Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba, and he succeeded David as king of
Israel, ruling for about forty years in the middle of the tenth century BC.
Solomon headed a large commercial empire, accumulating 700 wives (according to
I Kings), many of whom represented diplomatic alliances. He was famous
for his wealth and wisdom and for building the Temple in Jerusalem. When two
women asked him to settle their dispute over a baby they both claimed, he
ordered the child cut in two, then gave the child to the woman who preferred to
lose the child to seeing it killed.
The poetic Song of Solomon is
credited to him, as are the aphorisms in the book of Proverbs. However, the
WISDOM OF SOLOMON appears only to use him as a literary figure, while
wisdom is personified as feminine. Scholars agree that the WISDOM OF
SOLOMON was almost certainly written by a Jew in Alexandria in the first
century BC. It is one of the apocryphal works written between the Old and
New Testaments, but it was included in the ancient Greek edition of the
Old Testament called the Septuagint. The original text was
probably written in Greek, and Greek fragments were found in the Essene library
at Qumran in Palestine.
The speaker, identified as Solomon only by the
title, describes his love of wisdom, as though he were Solomon. In the tenth
chapter references to early Biblical stories include Adam, Cain, Noah, Abraham,
Lot, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. Chapters 11, 12, and 16-19 contrast God's
treatment of the Israelites led by Moses with that of the Egyptians.
1
Love justice, judges of the earth;
think about the Lord
in goodness
and in singleness of heart seek it,
because it is found by
those who do not test it,
and appears to those who do not distrust
it.
For crooked calculations are separate from God,
and having been
tested the power convicts the foolish;
because into a wily soul wisdom will
not enter
nor will it dwell in a body abused by sin.
For a holy and
educated spirit will flee trickery
and will stand apart from stupid
calculations
and will disprove the approach of injustice.
For wisdom
is a humane spirit
and will not let a blasphemer off for one's lip
service,
because God is a witness of one's inmost feelings
and a true
observer of one's heart
and a listener of the tongue.
Because the
spirit of the Lord has filled the world,
also that which holds all things
together knows its voice.
On account of this no one speaking injustice is
unnoticed,
nor will justice pass them by when convicting.
For the
deliberations of the profane will be reviewed,
and a report of their words
will come to the Lord
to convict them of lawlessness;
since zealous ears
hear all things,
and muttered murmurings are not kept hidden.
Watch
out then for useless murmuring
and spare the tongue from slander;
since
secret vanity will not pass unnoticed,
and a lying mouth contradicts the
soul.
Do not vie with death in the wandering of your life
nor bring on
ruin by the work of your hands;
since God did not make death
and does not
enjoy the destruction of the living.
For it brought all things into
being,
and the generations of the world are preserved,
and there is no
destructive drug in them
nor is the sovereignty of Hades on earth.
For
justice is immortal.
But the profane by their words and deeds summon
him,
believing him friendly they languished
and made a contract with
him,
because they are deserving of being a part of that.
2
For they said to themselves reasoning incorrectly,
"Our
life is short and painful,
and there is no remedy in the termination of a
person,
and release from Hades is not known.
Because we were born
offhand
and after this we shall be as though we had never existed;
because
the breath in our nostrils is smoke,
and reason is a spark in the movement of
our hearts,
which being extinguished the body will turn to ashes
and the
spirit will dissolve like empty air.
"Also our name will be forgotten in
time,
and no one will remember our work;
and our life will be undone like
the trace of a cloud
and will be dispersed like mist
pursued by the rays
of the sun
and oppressed by its heat.
For our time is a passing
shadow,
and there is no calling back our end,
because it is sealed up and
no one returns.
"Therefore come and let us enjoy the good things
and
we shall use the creation like youths seriously;
Let us be filled with
expensive wine and perfumes,
and may no flower of spring pass us by;
let
us be crowned with rosebuds before they wither;
let no one be without the
meadows' share of our glory;
everywhere let us leave signs of the
festivity,
since this is our share and this our lot.
"Let us put down
the just poor,
nor should we spare the widow
nor respect the gray hairs of
old age;
and let our might be the law of right,
for the weak is proven
useless.
"Let us ambush the just, who is hard for us to use
and
opposed to our work
and reproaches us for legal wrongs
and accuses us for
our wrongs of education;
he professes to have knowledge of God
and calls
himself a child of the Lord;
he became for us a confutation of our
ideas,
even seeing is burdensome to us,
because his life is unlike
others,
and his habits are completely changed;
we are considered by him
among the base,
and he avoids our ways as coming from impurities;
he
blesses the final end of the just
and pretends God is father.
"Let us
see if his words are true,
and let us test what will happen to him;
for if
the just is son of God, it will assist him
and rescue him out of the hand of
the adversaries.
Let us impose on him insult and torture,
so that we may
know his tolerance
and let us test his endurance of evil;
let us condemn
him to a shameful death,
for from his words it will watch over
him."
These things they argued, and were going astray;
for their vice
blinded them,
and they did not know the mysteries of God
nor hope for the
reward of holiness
nor choose the prerogative of a blameless
soul.
"Since God created the human for incorruption
and made them in
its own image of eternity;
but by envy of the devil death entered into the
world,
and they tempt those who are of that part.
3
But the souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no
torment will ever touch them.
In the eyes of the foolish they seem to be
dead,
and their departure was considered distressing
and their passing
from us crushing,
but they are at peace.
