1 Better to have no children and to be virtuous. People like this are highly considered by God and men. The memory of their life will never end.
2 When virtue is present we imitate it; when it is absent we long for it; it is crowned in eternity for having triumphed in the blameless struggle.
3 The numerous progeny of the wicked will be of no use. Offspring of doubtful plants, they will not have deep roots or lay solid foundations.
4 For a time they may produce, but their weak branches shaken by the wind will be uprooted by the storm.
5 Their twigs will be broken off before grown, their fruit useless, unripe for eating and good for nothing.
6 Children born of unlawful intercourse witness, when God examines them, to the wrongdoing of their parents.
7 The upright, even if he dies before his time, will be at rest.
8 Honorable age does not depend on length of days, nor is the number of years a true measure of life.
9 A man's gray hair is understanding, and a spotless life is ripe old age.
10 The upright was pleasing to God, who loved him, and since he was living among sinners, he was taken up.
11 God removed him lest evil impair his understanding and treachery seduce his soul.
12 For the fascination of evil obscures true values and restless desire undermines a simple heart.
13 Though his life soon ended, he traveled far.
14 Because his soul was precious to the Lord, he was quickly removed from the wickedness around him.
15 People saw but did not under-stand, and it did not occur to them that God's grace and mercy are with his chosen ones, his protection is for the holy.
16 The just man who dies will condemn the wicked man who survives. A life fulfilled early in youth condemns the endless days of the wicked.
17 They may see the death of the wise, but they will not understand God's design for him and why he has taken him to safety.
18 They may see and sneer at him, but the Lord will also laugh at them
19 when they have become a useless corpse, a loathsome and dead thing forever. The Lord will dash them to the ground, voiceless, shaking them from their foundations; they will wither and suffer anguish; even their memory will fade.
20 They will come trembling for the reckoning of their sins and they will be confounded when confronted with their wickedness.
Versículos relacionados com Wisdom of Solomon, 4:
Chapter 4 of the Wisdom Book talks about the search for wisdom and how it brings benefits to the individual's life. In addition, the chapter also addresses the difference between wisdom and material wealth, noting that the first is much more valuable. Below are five verses related to the topics covered in this chapter:
Proverbs 8:11: "For wisdom is better than jewelry, and all that one desires nothing can be compared to it." This verse highlights the superiority of wisdom in relation to material riches, which is a central theme in Wisdom 4.
Proverbs 4:7: "Wisdom is the main thing; because wisdom, it employs everything you have in the acquisition of understanding." This verse encourages the search for wisdom and highlights its importance in the individual's life.
Ecclesiastes 7:12: "Because wisdom serves as protection, as money serves as protection, but the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to its possessor." This verse compares wisdom with material wealth and points out that although both can offer protection, only wisdom gives life to its owner.
Proverbs 2:6: "For the Lord gives wisdom; his mouth comes from knowledge and understanding." This verse points out that wisdom comes from God and that it is the source of all knowledge and understanding.
James 1:5: "And if any of you are lacking wisdom, ask it to God, who gives all liberally and not censorship, and will be given to him." This verse encourages believers to ask for wisdom to God, which is generous to grant it, which is aligned with the main theme of wisdom 4, which is the search for wisdom.
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