Apo

1 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.

2 In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery,

3 And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.

4 For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.

5 And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself.

6 As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering.

7 And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble.

8 They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.

9 They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.

10 But the ungodly shall be punished according to their own imaginations, which have neglected the righteous, and forsaken the Lord.

11 For whoso despiseth wisdom and nurture, he is miserable, and their hope is vain, their labours unfruitful, and their works unprofitable:

12 Their wives are foolish, and their children wicked:

13 Their offspring is cursed. Wherefore blessed is the barren that is undefiled, which hath not known the sinful bed: she shall have fruit in the visitation of souls.

14 And blessed is the eunuch, which with his hands hath wrought no iniquity, nor imagined wicked things against God: for unto him shall be given the special gift of faith, and an inheritance in the temple of the Lord more acceptable to his mind.

15 For glorious is the fruit of good labours: and the root of wisdom shall never fall away.

16 As for the children of adulterers, they shall not come to their perfection, and the seed of an unrighteous bed shall be rooted out.

17 For though they live long, yet shall they be nothing regarded: and their last age shall be without honour.

18 Or, if they die quickly, they have no hope, neither comfort in the day of trial.

19 For horrible is the end of the unrighteous generation.

Sep

1 δικαίων δὲ ψυχαὶ ἐν χειρὶ θεοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἅψηται αὐτῶν βάσανος

2 ἔδοξαν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀφρόνων τεθνάναι καὶ ἐλογίσθη κάκωσις ἡ ἔξοδος αὐτῶν

3 καὶ ἡ ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν πορεία σύντριμμα οἱ δέ εἰσιν ἐν εἰρήνῃ

4 καὶ γὰρ ἐν ὄψει ἀνθρώπων ἐὰν κολασθῶσιν ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν ἀθανασίας πλήρης

5 καὶ ὀλίγα παιδευθέντες μεγάλα εὐεργετηθήσονται ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἐπείρασεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εὗρεν αὐτοὺς ἀξίους ἑαυτοῦ

6 ὡς χρυσὸν ἐν χωνευτηρίῳ ἐδοκίμασεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ὡς ὁλοκάρπωμα θυσίας προσεδέξατο αὐτούς

7 καὶ ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτῶν ἀναλάμψουσιν καὶ ὡς σπινθῆρες ἐν καλάμῃ διαδραμοῦνται

8 κρινοῦσιν ἔθνη καὶ κρατήσουσιν λαῶν καὶ βασιλεύσει αὐτῶν κύριος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας

9 οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ συνήσουσιν ἀλήθειαν καὶ οἱ πιστοὶ ἐν ἀγάπῃ προσμενοῦσιν αὐτῷ ὅτι χάρις καὶ ἔλεος τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς αὐτοῦ

10 οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς καθὰ ἐλογίσαντο ἕξουσιν ἐπιτιμίαν οἱ ἀμελήσαντες τοῦ δικαίου καὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἀποστάντες

11 σοφίαν γὰρ καὶ παιδείαν ὁ ἐξουθενῶν ταλαίπωρος καὶ κενὴ ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ κόποι ἀνόνητοι καὶ ἄχρηστα τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν

12 αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν ἄφρονες καὶ πονηρὰ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἐπικατάρατος ἡ γένεσις αὐτῶν

13 ὅτι μακαρία στεῖρα ἡ ἀμίαντος ἥτις οὐκ ἔγνω κοίτην ἐν παραπτώματι ἕξει καρπὸν ἐν ἐπισκοπῇ ψυχῶν

14 καὶ εὐνοῦχος ὁ μὴ ἐργασάμενος ἐν χειρὶ ἀνόμημα μηδὲ ἐνθυμηθεὶς κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου πονηρά δοθήσεται γὰρ αὐτῷ τῆς πίστεως χάρις ἐκλεκτὴ καὶ κλῆρος ἐν ναῷ κυρίου θυμηρέστερος

15 ἀγαθῶν γὰρ πόνων καρπὸς εὐκλεής καὶ ἀδιάπτωτος ἡ ῥίζα τῆς φρονήσεως

16 τέκνα δὲ μοιχῶν ἀτέλεστα ἔσται καὶ ἐκ παρανόμου κοίτης σπέρμα ἀφανισθήσεται

17 ἐάν τε γὰρ μακρόβιοι γένωνται εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθήσονται καὶ ἄτιμον ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτων τὸ γῆρας αὐτῶν

18 ἐάν τε ὀξέως τελευτήσωσιν οὐχ ἕξουσιν ἐλπίδα οὐδὲ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ διαγνώσεως παραμύθιον

19 γενεᾶς γὰρ ἀδίκου χαλεπὰ τὰ τέλη

Vul

1 [Justorum autem animæ in manu Dei sunt,
et non tangent illos tormentum mortis.

2 Visi sunt oculis insipientium mori,
et æstimata est afflictio exitus illorum,

3 et quod a nobis est iter exterminium;
illi autem sunt in pace:

4 etsi coram hominibus tormenta passi sunt,
spes illorum immortalitate plena est.

5 In paucis vexati sunt, in multis bene disponentur,
quoniam Deus tentavit eos,
et invenit illos dignos se.

6 Tamquam aurum in fornace probavit illos,
et quasi holocausti hostiam accepit illos,
et in tempore erit respectus illorum.

7 Fulgebunt justi
et tamquam scintillæ in arundineto discurrent.

8 Judicabunt nationes, et dominabuntur populis,
et regnabit Dominus illorum in perpetuum.

9 Qui confidunt in illo intelligent veritatem,
et fideles in dilectione acquiescent illi,
quoniam donum et pax est electis ejus.

10 Impii autem secundum quæ cogitaverunt
correptionem habebunt:
qui neglexerunt justum,
et a Domino recesserunt.

11 Sapientiam enim et disciplinam qui abjicit infelix est:
et vacua est spes illorum,
et labores sine fructu,
et inutilia opera eorum.

12 Mulieres eorum insensatæ sunt,
et nequissimi filii eorum.

13 Maledicta creatura eorum, quoniam felix est sterilis;
et incoinquinata, quæ nescivit thorum in delicto,
habebit fructum in respectione animarum sanctarum;

14 et spado qui non operatus est per manus suas iniquitatem,
nec cogitavit adversus Deum nequissima:
dabitur enim illi fidei donum electum,
et sors in templo Dei acceptissima.

15 Bonorum enim laborum gloriosus est fructus,
et quæ non concidat radix sapientiæ.

16 Filii autem adulterorum in inconsummatione erunt,
et ab iniquo thoro semen exterminabitur.

17 Et si quidem longæ vitæ erunt, in nihilum computabuntur,
et sine honore erit novissima senectus illorum:

18 et si celerius defuncti fuerint, non habebunt spem,
nec in die agnitionis allocutionem.

19 Nationis enim iniquæ diræ sunt consummationes.]