Wisdom Chapter 1

An exhortation to seek God sincerely, who cannot be deceived, and desires not our death.

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 Love justice, you that are the judges of the earth. Think of the Lord in goodness, and seek him in simplicity of heart:
2 For he is found by them that tempt him not: and he showeth himself to them that have faith in him.
3 For perverse thoughts separate from God: and his power, when it is tried, reproveth the unwise:
4 For wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins.
5 For the Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful, and will withdraw himself from thoughts that are without understanding, and he shall not abide when iniquity cometh in.
6 For the spirit of wisdom is benevolent, and will not acquit the evil speaker from his lips: for God is witness of his reins, and he is a true searcher of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.
7 For the Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world: and that which containeth all things, hath knowledge of the voice.
8 Therefore he that speaketh unjust things, cannot be hid, neither shall the chastising judgment pass him by.
9 For inquisition shall be made into the thoughts of the ungodly, and the hearing of his words shall come to God, to the chastising of his iniquities.
10 For the ear of jealousy heareth all things, and the tumult of murmuring shall not be hid.
11 Keep yourselves, therefore, from murmuring, which profiteth nothing, and refrain your tongue from detraction, for an obscure speech shall not go for nought: and the mouth that belieth, killeth the soul.

12 Seek not death in the error of your life, neither procure ye destruction by the works of your hands.
13 For God made not death, neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living.
14 For he created all things that they might be: and he made the nations of the earth for health: and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor kingdom of hell upon the earth.
15 For justice is perpetual and immortal.
16 But the wicked with works and words have called it to them: and esteeming it a friend, have fallen away and have made a covenant with it: because they are worthy to be of the part thereof.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 Diligite justitiam, qui judicatis terram.
Sentite de Domino in bonitate,
et in simplicitate cordis quærite illum:
2 quoniam invenitur ab his qui non tentant illum,
apparet autem eis qui fidem habent in illum.
3 Perversæ enim cogitationes separant a Deo;
probata autem virtus corripit insipientes.
4 Quoniam in malevolam animam non introibit sapientia,
nec habitabit in corpore subdito peccatis.
5 Spiritus enim sanctus disciplinæ effugiet fictum,
et auferet se a cogitationibus quæ sunt sine intellectu,
et corripietur a superveniente iniquitate.
6 Benignus est enim spiritus sapientiæ,
et non liberabit maledicum a labiis suis:
quoniam renum illius testis est Deus,
et cordis illius scrutator est verus,
et linguæ ejus auditor.
7 Quoniam spiritus Domini replevit orbem terrarum,
et hoc quod continet omnia, scientiam habet vocis.
8 Propter hoc qui loquitur iniqua non potest latere,
nec præteriet illum corripiens judicium.
9 In cogitationibus enim impii interrogatio erit;
sermonum autem illius auditio ad Deum veniet,
ad correptionem iniquitatum illius.
10 Quoniam auris zeli audit omnia,
et tumultus murmurationum non abscondetur.
11 Custodite ergo vos a murmuratione quæ nihil prodest,
et a detractione parcite linguæ:
quoniam sermo obscurus in vacuum non ibit,
os autem quod mentitur occidit animam.

12 Nolite zelare mortem in errore vitæ vestræ,
neque acquiratis perditionem in operibus manuum vestrarum.
13 Quoniam Deus mortem non fecit,
nec lætatur in perditione vivorum.
14 Creavit enim ut essent omnia,
et sanabiles fecit nationes orbis terrarum:
et non est in illis medicamentum exterminii,
nec inferorum regnum in terra.
15 Justitia enim perpetua est, et immortalis.
16 Impii autem manibus et verbis accersierunt illam,
et æstimantes illam amicam, defluxerunt;
et sponsiones posuerunt ad illam,
quoniam digni sunt qui sint ex parte illius.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition