὺς ὑπελάμβανον,
γνώτωσαν πόσῳ τούτων ὁ δεσπότης ἐστὶ βελτίων,
ὁ γὰρ τοῦ κάλλους γενεσιάρχης ἔκτισεν αὐτά·
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If through delight in the beauty of these things men assumed them to be gods,
let them know how much better than these is their Lord,
for the author of beauty created them.
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| 4 | εἰ δὲ δύναμιν καὶ ἐνέργειαν ἐκπλαγέντες,
νοησάτωσαν ἀπ' αὐτῶν πόσῳ ὁ κατασκευάσας αὐτὰ δυνα τώτερός ἐστιν·
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And if men were amazed at their power and working,
let them perceive from them how much more powerful is he who formed them.
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| 5 | ἐκ γὰρ μεγέθους καὶ καλλονῆς κτισμάτων
ἀναλόγως ὁ γενεσιουργὸς αὐτῶν θεωρεῖται.
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For from the greatness and beauty of created things
comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.
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| 6 | ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπὶ τούτοις μέμψις ἐστὶν ὀλίγη,
καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ τάχα πλανῶνται
θεὸν ζητοῦντες καὶ θέλοντες εὑρεῖν·
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Yet these men are little to be blamed,
for perhaps they go astray while seeking God and desiring to find him.
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| 7 | ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ ἀναστρεφόμενοι διερευνῶσιν,
καὶ πείθονται τῇ ὄψει, ὅτι καλὰ τὰ βλεπόμενα.
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For as they live among his works they keep searching,
and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are beautiful.
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| 8 | πάλιν δ' οὐδ' αὐτοὶ συγγνωστοί·
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Yet again, not even they are to be excused;
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| 9 | εἰ γὰρ τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσαν εἰδέναι
ἵνα δύνωνται στοχάσασθαι τὸν αἰῶνα,
τὸν τούτων δεσπότην πῶς τάχιον οὐχ εὗρον;
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for if they had the power to know so much
that they could investigate the world,
how did they fail to find sooner the Lord of these things?
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| 10 | Ταλαίπωροι δὲ καὶ ἐν νεκροῖς αἱ ἐλπίδες αὐτῶν,
οἵτινες ἐκάλεσαν θεοὺς ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων,
χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον τέχνης ἐμμελέτημα,
καὶ ἀπεικάσματα ζῴων,
ἢ λίθον ἄχρηστον χειρὸς ἔργον ἀρχαίας.
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But miserable, with their hopes set on dead things,
are the men who give the name "gods" to the works of men's hands,
gold and silver fashioned with skill,
and likenesses of animals, or a useless stone,
the work of an ancient hand.
| Foolishness of idolatry. Wis.13.10-19 |
| 11 | εἰ δὲ καί τις ὑλοτόμος τέκτων εὐκίνητον φυτὸν ἐκπρίσας
περιέξυσεν εὐμαθῶς πάντα τὸν φλοιὸν αὐτοῦ,
καὶ τεχνησάμενος εὐπρεπῶς
κατεσκεύασεν χρήσιμον σκεῦος εἰς ὑπηρεσίαν ζωῆς,
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A skilled woodcutter may saw down a tree easy to handle and skilfully strip off all its bark,
and then with pleasing workmanship make a useful vessel that serves life's needs,
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| 12 | τὰ δὲ ἀποβλήματα τῆς ἐργασίας εἰς ἑτοιμασίαν τροφῆς ἀναλώσας ἐνεπλήσθη,
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and burn the castoff pieces of his work to prepare his food, and eat his fill.
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| 13 | τὸ δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπόβλημα εἰς οὐθὲν εὔχρηστον,
ξύλον σκολιὸν καὶ ὄζοις συμπεφυκός,
λαβὼν ἔγλυψεν ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ ἀργίας αὐτοῦ,
καὶ ἐμπειρίᾳ συνέσεως ἐτύπωσεν αὐτό,
ἀπείκασεν αὐτὸ εἰκόνι ἀνθρώπου
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But a castoff piece from among them, useful for nothing,
a stick crooked and full of knots,
he takes and carves with care in his leisure, and shapes it with skill gained in idleness;
he forms it like the image of a man,
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| 14 | ἢ ζῴῳ τινὶ εὐτελεῖ ὡμοίωσεν αὐτὸ,
καταχρίσας μίλτῳ καὶ φύκει ἐρυθήνας χρόαν αὐτοῦ,
καὶ πᾶσαν κηλῖδα τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ καταχρίσας
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or makes it like some worthless animal,
giving it a coat of red paint and coloring its surface red
and covering every blemish in it with paint;
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| 15 | καὶ ποιήσας αὐτῷ αὐτοῦ ἄξιον οἴκημα,
ἐν τοίχῳ ἔθηκεν αὐτὸ ἀσφαλισάμενος σιδήρῳ.
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then he makes for it a niche that befits it,
and sets it in the wall,
and fastens it there with iron.
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| 16 | ἵνα μὲν οὖν μὴ καταπέσῃ, προενόησεν αὐτοῦ,
εἰδὼς ὅτι ἀδυνατεῖ ἑαυτῷ βοηθῆσαι·
καὶ γάρ ἐστιν εἰκὼν καὶ χρείαν ἔχει βοηθείας.
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So he takes thought for it, that it may not fall,
because he knows that it cannot help itself,
for it is only an image and has need of help.
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| 17 | περὶ δὲ κτημάτων καὶ γάμων αὐτοῦ καὶ τέκνων προσευχόμενος οὐκ αἰσχύνεται τῷ ἀψύχῳ προσλαλῶν·
καὶ περὶ μὲν ὑγιείας τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἐπικαλεῖται,
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When he prays about possessions and his marriage and children,
he is not ashamed to address a lifeless thing.
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| 18 | περὶ δὲ ζωῆς τὸ νεκρὸν ἀξιοῖ,
περὶ δὲ ἐπικουρίας τὸ ἀπειρότατον ἱκετεύει,
περὶ δὲ ὁδοιπορίας τὸ μηδὲ βάσει χρῆσθαι δυνάμενον,
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For health he appeals to a thing that is weak;
for life he prays to a thing that is dead;
for aid he entreats a thing that is utterly inexperienced;
for a prosperous journey, a thing that cannot take a step;
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| 19 | περὶ δὲ πορισμοῦ καὶ ἐργασίας καὶ χειρῶν ἐπιτυχίας
τὸ ἀδρανέστατον ταῖς χερσὶν εὐδράνειαν αἰτεῖται.
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for money-making and work and success with his hands
he asks strength of a thing whose hands have no strength. | |
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