Wisdom Through the Patriarchs
Wisdom of Solomon 10
A retelling of how wisdom preserved Adam after his fall, forsook Cain in his murder, guided Noah's ark through the flood, and rescued a righteous man from the burning of the cities while a disobedient wife became a pillar of salt. It continues through Jacob's flight from his brother, Joseph's rise from slavery to power, and the deliverance of Israel from an oppressing nation by the hand of a servant of the Lord.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
1
BrentonShe preserved the first formed father of the world, that was created alone, and brought him out of his fall,
GreekΑὕτη πρωτόπλαστον πατέρα κόσμου μόνον κτισθέντα διεφύλαξε, καὶ ἐξείλατο αὐτὸν ἐκ παραπτώματος ἰδίου,
2
Brentonand gave him power to rule all things.
Greekἔδωκέ τε αὐτῷ ἰσχὺν κρατῆσαι ἁπάντων.
3
BrentonBut when the unrighteous went away from her in his anger, he perished also in the fury wherewith he murdered his brother.
GreekἈποστὰς δὲ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς ἄδικος ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ, ἀδελφοκτόνοις συναπώλετο θυμοῖς,
4
BrentonFor whose cause the earth being drowned with the flood, wisdom again preserved it, and directed the course of the righteous in a piece of wood of small value.
Greekδιʼ ὃν κατακλυζομένην γῆν πάλιν διέσωσε σοφία, διʼ εὐτελοῦς ξύλου τὸν δίκαιον κυβερνήσασα.
5
BrentonMoreover, the nations in their wicked conspiracy being confounded, she found out the righteous, and preserved him blameless unto God, and kept him strong against his tender compassion toward his son.
GreekΑὕτη καὶ ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ πονηρίας ἐθνῶν συγχυθέντων εὗρε τὸν δίκαιον, καὶ ἐτήρησεν αὐτὸν ἄμεμπτον Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τέκνου σπλάγχνοις ἰσχυρὸν ἐφύλαξεν.
6
BrentonWhen the ungodly perished, she delivered the righteous man, who fled from the fire which fell down upon the five cities.
GreekΑὕτη δίκαιον, ἐξαπολλυμένων ἀσεβῶν, ἐῤῥύσατο φυγόντα πῦρ καταβάσιον Πενταπόλεως·
7
BrentonOf whose wickedness, even to this day the waste land that smoketh is a testimony, and plants bearing fruit that never come to ripeness: and a standing pillar of salt is a monument of an unbelieving soul.
Greekοἷς ἐτὶ μαρτύριον τῆς πονηρίας καπνιζομένη καθέστηκε χέρσος, καὶ ἀτελέσιν ὥραις καρποφοροῦντα φυτά· ἀπιστοῦσης ψυχῆς μνημεῖον ἑστηκυῖα στήλη ἁλός.
8
BrentonFor regarding not wisdom, they gat not only this hurt, that they knew not the things which were good; but also left behind them to the world a memorial of their foolishness: so that in the things wherein they offended they could not so much as be hid.
GreekΣοφίαν γὰρ παροδεύσαντες οὐ μόνον ἐβλάβησαν τοῦ μὴ γνῶναι τὰ καλὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἀφροσύνης ἀπέλιπον τῷ βίῳ μνημόσυνον, ἵνα ἐν οἷς ἐσφάλησαν μηδὲ λαθεῖν δυνηθῶσι.
9
BrentonBut wisdom delivered from pain those that attended upon her.
GreekΣοφία δὲ τοὺς θεραπεύσαντας αὐτὴν ἐκ πόνων ἐῤῥύσατο.
10
BrentonWhen the righteous fled from his brother's wrath, she guided him in right paths, shewed him the kingdom of God, and gave him knowledge of holy things, made him rich in his travels, and multiplied the fruit of his labours.
GreekΑὕτη φυγάδα ὀργῆς ἀδελφοῦ δίκαιον ὡδήγησεν ἐν τρίβοις εὐθείαις, ἔδειξεν αὐτῷ βασιλείαν Θεοῦ, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ γνῶσιν ἁγίων, εὐπόρησεν αὐτὸν ἐν μόχθοις, καὶ ἐπλήθυνε τοὺς πόνους αὐτοῦ.
