Wisdom of Solomon, 1
1. Love uprightness you who are rulers on earth, be properly disposed towards the Lord and seek him in simplicity of heart;
1. Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord with uprightness, and seek him with sincerity of heart;
2. for he will be found by those who do not put him to the test, revealing himself to those who do not mistrust him.
2. because he is found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him.
3. Perverse thoughts, however, separate people from God, and power, when put to the test, confounds the stupid.
3. For perverse thoughts separate men from God, and when his power is tested, it convicts the foolish;
4. Wisdom will never enter the soul of a wrong-doer, nor dwell in a body enslaved to sin;
4. because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul, nor dwell in a body enslaved to sin.
5. for the holy spirit of instruction flees deceitfulness, recoils from unintelligent thoughts, is thwarted by the onset of vice.
5. For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit, and will rise and depart from foolish thoughts, and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness.
6. Wisdom is a spirit friendly to humanity, though she will not let a blasphemer's words go unpunished; since God observes the very soul and accurately surveys the heart, listening to every word.
6. For wisdom is a kindly spirit and will not free a blasphemer from the guilt of his words; because God is witness of his inmost feelings, and a true observer of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.
7. For the spirit of the Lord fills the world, and that which holds everything together knows every word said.
7. Because the Spirit of the Lord has filled the world, and that which holds all things together knows what is said;
8. No one who speaks what is wrong will go undetected, nor will avenging Justice pass by such a one.
8. therefore no one who utters unrighteous things will escape notice, and justice, when it punishes, will not pass him by.
9. For the schemes of the godless will be examined, and a report of his words will reach the Lord to convict him of his crimes.
9. For inquiry will be made into the counsels of an ungodly man, and a report of his words will come to the Lord, to convict him of his lawless deeds;
10. There is a jealous ear that overhears everything, not even a murmur of complaint escapes it.
10. because a jealous ear hears all things, and the sound of murmurings does not go unheard.
11. So beware of uttering frivolous complaints, restrain your tongue from finding fault; even what is said in secret has repercussions, and a lying mouth deals death to the soul.
11. Beware then of useless murmuring, and keep your tongue from slander; because no secret word is without result, and a lying mouth destroys the soul.
12. Do not court death by the errors of your ways, nor invite destruction through the work of your hands.
12. Do not invite death by the error of your life, nor bring on destruction by the works of your hands;
13. For God did not make Death, he takes no pleasure in destroying the living.
13. because God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living.
14. To exist -- for this he created all things; the creatures of the world have health in them, in them is no fatal poison, and Hades has no power over the world:
14. For he created all things that they might exist, and the generative forces of the world are wholesome, and there is no destructive poison in them; and the dominion of Hades is not on earth.
15. for uprightness is immortal.
15. For righteousness is immortal.
16. But the godless call for Death with deed and word, counting him friend, they wear themselves out for him; with him they make a pact, worthy as they are to belong to him.
16. But ungodly men by their words and deeds summoned death; considering him a friend, they pined away, and they made a covenant with him, because they are fit to belong to his party.
