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Wisdom 18

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Wisdom chapter 18 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.

Patristic commentary for this chapter has not yet been attached. Related material may be found among the Church Fathers and the theology tables.

Wisdom 18

1Nevertheless your saints had a very great light, whose voice they hearing, and not seeing their shape, because they also had not suffered the same things, they counted them happy.Τοῖς δὲ ὁσίοις σου μέγιστον ἦν φῶς, ὧν φωνὴν μὲν ἀκούοντες, μορφὴν δὲ οὐχ ὁρῶντες, ὅτι μὲν οὖν κᾀκεῖνοι ἐπεπόνθεισαν, ἐμακάριζον,

2But for that they did not hurt them now, of whom they had been wronged before, they thanked them, and implored them pardon for that they had been enemies.ὅτι δὲ οὐ βλάπτουσι προηδικημένοι, εὐχαριστοῦσι, καὶ τοῦ διενεχθῆναι χάριν ἐδέοντο.

3Instead whereof you gave them a burning pillar of fire, both to be a guide of the unknown journey, and an harmless sun to entertain them honorably.Ἀνθʼ ὧν πυριφλεγῆ στύλον, ὁδηγὸν μὲν ἀγνώστου ὁδοιπορίας, ἥλιον δὲ ἀβλαβῆ φιλοτίμου ξενιτείας παρέσχες.

4For they were worthy to be deprived of light and imprisoned in darkness, who had kept your sons shut up, by whom the uncorrupt light of the law was to be given to the world.Ἄξιοι μὲν γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι στερηθῆναι φωτὸς, καὶ φυλακισθῆναι ἐν σκότει, οἱ κατακλείστους φυλάξαντες τοὺς υἱούς σου, διʼ ὧν ἤμελλε τὸ ἄφθαρτον νόμου φῶς τῷ αἰῶνι δίδοσθαι.

5And when they had determined to kill the babes of the saints, one child being cast forth, and saved, to reprove them, you took away the multitude of their children, and destroyed them altogether in a mighty water.Βουλευσαμένους δʼ αὐτοὺς τὰ τῶν ὁσιῶν ἀποκτεῖναι νήπια, καὶ ἑνὸς ἐκτεθέντος τέκνου, καὶ σωθέντος, εἰς ἔλεγχον τὸ αὐτῶν ἀφείλω πλῆθος τέκνων, καὶ ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἀπώλεσας ἐν ὕδατι σφοδρῷ.

6Of that night were our fathers certified before, that assuredly knowing to what oaths they had given credence, they might afterwards be of good cheer.Ἐκείνη ἡ νὺξ προεγνώσθη πατράσιν ἡμῶν, ἵνα ἀσφαλῶς εἰδότες οἷς ἐπίστευσαν ὅρκοις, ἐπευθυμήσωσι.

7So of your people was accepted both the salvation of the righteous, and destruction of the enemies.Προσεδέχθη δὲ ὑπὸ λαοῦ σου σωτηρία μὲν δικαίων, ἐχθρῶν δὲ ἀπώλεια.

8For wherewith you did punish our adversaries, by the same you did glorify us, whom you had called.Ὧς γὰρ ἐτιμωρήσω τοὺς ὑπεναντίους, τούτῳ ἡμᾶς προσκαλεσάμενος ἐδόξασας.

9For the righteous children of good men did sacrifice secretly, and with one consent made a holy law, that the saints should be like partakers of the same good and evil, the fathers now singing out the songs of praise.Κρυφῇ γὰρ ἐθυσιαζον ὅσιοι παῖδες ἀγαθῶν, καὶ τὸν τῆς θειότητος νόμον ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ διέθεντο, τῶν αὐτῶν ὁμοίως καὶ ἀγαθῶν καὶ κινδύνων μεταλήψεσθαι τοὺς ἁγίους, πατέρων ἤδη προαναμελπόντων αἴνους.

10But on the other side there sounded an ill according cry of the enemies, and a lamentable noise was carried abroad for children that were bewailed.Ἀντήχει δʼ ἀσύμφωνος ἐχθρῶν βοὴ, καὶ οἰκτρὰ διεφέρετο θρηνουμένων παίδων.

11The master and the servant were punished after one manner; and like as the king, so suffered the common person.Ὁμοίᾳ δὲ δίκῃ δοῦλος ἅμα δεσπότῃ κολασθεὶς, καὶ δημότης βασιλεῖ τὰ αὐτὰ πάσχων.

12So they all together had innumerable dead with one kind of death; neither were the living sufficient to bury them: for in one moment the noblest offspring of them was destroyed.Ὁμοθυμαδὸν δὲ πάντες ἐν ἑνὶ ὀνόματι θανάτου νεκροὺς εἶχον ἀναριθμήτους, οὐδὲ γὰρ πρὸς τὸ θάψαι οἱ ζῶντες ἦσαν ἱκανοὶ, ἐπεὶ πρὸς μίαν ῥοπὴν ἡ ἐντιμοτέρα γένεσις αὐτῶν διεφθάρη.