For though in the sight of
humans they were punished,
their hope of immortality is fulfilled;
and
being educated a little they will receive great good,
because God tested
them
and found them worthy of itself;
like gold in a crucible it tested
them
and like a whole-fruit offering accepted them.
Also in the time
of their visitation they will revive
and run like sparks through
straw;
they will judge nations and rule the common people,
and the Lord
will reign over them into eternity.
Those trusting on this will understand
truth,
and the faithful will wait for this in love;
because grace and
mercy are in its holy ones
and watchfulness in its chosen ones.
But
the profane as they reason will have pay,
who neglected justice and rejected
the Lord;
for whoever disregards wisdom and education is miserable,
and
their hope is vain, and their labors unprofitable,
and their work
useless.
Their wives are foolish,
and their children bad,
their family
cursed.
Since blessed is the barren woman who is undefiled,
who has
not known a bed in transgression,
for she will have fruit in the visitation
of souls,
also the eunuch who works nothing lawless in hand
nor thinks
anything bad toward the Lord,
for special grace will be given him for
trusting
and a place in the temple of the Lord more pleasing.
For the
fruit of good work is a good report,
and unfailing is the root of
understanding.
But children of adulterers will be immature,
and seed
coming out of an unlawful bed will disappear.
For even if they are
long-lived, they amount to nothing,
and at last their old age is without
honor;
if they die young, they will have no hope
nor consolation on the
day of decision;
for the end of an unjust generation is hard.
4
Better is childlessness with virtue;
for immortality is
in its memory,
because it is known both by God and by humans.
When present
they imitate it
and yearn for it when gone away;
and in eternity it
proceeds crowned
winning prizes in contests of the undefiled.
But
prolific progeny of the profane will not be useful
and none of their bastard
offshoots will strike a deep root
nor take a firm hold;
for even if in
slips they shoot up for a while,
having started insecurely they will be
shaken by the wind
and by force of wind they will be rooted out.
Immature
branches will be broken,
and their useless fruit, unripe for eating
and
good for nothing;
for children born of unlawful sleep
are bad witnesses
against their parents in examination.
But the just even if dying sooner,
will rest;
for old age is not honored for long life
nor measured by the
number of years,
but understanding is gray hair for humans
and a blameless
life is ripe old age.
There was one well-pleasing and loved by God
who
living in the middle of sinners was translated;
snatched away, lest evil
change his conscience
or cunning deceive his soul;
for the slander of vice
obscures the beautiful,
and roaming desire perverts an innocent
mind.
Being perfected in a short time he fulfilled a long time;
for
his soul was pleasing to the Lord,
because of this he was quickly out of the
middle of pain;
but the people seeing also were not perceiving
nor putting
this to understanding,
that grace and mercy are in its chosen ones
and
watchfulness in its holy ones.
And the late just condemn the living
profane
and perfected youth quickly the many old years of the unjust;
for
they will see the end of the wise
and will not understand what was intended
for him
and for what the Lord kept him safe.
They will see and make
nothing of it;
and the Lord will laugh at them,
and after this they will
become dishonored corpses
and an outrage among the dead forever,
since it
will make them speechless head down
and shake them from the
foundations,
and until at last they are dried out
and will be in
pain,
and the memory of them perishes.
They will come in the summing up of
their sins cringing,
and their lawless things will convict against
them.
5
Then the just will stand in great
openness
facing those who pressed him
and those making light of his
sufferings.
Seeing they will be troubled with terrible fear
and will
be amazed at the unexpected salvation;
they will talk among themselves
repenting
and because of narrowness of spirit they will wail,
"This was
the one whom we were once laughing at
and the fools made into a byword of
reproach;
and we considered his life madness
and his end without
honor.
How is he counted among the sons of God
and why is his lot among
the holy?
"Then we were straying from the way of truth,
and the light
of justice did not shine on us,
and the sun did not rise upon us;
we were
filled up with thorns of lawlessness and destruction
and traveled through
trackless deserts,
and did not know the way of the Lord.
What has
arrogance gained us?
and what has wealth with pretense brought
us?
"All those things passed by like a shadow
and like news ran
by;
like a ship going through swelled water,
of whose passage there is no
trace to find
nor of its inflexible keel in the waves;
or like a bird
flying through the air
no evidence of a passage is found,
and by the
stroke of wings lashing the light breeze
and divided by force of the
rushing
of moving wings comes through,
and after this no sign of its
approach is found in it;
or like an arrow shot at a target,
the air cut
immediately is returned into itself
so that its path through is
unknown;
thus we too being born failed
and we had no sign of virtue to
show,
and in our evil we were squandered."
Since hope of the profane
is like fuzz carried by wind
and like thin frost driven away by a
hurricane
and like smoke it is dispersed by wind
and like the memory of a
one-day guest passed on.
But the just live forever,
and in the Lord is
their reward,
and the care of them by the highest.
On account of this they
will receive the palace of dignity
and the crown of the beautiful out of the
hand of the Lord,
because by the right hand it will protect them
and by
the arm will shield them.
It will receive its zeal as full armor
and
will make creation tools for warding off the hostile,
will put on justice as
a breastplate
and wear unhypocritical judgment as a helmet,
will receive
holiness as an invincible shield,
and will sharpen cut-off anger into a
sword,
and the world will join in war against the deranged.
Well aimed
bolts of lightning will be conveyed
and as from a well-rounded bow of clouds
will roam on target,
and from rock-throwing full of courage hail will be
hurled;
the water of the sea will rage against them,
and rivers will wash
together relentlessly;
a powerful wind will oppose them
and like a
hurricane it will winnow them out;
and lawlessness will make a desert of the
whole earth,
and bad enterprises will overthrow thrones of the
powerful.
