The Wisdom of Solomon
As found in the Greek Septuagint
GNB
Chapter 9
Wisdom 9:1 "God of my ancestors, merciful Lord, by your word you created everything.
Wisdom 9:2 By your Wisdom you made us humans to rule all creation,
Wisdom 9:3 to govern the world with holiness and righteousness, to administer justice with integrity.
Wisdom 9:4 Give me the Wisdom that sits beside your throne; give me a place among your children.
Wisdom 9:5 I am your slave, as was my mother before me. I am only human. I am not strong, and my life will be short. I have little understanding of the Law or of how to apply it.
Wisdom 9:6 Even if someone is perfect, he will be thought of as nothing without the Wisdom that comes from you.
Wisdom 9:7 You chose me over everyone else to be the king of your own people, to judge your sons and daughters.
Wisdom 9:8 You told me to build a temple on your sacred mountain, an alter in Jerusalem, the city you chose as your home. It is a copy of that temple in heaven, which you prepared at the beginning.
Wisdom 9:9 Wisdom is with you and knows your actions; she was present when you made the world. She knows what pleases you , what is right and in accordance with your commands.
Wisdom 9:10 Send her from the holy heavens, down from your glorious throne, so that she may work at my side, and I may learn what pleases you.
Wisdom 9:11 She knows and understands everything, and will guide me intelligently in what I do. Her glory will protect me.
Wisdom 9:12 Then I will judge your people fairly, and be worthy of my father's throne. My actions will be acceptable.
Wisdom 9:13 "Who can ever learn the will of God?
Wisdom 9:14 Human reason is not adequate for the task, and our philosophies tend to mislead us,
Wisdom 9:15 because our mortal bodies weigh our souls down. The body is a temporary structure made of earth, a burden to the active mind.
Wisdom 9:16 All we can do is make guesses about things on earth; we must struggle to learn about things that are close to us. Who, then, can ever hope to understand heavenly things?
Wisdom 9:17 No one has ever learned your will, unless you first gave him Wisdom, and send your holy spirit down to him.
Wisdom 9:18 In this way people on earth have been set on the right path, have learned what pleases you, and have been kept by Wisdom."