13For whereas they would not believe any thing by reason of the enchantments; upon the destruction of the firstborn, they acknowledged this people to be the sons of God.Πάντα γὰρ ἀπιστοῦντες διὰ τὰς φαρμακίας, ἐπὶ τῷ τῶν πρωτοτόκων ὀλέθρῳ, ὡμολόγησαν Θεοῦ υἱὸν λαὸν εἶναι.

14For while all things were in quiet silence, and that night was in the midst of her swift course,Ἡσύχου γὰρ σιγῆς περιεχούσης τὰ πάντα, καὶ νυκτὸς ἐν ἰδίῳ τάχει μεσαζούσης,

15Your Almighty word leaped down from heaven out of your royal throne, as a fierce man of war into the midst of a land of destruction,ὁ παντοδύναμός σου λόγος ἀπʼ οὐρανῶν ἐκ θρόνων βασιλειῶν, ἀπότομος πολεμιστὴς, εἰς μέσον τῆς ὀλεθρίας ἥλατο γῆς, ξίφος ὀξὺ τὴν ἀνυπόκριτον ἐπιταγήν σον φέρων,

16And brought your unfeigned commandment as a sharp sword, and standing up filled all things with death; and it touched the heaven, but it stood upon the earth.καὶ στὰς ἐπλήρωσε τὰ πάντα θανάτου· καὶ οὐρανοῦ μὲν ἥπτετο, βεβήκει δʼ ἐπὶ γῆς.

17Then suddenly visions of horrible dreams troubled them sore, and terrors came upon them unlooked for.Τότε παραχρῆμα φαντασίαι μὲν ὀνείρων δεινῶς ἐξετάραξαν αὐτοὺς, φόβοι δὲ ἐπέστησαν ἀδόκητοι

18And one thrown here, and another there, half dead, showed the cause of his death.καὶ ἄλλος ἀλλαχῇ ῥιφεὶς ἡμίθνητος, διʼ ἣν ἔθνησκεν αἰτίαν ἐνεφάνιζεν.

19For the dreams that troubled them did foreshew this, lest they should perish, and not know why they were afflicted.Οἱ γὰρ ὄνειροι θορυβήσαντες αὐτοὺς, τοῦτο προεμήνυσαν, ἵνα μὴ ἀγνοοῦντες διʼ ὃ κακῶς πάσχουσιν, ἀπόλωνται.

20Yes, the tasting of death touched the righteous also, and there was a destruction of the multitude in the wilderness: but the wrath endured not long.Ἥψατο δὲ καὶ δικαίων πεῖρα θανάτου, καὶ θραῦσις ἐν ἐρήμῳ ἐγένετο πλήθους· ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ ἔμεινεν ἡ ὀργή.

21For then the blameless man made haste, and stood forth to defend them; and bringing the shield of his proper ministry, even prayer, and the propitiation of incense, set himself against the wrath, and so brought the calamity to an end, declaring that he was your servant.Σπεύσας γὰρ ἀνὴρ ἄμεμπτος προεμάχησε· τὸ τῆς ἰδίας λειτουργίας ὅπλον, προσευχὴν καὶ θυμιάματος ἐξιλασμὸν κομίσας, ἀντέστη τῷ θυμῷ, καὶ πέρας ἐπέθηκε τῇ συμφορᾷ, δεικνὺς ὅτι σός ἐστι θεράπων.

22So he overcame the destroyer, not with strength of body, nor force of arms, but with a word subdued him that punished, alleging the oaths and covenants made with the fathers.Ἐνίκησε δὲ τὸν ὄχλον οὐκ ἰσχύϊ τοῦ σώματος, οὐχ ὅπλων ἐνεργείᾳ, ἀλλὰ λόγῳ τὸν κολάζοντα ὑπέταξεν, ὅρκους πατέρων καὶ διαθήκας ὑπομνήσας.

23For when the dead were now fallen down by heaps one upon another, standing between, he stayed the wrath, and parted the way to the living.Σωρηδὸν γὰρ ἤδη πεπτωκότων ἐπʼ ἀλλήλων νεκρῶν, μεταξὺ στὰς, ἀνέκοψε τὴν ὀργὴν, καὶ διέσχισε τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ζῶντας ὁδόν.

24For in the long garment was the whole world, and in the four rows of the stones was the glory of the fathers graven, and your Majesty upon the diadem of his head.Ἐπὶ γὰρ ποδήρους ἐνδύματος ἦν ὅλος ὁ κόσμος, καὶ πατέρων δόξαι ἐπὶ τετραστίχου λίθου γλυφῆς, καὶ μεγαλωσύνη σου ἐπὶ διαδήματος κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ.

25To these the destroyer gave place, and was afraid of them: for it was enough that they only tasted of the wrath.Τούτοις εἶξεν ὁ ὀλοθρεύων, ταῦτα δὲ ἐφοβήθησαν· ἦν γὰρ μόνη ἡ πεῖρα τῆς ὀργῆς ἱκανή.

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