6
Hear therefore, kings, and
understand;
learn, judges of earth's opposites;
listen, you who are ruling
people
and being proud over a crowd of nations;
for the rule was given you
by God
and the power by the highest,
who will examine your work and
question your plans;
since as servants of its sovereignty
you did not
decide correctly
nor did you observe the law
nor proceed according to the
plan of God.
Horribly and quickly it will come to know you,
because
abrupt judgment comes to those on top.
For the lowest is pardonable by
mercy,
but the powerful will be powerfully tested;
for the master of all
will not prevaricate before any
nor respect greatness,
because it made the
small and great itself
and provides similarly concerning all,
but severe
questioning is imposed on the rulers.
For you, then, tyrants, are my
words,
so that you may learn wisdom and not fall along the way;
for those
observing divine laws in holiness will be purified,
and those being taught
them will find a defense.
Therefore set your heart on my words,
yearn and
you will be educated.
Wisdom is brilliant and unfading
and easily
contemplated by those who love her
and is found by those who search for
her,
is sooner to be understood by the eager.
Whoever rises early will
not get tired of her;
for one will find her sitting beside one's
entrance.
For the one thinking deeply about her accomplishing purpose,
and
the wakeful will be quickly free of worry through her;
because she goes
around searching for those worthy of her
and graciously appears to them in
their routines
and in every thought replies to them.
For the beginning
of her is the truest educational desire,
and concern for education is
love,
and love is keeping her laws,
and attention to laws is confirmation
of incorruption,
and incorruption makes one be near God;
thus desire for
wisdom leads to sovereignty.
So if you like thrones and scepters, tyrants of
people,
honor wisdom, so that you may reign forever.
What wisdom is
and how she was born, I shall relate
and I will not conceal mysteries from
you,
but from the beginning of birth I shall complete
and put the
knowledge of her into the light
and will not pass by the
truth.
Neither will I travel with sickly envy,
because this does not
share with wisdom.
A majority of the wise is salvation of the world,
and a
sensible sovereign stability of the commons.
Therefore learn from my words,
and you will be helped.
7
I too am mortal equal to every
human
and descendant of the first-formed earthborn;
and in a mother's womb
shaped into flesh
in ten months' time built in blood
out of the man's seed
and pleasurable coming together in bed.
And being born I sucked in the common
air
and fell down on the sympathetic earth,
the first sound just like the
crying of everyone;
I was wrapped up in diapers and cared for.
For no king
was different at the beginning of birth,
and everyone comes into life and
goes out the same way.
Because of this I prayed, and understanding was
given me;
I called upon it, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
I
preferred her to scepters and thrones
and wealth I believed nothing in
comparison to her;
nor did I liken a priceless stone to her,
since all
gold in her sight is a little sand,
and silver is considered as clay before
her;
above health and beauty I loved her
and I chose to have her instead
of light,
because her light is unsleeping.
And all good things came to
me along with her
and uncounted wealth in her hands;
and I enjoyed all,
because wisdom leads them,
not knowing their origin to be her.
What I
learned without deceit I share ungrudgingly,
nor do I hide her wealth;
for
it is an unfailing treasure to humans,
who acquiring it are fit for
friendship with God
because of the gifts of education being
allied.
God grant me to speak according to knowledge
and to infer
conclusions worthy of what has been given,
since it is the guide even of
wisdom
and the corrector of the wise.
For both we and our words are in its
hand,
all understanding and knowledge of working.
For it gave me
unerring knowledge
to know the structure of the world and operation of
elements,
the beginning and end and middle of times,
change of directions
and transition of seasons,
cycles of the year and the constellations of
stars,
the nature of animals and the hearts of beasts,
the force of
spirits and considerations of humans,
the varieties of plants and the virtues
of roots,
both what is secret and what is visible I learned;
for the
builder of all things, wisdom, taught me.
For in her is a spirit,
intelligent, holy,
singly born, of many parts, subtle,
mobile, clear,
unpolluted,
manifest, harmless, good-loving, sharp,
unhindered, doing
well, humane,
secure, certain, unworried,
omnipotent, watching over
all
and moving through all spirits
intelligent, pure, and most
subtle.
For wisdom is more mobile than every motion,
and extends and
moves through all by purity;
for she is a breath of God's power
and an
emanation of the unmixed glory of the all-ruling;
because of this nothing
tainted steals into her.
For she is the brilliance of eternal light
and an
unstained mirror of God's energy
and an image of its goodness.
One
being can do all things
and remaining in herself she makes all things
new
and each generation she passes into holy souls
and makes them friends
of God and prophets;
for God loves nothing as much as those living with
wisdom.
For she is more beautiful than the sun
and beyond every
constellation of stars.
Compared with light she is found brighter;
for
this is succeeded by night,
but evil does not prevail over wisdom.
8
She extends from end to end strongly
and manages all
things beneficially.
I loved her and sought her from my youth
and
sought to take her as a bride for myself
and I fell in love with her
beauty.
Living with God magnifies nobility,
and the master of all loves
her;
for she is an initiate of God's knowledge
and a chosen one of its
work.
If wealth is a desirable possession in life,
what is richer than
wisdom working all things?
And if understanding works,
who more than
she is the builder of what exists?
And if someone loves justice,
her
labors are excellent;
for she teaches discretion and
understanding,
justice and courage,
than which nothing is more beneficial
in human life.