11
BrentonIn the covetousness of such as oppressed him she stood by him, and made him rich.
GreekἘν πλεονεξίᾳ κατισχύοντων αὐτὸν παρέστη, καὶ ἐπλούτισεν αὐτόν.
12
BrentonShe defended him from his enemies, and kept him safe from those that lay in wait, and in a sore conflict she gave him the victory; that he might know that godliness is stronger than all.
GreekΔιεφύλαξεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ ἐχθρῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ ἐνεδρευόντων ἠσφαλίσατο, καὶ ἀγῶνα ἰσχυρὸν ἐβράβευσεν αὐτῷ, ἵνα γνῷ, ὅτι παντὸς δυνατωτέρα ἐστὶν εὐσέβεια.
13
BrentonWhen the righteous was sold, she forsook him not, but delivered him from sin: she went down with him into the pit,
GreekΑὕτη πραθέντα δίκαιον οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπεν, ἀλλὰ ἐξ ἁμαρτίας ἐῤῥύσατο αὐτόν·
14
Brentonand left him not in bonds, till she brought him the sceptre of the kingdom, and power against those that oppressed him: as for them that had accused him, she shewed them to be liars, and gave him perpetual glory.
Greekσυγκατέβη αὐτῷ εἰς λάκκον, καὶ ἐν δεσμοῖς οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν, ἕως ἤνεγκεν αὐτῷ σκῆπτρα βασιλείας καὶ ἐξουσίαν τυραννούντων αὐτοῦ· ψευδεῖς τε ἔδειξε τοὺς μωμησαμένους αὐτὸν, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ δόξαν αἰώνιον.
15
BrentonShe delivered the righteous people and blameless seed from the nation that oppressed them.
GreekΑὕτη λαὸν ὅσιον καὶ σπέρμα ἄμεμπτον ἐῤῥύσατο ἐξ ἔθνους θλιβόντων.
16
BrentonShe entered into the soul of the servant of the Lord, and withstood dreadful kings in wonders and signs;
GreekΕἰσῆλθεν εἰς ψυχὴν θεράποντος Κυρίου, καὶ ἀντέστη βασιλεῦσι φοβεροῖς ἐν τέρασι καὶ σημείοις.
17
Brentonrendered to the righteous a reward of their labours, guided them in a marvellous way, and was unto them for a cover by day, and a light of stars in the night season;
GreekἈπέδωκεν ὁσίοις μισθὸν κόπων αὐτῶν, ὡδήγησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν ὁδῷ θαυμαστῇ, καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς εἰς σκέπην ἡμέρας, καὶ εἰς φλόγα ἄστρων τὴν νύκτα.
18
Brentonbrought them through the Red sea, and led them through much water:
GreekΔιεβίβασεν αὐτοὺς θάλασσαν ἐρυθρὰν, καὶ διήγαγεν αὐτοὺς διʼ ὕδατος πολλοῦ.
19
Brentonbut she drowned their enemies, and cast them up out of the bottom of the deep.
GreekΤοὺς δὲ ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν κατέκλυσε, καὶ ἐκ βάθους ἀβύσσου ἀνέβρασεν αὐτούς.
20
BrentonTherefore the righteous spoiled the ungodly, and praised thy holy name, O Lord, and magnified with one accord thine hand, that fought for them.
GreekΔιὰ τοῦτο δίκαιοι ἐσκύλευσαν ἀσεβεῖς, καὶ ὕμνησαν Κύριε τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἅγιόν σου, τήν τε ὑπέρμαχόν σου χεῖρα ᾔνεσαν ὁμοθυμαδόν.
21
BrentonFor wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues of them that cannot speak eloquent.
GreekὍτι ἡ σοφία ἤνοιξε στόμα κωφῶν, καὶ γλώσσας νηπίων ἔθηκε τρανάς.