Apo

1 I myself also am a mortal man, like to all, and the offspring of him that was first made of the earth,

2 And in my mother's womb was fashioned to be flesh in the time of ten months, being compacted in blood, of the seed of man, and the pleasure that came with sleep.

3 And when I was born, I drew in the common air, and fell upon the earth, which is of like nature, and the first voice which I uttered was crying, as all others do.

4 I was nursed in swaddling clothes, and that with cares.

5 For there is no king that had any other beginning of birth.

6 For all men have one entrance into life, and the like going out.

7 Wherefore I prayed, and understanding was given me: I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.

8 I preferred her before sceptres and thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her.

9 Neither compared I unto her any precious stone, because all gold in respect of her is as a little sand, and silver shall be counted as clay before her.

10 I loved her above health and beauty, and chose to have her instead of light: for the light that cometh from her never goeth out.

11 All good things together came to me with her, and innumerable riches in her hands.

12 And I rejoiced in them all, because wisdom goeth before them: and I knew not that she was the mother of them.

13 I learned diligently, and do communicate her liberally: I do not hide her riches.

14 For she is a treasure unto men that never faileth: which they that use become the friends of God, being commended for the gifts that come from learning.

15 God hath granted me to speak as I would, and to conceive as is meet for the things that are given me: because it is he that leadeth unto wisdom, and directeth the wise.

16 For in his hand are both we and our words; all wisdom also, and knowledge of workmanship.

17 For he hath given me certain knowledge of the things that are, namely, to know how the world was made, and the operation of the elements:

18 The beginning, ending, and midst of the times: the alterations of the turning of the sun, and the change of seasons:

19 The circuits of years, and the positions of stars:

20 The natures of living creatures, and the furies of wild beasts: the violence of winds, and the reasonings of men: the diversities of plants and the virtues of roots:

21 And all such things as are either secret or manifest, them I know.

22 For wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me: for in her is an understanding spirit holy, one only, manifold, subtil, lively, clear, undefiled, plain, not subject to hurt, loving the thing that is good quick, which cannot be letted, ready to do good,

23 Kind to man, steadfast, sure, free from care, having all power, overseeing all things, and going through all understanding, pure, and most subtil, spirits.

24 For wisdom is more moving than any motion: she passeth and goeth through all things by reason of her pureness.

25 For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: therefore can no defiled thing fall into her.

26 For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness.

27 And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new: and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of God, and prophets.

28 For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom.

29 For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it.

30 For after this cometh night: but vice shall not prevail against wisdom.

Sep

1 εἰμὶ μὲν κἀγὼ θνητὸς ἄνθρωπος ἴσος ἅπασιν καὶ γηγενοῦς ἀπόγονος πρωτοπλάστου καὶ ἐν κοιλίᾳ μητρὸς ἐγλύφην σὰρξ

2 δεκαμηνιαίῳ χρόνῳ παγεὶς ἐν αἵματι ἐκ σπέρματος ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἡδονῆς ὕπνῳ συνελθούσης

3 καὶ ἐγὼ δὲ γενόμενος ἔσπασα τὸν κοινὸν ἀέρα καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ὁμοιοπαθῆ κατέπεσον γῆν πρώτην φωνὴν τὴν ὁμοίαν πᾶσιν ἴσα κλαίων

4 ἐν σπαργάνοις ἀνετράφην καὶ φροντίσιν

5 οὐδεὶς γὰρ βασιλέων ἑτέραν ἔσχεν γενέσεως ἀρχήν

6 μία δὲ πάντων εἴσοδος εἰς τὸν βίον ἔξοδός τε ἴση

7 διὰ τοῦτο εὐξάμην καὶ φρόνησις ἐδόθη μοι ἐπεκαλεσάμην καὶ ἦλθέν μοι πνεῦμα σοφίας

8 προέκρινα αὐτὴν σκήπτρων καὶ θρόνων καὶ πλοῦτον οὐδὲν ἡγησάμην ἐν συγκρίσει αὐτῆς

9 οὐδὲ ὡμοίωσα αὐτῇ λίθον ἀτίμητον ὅτι ὁ πᾶς χρυσὸς ἐν ὄψει αὐτῆς ψάμμος ὀλίγη καὶ ὡς πηλὸς λογισθήσεται ἄργυρος ἐναντίον αὐτῆς