And if someone longs for much experience,
she knows the
ancient and infers the things to come,
understands turns of logic and
solutions of riddles,
foreknows signs and wonders
and the outcome of
seasons and times.
So I decided to take her to live together
aware
that she will be a counselor of good to me
and an advisor of concerns and
grief.
Because of her I shall have fame among the crowd
and honor from
elders as the young one;
I shall be found sharp in judgment
and in the
sight of the powerful will be admired;
being silent they wait for me
and
in talking they will pay attention
and speaking at length
they will put
their hands on their mouths.
Because of her I shall have
immortality
and leave an eternal memory to the ones after me.
I shall
govern peoples, and nations will be subject to me;
horrible tyrants hearing
of me will be afraid;
among people I appear good and in war
courageous.
Entering my house I shall rest with her;
for her
companionship has no bitterness
nor does living with her have any
pain,
but gladness and joy.
Considering these things in myself
and
contemplating in my heart,
that in relationship with wisdom is
immortality
and in her friendship pure delight
and in the labor of her
hands unfailing wealth
and in her company while exercising together
understanding
and in partnership with her words good reputation,
I went
around searching how I could get her for myself.
As a child I was good
natured
and was granted a good soul,
or rather being good I came into an
undefiled body.
Aware that I would not be master any way unless God gave
it,
and this was understanding to know someone's grace,
I pleaded with the
Lord and begged him
and said from my whole heart:
9
"God of fathers and Lord of mercy,
who made all things in
your logic
and by your wisdom prepared humanity,
so as to be master of the
created beings under you
and manage the world in holiness and justice
and
decide judgments in openness of soul,
give me the wisdom sitting beside your
throne
and do not reject me from your servants;
since I am your slave and
son of your servant-girl,
a person weak and short-lived
and lesser in
understanding of judgment and laws;
for even if someone is perfect among sons
of humans,
absent from your wisdom one is considered nothing.
"You
selected me sovereign of your common people
and judge of your sons and
daughters;
you said to construct a temple on your holy mountain
and an
altar in your city of encampment,
a copy of the holy tent, which was prepared
from the start.
"Also with you is the wisdom which knows your work
and
was present when you made the world,
and knows what is acceptable in your
sight
and what is in line with your commands.
"Send her out from the
holy heavens
and from the throne of your glory send her,
so that being
present with me she may work hard,
and I may know what is acceptable before
you.
"For she knows and understands all things
and will guide me
wisely in my actions
and watch over me in her glory;
and my work will be
acceptable,
and I shall judge your common people justly
and shall be
worthy of my father's throne.
"For what human knows the plan of
God?
Or who can be conscious of what the Lord wills?
For the calculations
of mortals are poor,
and our designs precarious;
for a perishable body
burdens the soul,
and the earthy tent weighs down a thoughtful
mind.
"Also we hardly guess at things on earth
and things in hand we
find with labor;
but who traced out the things in heaven?
Who knew your
plan, unless you have given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from the
highest?
"And thus the paths of those on earth were set right,
and the
things acceptable to you were taught to humans,
and they were saved by
wisdom."
10
She watched over the first-formed father of
the world
being created alone
and delivered him from a peculiar
transgression,
and gave him strength to rule everything.
But standing
apart from her an unjust one in his anger
perished in the spirit of
brother-murdering.
By this the earth being flooded again wisdom saved
by
paltry wood steering the just.
Also when the nations were confused in
vicious agreement
she knew the just and kept him blameless for God
and
guarded the strength in the feelings for the child.
She rescued the just
when the profane were perishing
escaping the fire falling down on the Five
Cities,
of which there is still evidence of the viciousness
in a
continually smoking barren land
and the incomplete seasons of fruit-bearing
plants,
a standing monument of an unbelieving soul, a pillar of
salt.
For passing by wisdom
not only were they blocked from knowing
beautiful things,
but also left a reminder of the folly for the living,
so
that among these the mishap could not go unnoticed.
Wisdom rescued out of
troubles those serving her.
When a just person fled a brother's anger
she
led in straight paths,
showed him the sovereignty of God
and gave him
knowledge of the holy ones,
supplied him in hardship
and made full his
labors,
in the greed of the overpowering stood by him
and enriched
him,
protected him from enemies
and assured against ambushings,
and in
stiff competitions arbitrated for him,
so he would know that piety is more
powerful than everything.
A just person being sold she did not leave him
behind,
but out of failure rescued him,
went down with him into a
pit
and in prison did not leave him,
until she brought him a scepter of
sovereignty
and authority over his tyrants,
and showed him the lies of the
accusers
and gave him eternal glory.
A holy people and blameless
seeds
she rescued out of a nation of oppressors;
she entered into the soul
of a servant of the Lord
and stood up to terrible kings with signs and
wonders.
She gave to the holy the reward of their labors,
led them on
a marvelous way
and for them turned into a shelter by day
and into flames
of stars at night.
She brought them over the Red Sea
and led them
through deep water,
but drowned their enemies
and tossed them up from the
depth of the abyss.
On account of this the just plundered the
profane
and sang hymns, Lord, to your holy name
and praised with one
accord your defending hand;
because wisdom opened the mouth of the
dumb
and made the tongues of babes clear.
11
She
prospered their work in the hand of a holy prophet.
They journeyed through an
uninhabited desert
and pitched tents in inaccessible places;
they stood up
to wars and warded off enemies.
They were thirsty and called upon you,
and
water was given them out of sharply cut rock
and healing of thirst out of
hard stone.
For through that by which their enemies were
punished,
through these they being at a loss were served well.
