Apo

1 O God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, who hast made all things with thy word,

2 And ordained man through thy wisdom, that he should have dominion over the creatures which thou hast made,

3 And order the world according to equity and righteousness, and execute judgment with an upright heart:

4 Give me wisdom, that sitteth by thy throne; and reject me not from among thy children:

5 For I thy servant and son of thine handmaid am a feeble person, and of a short time, and too young for the understanding of judgment and laws.

6 For though a man be never so perfect among the children of men, yet if thy wisdom be not with him, he shall be nothing regarded.

7 Thou hast chosen me to be a king of thy people, and a judge of thy sons and daughters:

8 Thou hast commanded me to build a temple upon thy holy mount, and an altar in the city wherein thou dwellest, a resemblance of the holy tabernacle, which thou hast prepared from the beginning.

9 And wisdom was with thee: which knoweth thy works, and was present when thou madest the world, and knew what was acceptable in thy sight, and right in thy commandments.

10 O send her out of thy holy heavens, and from the throne of thy glory, that being present she may labour with me, that I may know what is pleasing unto thee.

11 For she knoweth and understandeth all things, and she shall lead me soberly in my doings, and preserve me in her power.

12 So shall my works be acceptable, and then shall I judge thy people righteously, and be worthy to sit in my father's seat.

13 For what man is he that can know the counsel of God? or who can think what the will of the Lord is?

14 For the thoughts of mortal men are miserable, and our devices are but uncertain.

15 For the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthy tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things.

16 And hardly do we guess aright at things that are upon earth, and with labour do we find the things that are before us: but the things that are in heaven who hath searched out?

17 And thy counsel who hath known, except thou give wisdom, and send thy Holy Spirit from above?

18 For so the ways of them which lived on the earth were reformed, and men were taught the things that are pleasing unto thee, and were saved through wisdom.

Sep

1 θεὲ πατέρων καὶ κύριε τοῦ ἐλέους ὁ ποιήσας τὰ πάντα ἐν λόγῳ σου

2 καὶ τῇ σοφίᾳ σου κατασκευάσας ἄνθρωπον ἵνα δεσπόζῃ τῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ γενομένων κτισμάτων

3 καὶ διέπῃ τὸν κόσμον ἐν ὁσιότητι καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἐν εὐθύτητι ψυχῆς κρίσιν κρίνῃ

4 δός μοι τὴν τῶν σῶν θρόνων πάρεδρον σοφίαν καὶ μή με ἀποδοκιμάσῃς ἐκ παίδων σου

5 ὅτι ἐγὼ δοῦλος σὸς καὶ υἱὸς τῆς παιδίσκης σου ἄνθρωπος ἀσθενὴς καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνιος καὶ ἐλάσσων ἐν συνέσει κρίσεως καὶ νόμων

6 κἂν γάρ τις ᾖ τέλειος ἐν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων τῆς ἀπὸ σοῦ σοφίας ἀπούσης εἰς οὐδὲν λογισθήσεται

7 σύ με προείλω βασιλέα λαοῦ σου καὶ δικαστὴν υἱῶν σου καὶ θυγατέρων

8 εἶπας οἰκοδομῆσαι ναὸν ἐν ὄρει ἁγίῳ σου καὶ ἐν πόλει κατασκηνώσεώς σου θυσιαστήριον μίμημα σκηνῆς ἁγίας ἣν προητοίμασας ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς

9 καὶ μετὰ σοῦ ἡ σοφία ἡ εἰδυῖα τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ παροῦσα ὅτε ἐποίεις τὸν κόσμον καὶ ἐπισταμένη τί ἀρεστὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ τί εὐθὲς ἐν ἐντολαῖς σου

10 ἐξαπόστειλον αὐτὴν ἐξ ἁγίων οὐρανῶν καὶ ἀπὸ θρόνου δόξης σου πέμψον αὐτήν ἵνα συμπαροῦσά μοι κοπιάσῃ καὶ γνῶ τί εὐάρεστόν ἐστιν παρὰ σοί