10 ὑπὲρ ὑγίειαν καὶ εὐμορφίαν ἠγάπησα αὐτὴν καὶ προειλόμην αὐτὴν ἀντὶ φωτὸς ἔχειν ὅτι ἀκοίμητον τὸ ἐκ ταύτης φέγγος

11 ἦλθεν δέ μοι τὰ ἀγαθὰ ὁμοῦ πάντα μετ᾽ αὐτῆς καὶ ἀναρίθμητος πλοῦτος ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῆς

12 εὐφράνθην δὲ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ὅτι αὐτῶν ἡγεῖται σοφία ἠγνόουν δὲ αὐτὴν γενέτιν εἶναι τούτων

13 ἀδόλως τε ἔμαθον ἀφθόνως τε μεταδίδωμι τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτῆς οὐκ ἀποκρύπτομαι

14 ἀνεκλιπὴς γὰρ θησαυρός ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις ὃν οἱ κτησάμενοι πρὸς θεὸν ἐστείλαντο φιλίαν διὰ τὰς ἐκ παιδείας δωρεὰς συσταθέντες

15 ἐμοὶ δὲ δῴη ὁ θεὸς εἰπεῖν κατὰ γνώμην καὶ ἐνθυμηθῆναι ἀξίως τῶν δεδομένων ὅτι αὐτὸς καὶ τῆς σοφίας ὁδηγός ἐστιν καὶ τῶν σοφῶν διορθωτής

16 ἐν γὰρ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ λόγοι ἡμῶν πᾶσά τε φρόνησις καὶ ἐργατειῶν ἐπιστήμη

17 αὐτὸς γάρ μοι ἔδωκεν τῶν ὄντων γνῶσιν ἀψευδῆ εἰδέναι σύστασιν κόσμου καὶ ἐνέργειαν στοιχείων

18 ἀρχὴν καὶ τέλος καὶ μεσότητα χρόνων τροπῶν ἀλλαγὰς καὶ μεταβολὰς καιρῶν

19 ἐνιαυτοῦ κύκλους καὶ ἄστρων θέσεις

20 φύσεις ζῴων καὶ θυμοὺς θηρίων πνευμάτων βίας καὶ διαλογισμοὺς ἀνθρώπων διαφορὰς φυτῶν καὶ δυνάμεις ῥιζῶν

21 ὅσα τέ ἐστιν κρυπτὰ καὶ ἐμφανῆ ἔγνων ἡ γὰρ πάντων τεχνῖτις ἐδίδαξέν με σοφία

22 ἔστιν γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ πνεῦμα νοερόν ἅγιον μονογενές πολυμερές λεπτόν εὐκίνητον τρανόν ἀμόλυντον σαφές ἀπήμαντον φιλάγαθον ὀξύ

23 ἀκώλυτον εὐεργετικόν φιλάνθρωπον βέβαιον ἀσφαλές ἀμέριμνον παντοδύναμον πανεπίσκοπον καὶ διὰ πάντων χωροῦν πνευμάτων νοερῶν καθαρῶν λεπτοτάτων

24 πάσης γὰρ κινήσεως κινητικώτερον σοφία διήκει δὲ καὶ χωρεῖ διὰ πάντων διὰ τὴν καθαρότητα

25 ἀτμὶς γάρ ἐστιν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεως καὶ ἀπόρροια τῆς τοῦ παντοκράτορος δόξης εἰλικρινής διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲν μεμιαμμένον εἰς αὐτὴν παρεμπίπτει

26 ἀπαύγασμα γάρ ἐστιν φωτὸς ἀϊδίου καὶ ἔσοπτρον ἀκηλίδωτον τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνεργείας καὶ εἰκὼν τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ

27 μία δὲ οὖσα πάντα δύναται καὶ μένουσα ἐν αὑτῇ τὰ πάντα καινίζει καὶ κατὰ γενεὰς εἰς ψυχὰς ὁσίας μεταβαίνουσα φίλους θεοῦ καὶ προφήτας κατασκευάζει