Instead of
a fountain of an ever-flowing river
troubled with the defiled gore of
blood
in confutation of the baby-killing order
you gave them abundant
water unexpectedly
showing through the thirst then
how the adversaries
were punished.
For when they were tested, though being educated in
mercy,
they knew how being judged in anger the profane were tried;
for you
tested them like a father in admonition,
but those you examined like an
abrupt king in sentencing.
Both the absent and the present were similarly
distressed;
for a double grief took hold of them
and a moaning at the
memory of what had passed;
for when they heard that through their own
punishments
they were being served well, they became aware of the
Lord.
For in the exposing long before
they scoffing denied the
cast-off,
at the end of the escape they marveled
thirsting not like the
just.
In return for their misunderstanding unjust calculations,
in which
straying they worshipped
irrational reptiles and mean beasts,
you sent
upon them many irrational animals in avenging,
so that they would know
that
one is punished through the things by which one sins.
For your
omnipotent hand was not at a loss
also having created the world out of
formless matter
to send upon them many bears or bold lions
or newly
created unknown beasts full of rage
or such as breathe fire-breathing
gasps
or a roar scattering smoke
or terrible lightning sparks from the
eyes,
of which not only could the damage exterminate them,
but even the
sight could destroy them out of fear.
Even without these they could fall
in one breath
being pursued by justice
and scattered by your powerful
spirit,
but you arranged everything by measure and number and weight.
For
it is always possible for you to greatly prevail,
and who can stand against
the rule of your arm?
Since like a turn of the scale is the whole world
before you
and like a drop of morning dew falling on the earth.
But
you are merciful to all,
because you can do everything,
and you overlook
human sins into repentance.
For you love all beings
and you are nauseated
by none of the things you made;
for you would not hate anything you
built.
How would anything remain, if you had not willed it,
or what was
not called forth by you be maintained?
You spare all, because they are yours,
life-loving master.
12
For your incorruptible spirit is
in all.
Therefore you refute a little at a time the fallen ones
and
reminding admonish for the things in which they sin,
so that releasing the
vice they will trust in you, Lord.
For even those inhabiting your holy
land long ago
you hated for practicing hostility,
works of drugs and
unholy rites
and merciless murdering of children
and sacrificial feasting
on human flesh and blood,
out of the middle of a secret cult
and
autocratic parents of helpless lives,
you planned to destroy by the hands of
our fathers,
so that the most valuable land of all for you
might receive a
settlement worthy of God's servants.
But even these you spared as
humans
sending wasps in advance of your army,
so that they would be
destroyed gradually.
Not unable in battle to give the profane to the just
hands
or to terrible reptiles
or to wipe them out at once by an abrupt
word,
but judging gradually giving an opportunity of repentance
not being
ignorant that their origin was bad
and their vice implanted
and that their
calculating would never change.
For the seed was cursed from the
beginning,
and not from deference to anyone
did you grant amnesty to them
for sin.
For who will say, "What did you do?"
Or who will stand
against your judgment?
Who will accuse you for destroying nations which you
made?
Or who will come into an institution to you
without law concerning
unjust persons?
For neither is there a god except you,
who cares about
all,
so that you should show that you did not judge unjustly,
nor can a
king or tyrant confront you about those punished.
Being just you manage all
things justly
believing it alien to your power
to condemn one not
deserving to be punished.
For your strength is the first cause of
justice,
and your mastering all makes you spare all.
For to show strength
the disbelieving of complete power
also you refute among those knowing
courage;
you of masters' strength judge in fairness
and with much
restraint you manage us;
for the power is present for you whenever you will
it.
You taught the common people through such work
that the just must
be humane,
and you made your sons have good hope
that you would grant
repentance for sins.
For if the enemies of your servants also deserving
death
with such attentive vengeance and indulgence
given time and
opportunity by which they may give up vice,
with what precision did you judge
your sons,
to whose fathers you gave
oaths and covenants of good
promise?
So educating us our enemies got ten thousand scourges,
so
that when judging we may meditate on your goodness,
and being judged we may
expect mercy.
From this also those in folly of life living
unjustly
through their own abominations you tormented;
for they also
wandered farther on paths of error
taking gods even in animals dishonored of
the shameful
being deceived after the manner of foolish children.
On
account of this like thoughtless children
you sent judgment for
mocking.
But those not being admonished by censure for mockery
will
experience the merited judgment of God.
For upon this suffering they are
irritated,
upon those they believed were gods being punished with
them
seeing, whom before they refused to know,
recognizing the true
God;
wherefore the end of judgment came upon them.
13
For all persons vain by nature who were ignorant of
God
and from good sights were not able to know the existing
nor observing
the work did they recognize the artisan,
but either fire or wind or swift
air
or the circle of stars or forceful water
or the lights of heaven
presiding over the world
they assumed were gods.
If enjoying the
beauty they took these as gods
let them know how much better than these is
the master,
for the architect of beauty created these;
and if by power and
good work they were astonished,
let them be aware from these
how much more
powerful is the one who arranged these;
for out of the greatness and beauty
of creation
analogously their maker is contemplated.
Nevertheless on
these there is little blame,
for perhaps they go astray
seeking and
wishing to find God;
for in returning to its works they search
and trust
the sight, because beautiful things are seen.
But again not even these
are pardoned;
for if they were able to know so much
that they could guess
the age,
why did they not find the master of these sooner?
But the
miserable and their hopes in dead things,
who call gods the works of human
hands,
gold and silver of skilled practice
and models of animals
or a
useless stone work of an ancient hand.