11 οἶδε γὰρ ἐκείνη πάντα καὶ συνίει καὶ ὁδηγήσει με ἐν ταῖς πράξεσί μου σωφρόνως καὶ φυλάξει με ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτῆς

12 καὶ ἔσται προσδεκτὰ τὰ ἔργα μου καὶ διακρινῶ τὸν λαόν σου δικαίως καὶ ἔσομαι ἄξιος θρόνων πατρός μου

13 τίς γὰρ ἄνθρωπος γνώσεται βουλὴν θεοῦ ἢ τίς ἐνθυμηθήσεται τί θέλει ὁ κύριος

14 λογισμοὶ γὰρ θνητῶν δειλοί καὶ ἐπισφαλεῖς αἱ ἐπίνοιαι ἡμῶν

15 φθαρτὸν γὰρ σῶμα βαρύνει ψυχήν καὶ βρίθει τὸ γεῶδες σκῆνος νοῦν πολυφρόντιδα

16 καὶ μόλις εἰκάζομεν τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ τὰ ἐν χερσὶν εὑρίσκομεν μετὰ πόνου τὰ δὲ ἐν οὐρανοῖς τίς ἐξιχνίασεν

17 βουλὴν δέ σου τίς ἔγνω εἰ μὴ σὺ ἔδωκας σοφίαν καὶ ἔπεμψας τὸ ἅγιόν σου πνεῦμα ἀπὸ ὑψίστων

18 καὶ οὕτως διωρθώθησαν αἱ τρίβοι τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ τὰ ἀρεστά σου ἐδιδάχθησαν ἄνθρωποι καὶ τῇ σοφίᾳ ἐσώθησαν

Vul

1 [Deus patrum meorum, et Domine misericordiæ,
qui fecisti omnia verbo tuo,

2 et sapientia tua constituisti hominem,
ut dominaretur creaturæ quæ a te facta est,

3 ut disponat orbem terrarum in æquitate et justitia,
et in directione cordis judicium judicet:

4 da mihi sedium tuarum assistricem sapientiam,
et noli me reprobare a pueris tuis:

5 quoniam servus tuus sum ego, et filius ancillæ tuæ;
homo infirmus, et exigui temporis,
et minor ad intellectum judicii et legum.

6 Nam etsi quis erit consummatus inter filios hominum,
si ab illo abfuerit sapientia tua, in nihilum computabitur.

7 Tu elegisti me regem populo tuo,
et judicem filiorum tuorum et filiarum:

8 et dixisti me ædificare templum in monte sancto tuo,
et in civitate habitationis tuæ altare:
similitudinem tabernaculi sancti tui quod præparasti ab initio.

9 Et tecum sapientia tua, quæ novit opera tua,
quæ et affuit tunc cum orbem terrarum faceres,
et sciebat quid esset placitum oculis tuis,
et quid directum in præceptis tuis.

10 Mitte illam de cælis sanctis tuis,
et a sede magnitudinis tuæ,
ut mecum sit et mecum laboret,
ut sciam quid acceptum sit apud te:

11 scit enim illa omnia, et intelligit,
et deducet me in operibus meis sobrie,
et custodiet me in sua potentia.

12 Et erunt accepta opera mea,
et disponam populum tuum juste,
et ero dignus sedium patris mei.

13 Quis enim hominum poterit scire consilium Dei?
aut quis poterit cogitare quid velit Deus?

14 Cogitationes enim mortalium timidæ,
et incertæ providentiæ nostræ;

15 corpus enim quod corrumpitur aggravat animam,
et terrena inhabitatio deprimit sensum multa cogitantem.

16 Et difficile æstimamus quæ in terra sunt,
et quæ in prospectu sunt invenimus cum labore:
quæ autem in cælis sunt, quis investigabit?

17 Sensum autem tuum, quis sciet, nisi tu dederis sapientiam,
et miseris spiritum sanctum tuum de altissimis,

18 et sic correctæ sint semitæ eorum qui sunt in terris,
et quæ tibi placent didicerint homines?

19 Nam per sapientiam sanati sunt
quicumque placuerunt tibi, Domine, a principio.]