28 οὐθὲν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ ὁ θεὸς εἰ μὴ τὸν σοφίᾳ συνοικοῦντα

29 ἔστιν γὰρ αὕτη εὐπρεπεστέρα ἡλίου καὶ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ἄστρων θέσιν φωτὶ συγκρινομένη εὑρίσκεται προτέρα

30 τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ διαδέχεται νύξ σοφίας δὲ οὐ κατισχύει κακία

Vul

1 [Sum quidem et ego mortalis homo, similis omnibus,
et ex genere terreni illius qui prior factus est:
et in ventre matris figuratus sum caro;

2 decem mensium tempore coagulatus sum in sanguine:
ex semine hominis, et delectamento somni conveniente.

3 Et ego natus accepi communem aërem,
et in similiter factam decidi terram,
et primam vocem similem omnibus emisi plorans.

4 In involumentis nutritus sum, et curis magnis:

5 nemo enim ex regibus aliud habuit nativitatis initium.

6 Unus ergo introitus est omnibus ad vitam,
et similis exitus.

7 Propter hoc optavi, et datus est mihi sensus;
et invocavi, et venit in me spiritus sapientiæ:

8 et præposui illam regnis et sedibus,
et divitias nihil esse duxi in comparatione illius.

9 Nec comparavi illi lapidem pretiosum,
quoniam omne aurum in comparatione illius arena est exigua,
et tamquam lutum æstimabitur argentum in conspectu illius.

10 Super salutem et speciem dilexi illam,
et proposui pro luce habere illam,
quoniam inextinguibile est lumen illius.

11 Venerunt autem mihi omnia bona pariter cum illa,
et innumerabilis honestas per manus illius;

12 et lætatus sum in omnibus,
quoniam antecedebat me ista sapientia,
et ignorabam quoniam horum omnium mater est.

13 Quam sine fictione didici,
et sine invidia communico,
et honestatem illius non abscondo.

14 Infinitus enim thesaurus est hominibus;
quo qui usi sunt, participes facti sunt amicitiæ Dei,
propter disciplinæ dona commendati.

15 Mihi autem dedit Deus dicere ex sententia,
et præsumere digna horum quæ mihi dantur:
quoniam ipse sapientiæ dux est,
et sapientium emendator.

16 In manu enim illius et nos et sermones nostri,
et omnis sapientia, et operum scientia, et disciplina.

17 Ipse enim dedit mihi horum quæ sunt scientiam veram,
ut sciam dispositionem orbis terrarum, et virtutes elementorum,

18 initium, et consummationem, et medietatem temporum,
vicissitudinum permutationes, et commutationes temporum,

19 anni cursus, et stellarum dispositiones,

20 naturas animalium, et iras bestiarum,
vim ventorum, et cogitationes hominum,
differentias virgultorum, et virtutes radicum.

21 Et quæcumque sunt absconsa et improvisa didici:
omnium enim artifex docuit me sapientia.]

22 [Est enim in illa spiritus intelligentiæ,
sanctus, unicus, multiplex, subtilis,
disertus, mobilis, incoinquinatus, certus,
suavis, amans bonum, acutus,
quem nihil vetat, benefaciens,

23 humanus, benignus, stabilis, certus, securus,
omnem habens virtutem, omnia prospiciens,
et qui capiat omnes spiritus,
intelligibilis, mundus, subtilis.

24 Omnibus enim mobilibus mobilior est sapientia:
attingit autem ubique propter suam munditiam.

25 Vapor est enim virtutis Dei,
et emanatio quædam est claritatis omnipotentis Dei sincera,
et ideo nihil inquinatum in eam incurrit:

26 candor est enim lucis æternæ,
et speculum sine macula Dei majestatis,
et imago bonitatis illius.

27 Et cum sit una, omnia potest;
et in se permanens omnia innovat:
et per nationes in animas sanctas se transfert;
amicos Dei et prophetas constituit.

28 Neminem enim diligit Deus,
nisi eum qui cum sapientia inhabitat.

29 Est enim hæc speciosior sole,
et super omnem dispositionem stellarum:
luci comparata, invenitur prior.

30 Illi enim succedit nox;
sapientiam autem non vincit malitia.]