If some skilled
woodcutter
sawing down an easily moved tree
stripped off deftly all its
bark
and crafting it well
prepared a useful implement for the service of
life,
and the thrown away things of the work
spent for preparing food he
ate his fill,
but thrown away from these good for nothing,
a stick crooked
and full of knots,
taking he carves with care in his idleness
and by
practice of recreation shapes it,
forming it in the image of a person
or
likens it to some cheap animal
applying red and coloring its surface
red
and applying it to every blemish on it
and making a dwelling for it
worthy of it
he puts it in a wall securing it with iron.
Thus so it may
not fall, he provides for it
knowing that it cannot help itself;
for it is
an image and has need of help.
And praying about possessions and marriage
and children
he is not ashamed of talking to a lifeless thing
and
concerning health he calls upon a weak thing,
and concerning life thinks fit
a dead thing,
and concerning aid asks the most inexperienced,
and
concerning a journey what cannot take a step,
and concerning procuring and
working and success with hands
he asks the most inactive for active
hands.
14
Again someone sailing and intending to
venture wild waves
cries out to wood more fragile than the ship carrying
him.
For desire of gain contrived that,
and the technician wisdom built
it;
but your providence, father, steers it through,
because you gave it
both a way in the sea
and on waves a safe path
showing that you could save
it from everything,
so that even someone without skill may go on.
You
will your works of wisdom not be undone;
because of this also humans trust
lives to the smallest wood
and coming through waves on a boat are
preserved.
For even at the start when arrogant giants were perishing
the
hope of the world escaping on a boat
left to the ages seeds of generation by
your guiding hand.
For praised be the wood by which justice comes;
but
the hand-made is cursed itself and the one who made it,
because he did the
work, and the corruptible was named a god.
For equally hated by God are the
profane and his profanity;
for the action will also be punished with the
doer.
Because of this too on idols of nations will be oversight,
since
in the creation of God they fell into abomination
and into traps for human
souls
and into snares for the feet of fools.
For the concept of
idols
was the beginning of prostitution,
and their discovery corruption of
life.
For neither was it from the beginning nor will it be forever;
for by
the delusion of humans it came into the world,
and on account of this their
shortened end was conceived.
For a father consumed by untimely
mourning
made an image of a child suddenly taken away
then honored a human
now dead as a god
and gave over to those under him mysteries and
rites;
then in time the profane custom held to was kept as a law.
And
by orders of tyrants the carvings were worshipped,
whom humans could not
honor in person due to living far away
impressing again the sight from a
distance
they made a visible image of the honored king,
so that the absent
as present they might flatter by zeal.
The ambition of the technician
urged also
the ignorant into the duty of worship;
for perhaps wishing to
please the ruling
he forced out by skill resemblance to the beautiful;
and
many attracted by the popularity of the work
considered the one honored a
little before as a person
now a religious object.
And this became for the
living an ambush,
since persons enslaved by either circumstance or
tyranny
conferred the unshareable name on stones and wood.
Next it was
not enough to err about knowledge of God,
but also living in a great war of
ignorance
they label such evils peace.
For whether child-murdering rites
or clandestine mysteries
or celebrating frantic revels of peculiar
institutions
they no longer keep lives nor marriages pure,
but either take
off another by ambush
or pain another by adultery.
All is promiscuous
blood and murder, theft and deceit,
corruption, mistrust, disorder,
perjury,
confusion of the good, forgetfulness of favors,
pollution of
souls, perverting of generation,
marriage disorders, adultery and
licentiousness.
For the worship of nameless idols
is the beginning and
cause and end of every vice;
for either cheering they go mad or prophesy
lies
or live unjustly or quickly commit perjury;
for trusting in lifeless
idols
swearing viciously they do not expect to be wronged.
But the
just avenge them both ways
since they thought viciously about God praying to
idols
and swore unjustly in deceit disdaining holiness;
for not the power
of the things sworn,
but the justice due from the sinning
always
prosecutes the deviation of the unjust ones.
15
But
you, our God, are kind and true,
patient and merciful managing all
things.
For even if we sin, we are yours, knowing your rule;
but we shall
not sin, knowing that we are considered yours.
For to know you is complete
justice,
and to know your rule is the root of immortality.
For neither
did the design of humans' evil arts mislead us
nor the fruitless labor of
painters,
a figure stained with varied colors,
whose sight returns fools
into desire,
and they yearn for the lifeless form of a dead image.
Lovers
of vices and those deserving of such hopes
are the ones doing and desiring
and worshipping.
For potters pressing hard on the soft earth
mold each
one for our service;
but remodel out of the same clay
furnishings serving
both the clean work
and the opposite, all similarly;
but what the use of
each of these is
the clay-workers decide.
Also by bad labor an idle god
out of the same clay they mold
who a little before were made out of
earth
after a while they go to that out of which they were taken,
the debt
of the soul being demanded.
But it is no concern to them
that they are
about to retire
or that they have a short life,
but they compete with
goldsmiths and silversmiths
and imitate copper-molders
and believe it
glory that they mold counterfeits.
Their heart is ash, and cheaper than
earth their hope,
and less honored than clay their life,
because they were
ignorant of the one who molded them
and inspired them with an energized
soul
and breathed into them living spirit,
but they considered our life a
game
and living a festival for profit,
for it is necessary, they
say,
to procure it from whatever source, even from vice.
For they above
all know that they sin
making fragile furnishings of earth and carvings of
wood.
