THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON
1
1 Love righteousness, you⌃ that be judges of the earth,
Think you⌃ of the Lord +Gr.ingoodness. with a good mind,
And in singleness of heart seek you⌃ him;
2 Because he is found of them that tempt him not,
And is manifested to them that do not distrust him.
3 For crooked thoughts separate from God;
And the supreme Power, when it is brought to the proof, +Gr.convicts. puts to confusion the foolish:
4 Because wisdom will not enter into a soul that deviseth evil,
Nor dwell in a body that is held in pledge by sin.
5 For a holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit.
And will start away from thoughts that are without understanding,
And will be +Gr.convicted. put to confusion when unrighteousness has come in.
6 For +Someauthorities readthespirit of wisdom is loving to man. wisdom is a spirit that loves man,
And she will not hold a +Or,reviler blasphemer guiltless for his lips;
Because God bears witness of his reins,
And is a true overseer of his heart,
And a hearer of his tongue:
7 Because the spirit of the Lord has filled +Gr.theinhabited earth. the world,
And that which holds all things together has knowledge of every voice.
8 Therefore no man that utters unrighteous things shall be unseen;
+Someauthorities readNorindeed. Neither shall Justice, when it convicts, pass him by.
9 For in the midst of his counsels the ungodly shall be searched out;
And the sound of his words shall come to the Lord
To bring to conviction his lawless deeds:
10 Because there is an ear of jealousy that listens to all things,
And the noise of murmurings is not hid.
11 Beware then of unprofitable murmuring,
And refrain your tongue from backbiting;
Because no secret utterance shall go on its way void,
And a mouth that belies destroys a soul.
12 Court not death in the error of your life;
Neither draw upon yourselves destruction by the works of your hands:
13 Because God made not death;
Neither delights he when the living perish:
14 For he created all things that they might have being:
And+Or,alltheracesofcreaturesinthe world the generative powers of the world are healthsome,
And there is no poison of destruction in them:
Nor has Hades +Or,aroyal house royal dominion upon earth,
15 For righteousness is immortal:
16 But ungodly men by their hands and their words called +Or,HadesGr.him. death to them:
Deeming him a friend they +Or,wereconsumedwithlove of him consumed away,
And they made a covenant with him,
Because they are worthy to be of his portion.