1
Διατείνει δὲ ἀπὸ πέρατος εἰς πέρας εὐρώστως, καὶ διοικεῖ τὰ πάντα χρηστῶς.
[Wisdom] reacheth from one end to another mightily; And sweetly doth she order all things.
2
Ταύτην ἐφίλησα καὶ ἐξεζήτησα ἐκ νεότητός μου, καὶ ἐζήτησα νύμφην ἀγαγέσθαι ἐμαυτῷ, καὶ ἐραστὴς ἐγενόμην τοῦ κάλλους αὐτῆς.
I loved her, and sought [her] out from my youth, I desired to make [her] my spouse, And I was a lover of her beauty.
3
Εὐγένειαν δοξάζει συμβίωσιν Θεοῦ ἔχουσα, καὶ ὁ πάντων δεσπότης ἠγάπησεν αὐτήν.
In that she is conversant with God, she magnifieth her nobility: Yea, the Lord of all things himself loved her.
4
Μύστις γάρ ἐστι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπιστήμης, καὶ αἱρετὶς τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ.
For she is privy to the mysteries of the knowledge of God, And a lover of his works.
5
Εἰ δὲ πλοῦτός ἐστιν ἐπιθυμητὸν κτῆμα ἐν βίῳ, τί σοφίας πλουσιώτερον τῆς τὰ πάντα ἐργαζομένης;
If riches be a possession to be desired in this life; What is richer than wisdom, that worketh all things?
6
Εἰ δὲ φρόνησις ἐργάζεται, τίς αὐτῆς τῶν ὄντων μᾶλλόν ἐστι τεχνίτης;
And if prudence work; Who of all that are is a more cunning workman than she?
7
Καὶ εἰ δικαιοσύνην ἀγαπᾷ τις, οἱ πόνοι ταύτης εἰσὶν ἀρεταί· σωφροσύνην γὰρ καὶ φρόνησιν ἐκδιδάσκει, δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀνδρίαν, ὧν χρησιμώτερον οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐν βίῳ ἀνθρώποις.
And if a man love righteousness, Her labors are virtues: For she teacheth temperance and prudence, Justice and fortitude: Which are such things, as men can have nothing more profitable in their life.
8
Εἰ δὲ καὶ πολυπειρίαν ποθεῖ τις, οἶδε τὰ ἀρχαῖα καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα εἰκάζειν, ἐπίσταται στροφὰς λόγων καὶ λύσεις αἰνιγμάτων, σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα προγινώσκει, καὶ ἐκβάσεις καιρῶν καὶ χρόνων.
If a man desire much experience, She knoweth things of old, and conjectureth [aright] what is to come: She knoweth the subtleties of speeches, and can expound dark sentences: She foreseeth signs and wonders, And the events of seasons and times.
9
Ἔκρινα τοίνυν ταύτην ἀγαγέσθαι πρὸς συμβίωσιν, εἰδὼς ὅτι ἔσται μοι σύμβουλος ἀγαθῶν, καὶ παραίνεσις φροντίδων καὶ λύπης.
Therefore I purposed to take her to me to live with me, Knowing that she would be a counselor of good things, And a comfort in cares and grief.
10
Ἕξω διʼ αὐτὴν δόξαν ἐν ὄχλοις, καὶ τιμὴν παρὰ πρεσβυτέροις ὁ νέος.
For her sake I shall have estimation among the multitude, And honor with the elders, though I be young.
11
Ὀξὺς εὑρεθήσομαι ἐν κρίσει, καὶ ἐν ὄψει δυναστῶν θαυμασθήσομαι.
I shall be found of a quick conceit in judgment, And shall be admired in the sight of great men.
12
Σιγῶντά με περιμενοῦσι, καὶ φθεγγομένῳ προσέξουσι, καὶ λαλοῦντος ἐπιπλεῖον, χεῖρα ἐπιθήσουσιν ἐπὶ στόμα αὐτῶν.
When I hold my tongue, they shall bide my leisure, And when I speak, they shall give good ear unto me: If I talk much, they shall lay their hands upon their mouth.
13
Ἕξω διʼ αὐτὴν ἀθανασίαν, καὶ μνήμην αἰώνιον τοῖς μετ ἐμὲ ἀπολείψω.
Moreover by the means of her I shall obtain immortality, And leave behind me an everlasting memorial to them that come after me.
14
Διοικήσω λαοὺς, καὶ ἔθνη ὑποταγήσεταί μοι.
I shall set the people in order, And the nations shall be subject unto me.
15
Φοβηθήσονταί με ἀκούσαντες τύραννοι φρικτοὶ, ἐν πλήθει φανοῦμαι ἀγαθὸς, καὶ ἐν πολέμῳ ἀνδρεῖος.
Horrible tyrants shall be afraid when they do but hear of me; I shall be found good among the multitude, and valiant in war.
16
Εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου προσαναπαύσομαι αὐτῇ· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει πικρίαν ἡ συναναστροφὴ αὐτῆς, οὐδὲ ὀδύνην ἡ συμβίωσις αὐτῆς, ἀλλὰ εὐφροσύνην καὶ χαράν.
After I am come into my house, I will repose myself with her: For her conversation hath no bitterness: And to live with her hath no sorrow, But mirth and joy.
17
Ταῦτα λογισάμενος ἐν ἐμαυτῷ, καὶ φροντίσας ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀθανασία ἐν συγγενείᾳ σοφίας,
Now when I considered these things in myself, And pondered them in my heart, How that to be allied unto wisdom is immortality;
18
καὶ ἐν φιλίᾳ αὐτῆς τέρψις ἀγαθὴ, καὶ ἐν πόνοις χειρῶν αὐτῆς πλοῦτος ἀνεκλιπὴς, καὶ ἐν συγγυμνασίᾳ ὁμιλίας αὐτῆς φρόνησις, καὶ εὔκλεια ἐν κοινωνίᾳ λόγων αὐτῆς, περιῄειν ζητῶν ὅπως λάβω αὐτὴν εἰς ἐμαυτόν.
And great pleasure it is to have her friendship; And in the works of her hands are infinite riches; And in the exercise of conference with her, prudence; And in talking with her, a good report; I went about seeking how to take her to me.
19
Παῖς δὲ ἤμην εὐφυὴς, ψυχῆς τε ἔλαχον ἀγαθῆς,
For I was a witty child, And had a good spirit.
20
μᾶλλον δὲ ἀγαθὸς ὢν ἦλθον εἰς σῶμα ἀμίαντον.
Yea rather, being good, I came into a body undefiled.
21
Γνοὺς δὲ ὅτι οὐκ ἄλλως ἔσομαι ἐγκρατὴς, ἐὰν μὴ ὁ Θεὸς δῷ, καὶ τοῦτο δʼ ἦν φρονήσεως τὸ εἰδέναι τίνος ἡ χάρις, ἐνέτυχον τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἐδεήθην αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπον ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας μου,
Nevertheless, when I perceived that I could not otherwise obtain her, except God gave her me; And that was a point of wisdom also to know whose gift she was; I prayed unto the Lord, and besought him, And with my whole heart I said,