But most foolish and wretched beyond an infant soul
are all the
enemies who oppressed your common people,
since they thought all the idols of
the nations were gods,
which neither have use of eyes for sight
nor
nostrils for drawing together air
nor ears to hear
nor fingers of hands
for touching
and their feet inactive for walking.
For a person made
them,
and the spirit that has been borrowed molded them;
for no person can
mold a god like oneself;
being mortal one works the dead with lawless
hands;
for one is better than one's religious objects,
being oneself
alive, but those never.
They even worship the most hated animals;
for
judging by ignorance they are worse than the others;
and even as animals the
beauty of sight is not to be desired,
but they have fled from both God's
approval and its praise.
16
Because of this they
were
deservedly punished by similar ones
and were tormented by many
beasts.
Instead of punishment you worked well your common people
into a
desire of appetite for a strange taste
having prepared quails for food,
so
that those desiring food
due to the loathsomeness of what was sent to
them
might turn away the necessary appetite,
and these being needful for a
short while
also might partake of a strange taste.
For inevitable
poverty must come upon those tyrants,
while to these it was only shown
how
their enemies were tormented.
For when the terrible beasts' rage came
upon them
and they were destroyed by the biting of twisting snakes,
your
anger did not continue until the end;
as a warning they were disturbed for a
short while
having an omen of safety as a reminder of your law's
command;
for the one who turned was saved not by the seeing,
but by you,
the savior of all.
Also in this way you convinced our enemies
that you
are the rescuer from every evil;
for the bites of locusts and flies killed
them,
and no healing was found for their soul,
because they deserved to be
punished by such things;
but the teeth of poisonous snakes did not conquer
your sons,
for your mercy came by opposite and healed them.
for they were
bitten as a reminder of your oracles
and swiftly were delivered,
lest
falling into deep forgetfulness
they might become unresponsive to your good
work.
For neither herb nor poultice cured them,
but Lord, your all-healing
word did.
For you have authority over life and death,
and you lead
down into the gates of Hades and up again;
a person kills by one's
vice,
but the spirit that went out does not return
nor is the soul taken
over released.
To escape from your hand is impossible;
for refusing to
know you the profane
were whipped by the strength of your arm
pursued by
strange rains and hails and sweeping storms
and consumed by fire;
for,
most incredible, in the water which quenches all
the fire was fully
active,
for the universe is the defender of the just;
for at one time the
flame was subdued,
lest it burn up the animals sent upon the profane,
so
that they seeing this might know that
they were driven by the judgment of
God;
and at another time even in the middle of water
it burned more
dynamically than fire,
so that it might ruin the crops of an unjust
land.
Instead of this you fed your common people angels' food
and
provided for them effortlessly handy bread from heaven
satisfying every
pleasure and suited to every taste;
for your sustenance manifested sweetness
to your children,
and serving the desire of those using it
it was
transformed to whatever one wished.
Snow and ice submitted to fire and
did not melt,
so that they would know that the fruits of the enemies
were
destroyed by the fire blazing in the hail
and flashing in the rain;
but
this again was so that the just might eat,
and it forgot about its own
power.
For the creation serving you who made it
stretches for the
punishment of the unjust
and relaxes for good work on behalf of those who
trusted you.
On account of this also then changing into all things
it
served your all-nourishing gift
according to the will of the needing,
so
that your sons whom you loved, Lord, might learn
that the production of
fruits does not feed a person,
but your saying maintains those trusting in
you.
For what was not ruined by fire
simply melted when warmed by a
brief ray of sun,
so it may be known that it is necessary
to first come
giving thanks to you before the sun
and before the rising of the light meet
with you;
for the hope of the ungrateful will melt like winter frost
and
run off like useless water.
17
For great are your
judgments and hard to describe;
on account of this uneducated souls have gone
astray.
For assuming power over the holy nation the lawless
captives of
the dark and prisoners of the long night
lay enclosed under roofs fugitives
from eternal providence.
For thinking to be unnoticed in their secret
sins
by the obscure curtain of forgetfulness
they were dispersed astounded
terribly
and agitated by apparitions.
For not even the closet holding them
kept them fearless,
but shattering sounds roared around them,
and downcast
phantoms with unsmiling faces appeared.
Also no force of fire was able to
light,
nor did the bright flames of stars
manage to shine on that gloomy
night.
Shining through to them alone was
a self-moving fearful
fire,
and frightened by what was not seen of that sight
they believed the
things looked at were worse.
Tricks of magic art were laid down,
and
the pretense of boasted wisdom was refuted;
for those promising to drive
off
the frights and agitation of a sick soul,
these deriding caution
became sick.
For even if nothing agitating frightened them,
scared by
the passage of monsters and hissing reptiles
they perished
trembling
refusing to look even at the air from nowhere avoided.
For
miserable cowardice testifies condemned by itself,
it always takes hold of
difficulties oppressed by conscience;
for fear is nothing but giving up the
helps from reason,
and the inner expectation being weak
counts on full
ignorance of the cause promising torture.
On the really powerless
night
and out of the powerless recesses of Hades coming upon
the ones
sleeping the same sleep
monstrous things of phantoms drove them,
and
things of the soul paralyzed by betrayal;
for unforeseen and unexpected fear
poured over them.
So whoever was there fell down,
thusly they were
kept shut up in an ironless prison;
for whether someone was a farmer or a
shepherd
or a worker laboring in the desert,
being seized one endured the
inescapable fate,
for with one chain of darkness all were bound;
whether a
hissing wind
or melodious sounds of birds in widespreading branches
or
rhythm of water moving by force
or the harsh crash of rocks thrown down
or
leaping animals running unseen
or the sound of howling rough beasts
or an
echo bounced back out of most hollow mountains,
terrorizing paralyzed
them.
