God's New Bible

The Wisdom of Solomon

Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic

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- Chapter 1 -

An exhortation to seek God sincerely, who cannot be deceived, and desires not our death.

1
Love justice, you that are the judges of the earth. Think of the Lord in goodness, and seek him in simplicity of heart.
2
For he is found by them that tempt him not: and he sheweth himself to them that have faith in him.
3
For perverse thoughts separate from God: and his power, when it is tried, reproveth the unwise:
4
For wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins.
5
For the Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful, and will withdraw himself from thoughts that are without understanding, and he shall not abide when iniquity cometh in.
6
For the spirit of wisdom is benevolent, and will not acquit the evil speaker from his lips: for God is witness of his reins, and he is a true searcher of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.
7
For the spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world: and that, which containeth all things, hath knowledge of the voice.
8
Therefore he that speaketh unjust things cannot be hid, neither shall the chastising judgment pass him by.
9
For inquisition shall be made into the thoughts of the ungodly: and the hearing of his words shall come to God, to the chastising of his iniquities.
10
For the ear of jealousy heareth all things, and the tumult of murmuring shall not be hid.
11
Keep yourselves therefore from murmuring, which profiteth nothing, and refrain your tongue from detraction, for an obscure speech shall not go for nought: and the mouth that belieth, killeth the soul.
12
Seek not death in the error of your life, neither procure ye destruction by the works of your hands.
13
For God made not death, neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living.
14
For he created all things that they might be: and he made the nations of the earth for health: and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor kingdom of hell upon the earth.
15
For justice is perpetual and immortal.
16
But the wicked with works and words have called it to them: and esteeming it a friend have fallen away, and have made a covenant with it: because they are worthy to be of the part thereof.

An exhortation to seek God sincerely, who cannot be deceived, and desires not our death.

1
Love righteousness, all you who are judges of the earth. Think of the Lord(a) with a good mind. Seek him in singleness of heart,
2
because he is found by those who don’t put him to the test, and is manifested to those who trust him.
3
for crooked thoughts separate from God. His Power convicts when it is tested, and exposes the foolish;
4
because wisdom will not enter into a soul that devises evil, nor dwell in a body that is enslaved by sin.
5
For a holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and will depart from thoughts that are without understanding, and will be ashamed when unrighteousness has come in.
6
For(b) wisdom is a spirit who loves man, and she will not hold a(c) blasphemer guiltless for his lips, because God is witness of his inmost self, and is a true overseer of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.
7
Because the spirit of the Lord has filled(d) the world, and that which holds all things together knows what is said.
8
Therefore no one who utters unrighteous things will be unseen; neither will Justice, when it convicts, pass him by.
9
For in his counsels the ungodly will be searched out, and the sound of his words will come to the Lord to bring his lawless deeds to conviction;
10
because a jealous ear listens to all things, and the noise of murmurings is not hidden.
11
Beware then of unprofitable murmuring, and keep your tongue from slander; because no secret utterance will go on its way void, and a lying mouth destroys a soul.
12
Don’t court death in the error of your life. Don’t draw destruction upon yourselves by the works of your hands;
13
because God didn’t make death, neither does he delight when the living perish.
14
For he created all things that they might have being. The generative powers of the world are wholesome, and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor has Hades(e) royal dominion upon earth;
15
for righteousness is immortal,
16
but ungodly men by their hands and their words summon death; deeming him a friend they(f) pined away. They made a covenant with him, because they are worthy to belong with him.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 Gr. in goodness.
(b)1:6 Some authorities read the spirit of wisdom is loving to man.
(c)1:6 Or, reviler
(d)1:7 Gr. the inhabited earth.
(e)1:14 Or, a royal house
(f)1:16 Or, were consumedwith love of him