Old Testament, Sapientia Salomonis

οὐδὲ μισθὸν ἤλπισαν ὁσιότητος,

nor did they hope for the wages of holiness,

οὐδὲ ἔκριναν γέρας ψυχῶν ἀμώμων.

nor did they discern the reward of blameless souls.

ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισεν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐπʼ ἀφθαρσίᾳ,

For God created man for incorruption,

καὶ εἰκόνα τῆς ἰδίας ἰδιότητος ἐποίησεν αὐτόν

and made him an image of his own proper being;

φθόνῳ δὲ διαβόλου θάνατος εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον,

but through the envy of the devil death entered into the world,

πειράζουσιν δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ τῆς ἐκεἰνου μερίδος ὄντες.

and those who belong to his portion experience it.

Δικαίων δὲ ψυχαὶ ἐν χειρὶ θεοῦ,

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,

φύσεις ζώων καὶ θυμοὺς θηρίων,

the natures of living creatures and the tempers of wild beasts,

πνευμάτῳν βίας καὶ διαλογισμοὺς ἀνθρώπων,

the violent forces of winds and the reasonings of men,

διαφορὰς φυτῶν καὶ δυνάμεις ῥιζῶν.

the varieties of plants and the powers of roots;

ὅσα τέ ἐστιν κρυπτὰ καὶ ἐμφανῆ ἔγνων·

and all things that are hidden or manifest I came to know,

ἡ γὰρ πάντων τεχνῖτις ἐδίδαξέν με σοφία.

for Wisdom, the craftswoman of all things, taught me.

ἵνα ἀπαλλαγέντες τῆς κακίας πιστεύσωσιν ἐπὶ σέ, Κύριε.

so that, freed from wickedness, they may believe in you, Lord.

Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς παλαιοὺς οἰκήτορας τῆς ἁγίας σου γῆς

For the ancient inhabitants of your holy land, too,

μισήσας ἐπὶ τῷ ἔχθιστα πράσσειν ἔργα φαρμακειῶν

you hated for practising most hateful works of sorcery

καὶ τελετὰς ἀνοσίους,

and unholy rites,

τέκνων τε φονέας ἀνελεήμονας,

and merciless murderers of children,

ἐκδειματούμενοι δὲ τῆς μὴ θεωρουμένης ἐκείνης ὄψεως

And in their terror, worse than that sight which was not seen

ἡγοῦυτο χείραω τὰ βλεπόμενα.

they judged the things they saw.

μαγικῆς δέ ἐμπαίγματα κατέκειτο τέχνης,

And the tricks of the magic art lay prostrate,

καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ φρονήσει ἀλαζονίας ἔλεγχος ἐφύβριστος·

and their boast of wisdom met with a disgraceful refutation;

οἱ γὰρ ὑπισχνούμενοι δείματα καὶ ταραχὰς ἀπελαύνειν ψυχῆς

for those who promised to drive away terrors and disturbances from a soul

νοσούσης,

that was sick,

οὗτοι καταγέλαστον εὐλάβειαν ἐνόσουν.

these were sick with a ridiculous fear.