For the whole world was illuminated with bright light
and was
held together with unhindered work;
but over those alone heavy night was
spread,
an image of the darkness about to take its turn.
But they were
heavier to themselves than darkness.
18
But for your
holy ones there was great light;
who hearing the sound but not seeing the
form,
since also those not having suffered, were blessed,
because the ones
wronged before were not harming,
being thankful they even asked pardon for
being different.
Against which you provided a pillar of flaming fire
as a
guide for their unknown journey,
and a harmless sun of foreign
ambition.
For those deserved to be deprived of light
and kept in the
dark,
the ones guarding your sons as prisoners,
through whom the
incorruptible light of law
was about to be given to the ages.
When
they were planning
to kill the babies of the holy ones,
and one child had
been exposed and saved,
in confutation many of their children were taken
away
and in like spirit destroyed in violent water.
That night was
known before by our fathers,
so that securely knowing the promises in which
they trusted
they might be heartened.
The salvation of the just and the
destruction of the enemies
were expected by your common people;
for in the
same way you avenged the opposition,
you calling us forward glorified
us.
For in secret the holy children of the good sacrificed
and in
unity agreed to the most divine law
similarly both their goods
and dangers
the saints were sharing
already singing the fathers' praises.
But the
discordant cry of the enemies resounded,
and the pitiable wailing sound for
the children was borne;
by a like sentence a slave was punished along with a
master
and the people suffered the same things as a king,
and in like
spirit all in one name of death
had uncounted dead;
for the living ones
were not even enough for the burial,
since in one moment their honored
generation was destroyed.
For mistrusting all because of drugs
upon
the death of the first-born
they acknowledged common people to be God's
son.
For with still silence surrounding all things
and night in its
swiftness half spent
by your omnipotent word from heaven out of a royal
throne
a ruthless warrior wandered in the middle of the ruined
land
carrying the sharp sword of your unanswered injunction
and stood
filling all things with death
and reached heaven while walking on
earth.
Then on the spot phantoms in terrible dreams agitated them,
and
unexpected fears set upon them,
and here and there hurled
half-dead
through which they showed the reason for death;
for disturbing
dreams forewarned them of this,
lest they perish ignorant of why they badly
suffer.
The experience of death reached also the just,
and a plague
came to many in the desert.
However the anger did not remain for long;
for
a blameless man hurried to defend
bringing his personal shield of
ministry,
prayer and propitiating incense;
standing up to the anger he
also put an end to the event
showing that he is your servant;
he conquered
the anger not by strength of body,
nor by activity of weapons,
but by
logic he subordinated the ones punishing
reminding them of the fathers'
promises and covenants.
For the dead having fallen on each other in
heaps
standing between he drove back the anger
and severed through its way
to the living.
For on a robe to the feet was the whole world,
and fathers'
glories were carved on four rows of stones,
and your majesty on the crown on
his head.
To these the destroyer yielded, and these he feared;
for the
trial of the anger alone was enough.
19
The profane
were set upon until the end by pitiless anger,
for it knew ahead even their
intentions,
that they being committed to the departing
and with speed
sending them forth
regretting it they would pursue.
For while they
were still mourning
and lamenting at the graves of the dead
they fixed on
another foolish reason
and those whom begging they threw out,
these as
fugitives they pursued.
For the fate they deserved drew them on to this
end
and made them forget what had happened,
so that they might fill up the
punishment
with what remained of the torments,
and your common people
experience an incredible journey,
and those might find a strange
death.
For the whole creation in particular
came to be reformed again
from above
complying with your orders,
so that your children might be kept
unharmed.
The cloud overshadowed the encampment,
and out of what was
water before dry land was seen coming up,
an unhindered way out of the Red
Sea
and a plain of green grass out of the violent surf;
where the whole
nation came through sheltered by your hand
seeing marvelous
wonders.
For like horses they were grazing
and like lambs were
leaping
praising you, Lord, who rescued them.
For they still remembered
their sojourning,
how instead of producing animals
the earth brought forth
gnats,
and instead of emptying itself of water
the river was full of
frogs.
Later they also saw a new generation of birds,
when desire led them
to ask for luxurious meats;
for their relief quails came up from the
sea.
Also the vengeance did not come upon the sinners
without previous
signs by the force of thunderbolts;
for justly they suffered for their bad
peculiarities,
for also they practiced the harsher hating of
strangers.
For some did not receive the ignorant who passed by;
but
these enslaved beneficial strangers.
Not only that, but some oversight will
be theirs,
since hatefully they received the aliens;
but the ones with
celebrations
whom they already received having shared the same rights
they
treated badly with terrible toil.
Also they were struck with loss of
sight
as those were at the door of the just,
when surrounded by yawning
darkness
each of them tried to find the way through their door.
For
the elements being corrected by themselves,
as on a harp notes vary the kind
of rhythm
all the time continuing by ringing,
this is inferred out of
clearly seeing what happened;
for land things were transformed into water
things,
and the swimming changed to walk on earth;
fire maintained in
water its own power,
and water forgot its quenching nature;
flames
contrary to destroying animals
did not wither the flesh of those walking
around,
nor did they melt the crystals
of the easily melted type of
ambrosial food.
For in all things, Lord,
you exalted and glorified
your common people
and not overlooking stood by in every time and place.