Apo

1 Better it is to have no children, and to have virtue: for the memorial thereof is immortal: because it is known with God, and with men.

2 When it is present, men take example at it; and when it is gone, they desire it: it weareth a crown, and triumpheth for ever, having gotten the victory, striving for undefiled rewards.

3 But the multiplying brood of the ungodly shall not thrive, nor take deep rooting from bastard slips, nor lay any fast foundation.

4 For though they flourish in branches for a time; yet standing not last, they shall be shaken with the wind, and through the force of winds they shall be rooted out.

5 The imperfect branches shall be broken off, their fruit unprofitable, not ripe to eat, yea, meet for nothing.

6 For children begotten of unlawful beds are witnesses of wickedness against their parents in their trial.

7 But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest.

8 For honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years.

9 But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age.

10 He pleased God, and was beloved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated.

11 Yea speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul.

12 For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind.

13 He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time:

14 For his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked.

15 This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he hath respect unto his chosen.

16 Thus the righteous that is dead shall condemn the ungodly which are living; and youth that is soon perfected the many years and old age of the unrighteous.

17 For they shall see the end of the wise, and shall not understand what God in his counsel hath decreed of him, and to what end the Lord hath set him in safety.

18 They shall see him, and despise him; but God shall laugh them to scorn: and they shall hereafter be a vile carcase, and a reproach among the dead for evermore.

19 For he shall rend them, and cast them down headlong, that they shall be speechless; and he shall shake them from the foundation; and they shall be utterly laid waste, and be in sorrow; and their memorial shall perish.

20 And when they cast up the accounts of their sins, they shall come with fear: and their own iniquities shall convince them to their face.

Sep

1 κρείσσων ἀτεκνία μετὰ ἀρετῆς ἀθανασία γάρ ἐστιν ἐν μνήμῃ αὐτῆς ὅτι καὶ παρὰ θεῷ γινώσκεται καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις

2 παροῦσάν τε μιμοῦνται αὐτὴν καὶ ποθοῦσιν ἀπελθοῦσαν καὶ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι στεφανηφοροῦσα πομπεύει τὸν τῶν ἀμιάντων ἄθλων ἀγῶνα νικήσασα

3 πολύγονον δὲ ἀσεβῶν πλῆθος οὐ χρησιμεύσει καὶ ἐκ νόθων μοσχευμάτων οὐ δώσει ῥίζαν εἰς βάθος οὐδὲ ἀσφαλῆ βάσιν ἑδράσει

4 κἂν γὰρ ἐν κλάδοις πρὸς καιρὸν ἀναθάλῃ ἐπισφαλῶς βεβηκότα ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευθήσεται καὶ ὑπὸ βίας ἀνέμων ἐκριζωθήσεται

5 περικλασθήσονται κλῶνες ἀτέλεστοι καὶ ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῶν ἄχρηστος ἄωρος εἰς βρῶσιν καὶ εἰς οὐθὲν ἐπιτήδειος

6 ἐκ γὰρ ἀνόμων ὕπνων τέκνα γεννώμενα μάρτυρές εἰσιν πονηρίας κατὰ γονέων ἐν ἐξετασμῷ αὐτῶν

7 δίκαιος δὲ ἐὰν φθάσῃ τελευτῆσαι ἐν ἀναπαύσει ἔσται

8 γῆρας γὰρ τίμιον οὐ τὸ πολυχρόνιον οὐδὲ ἀριθμῷ ἐτῶν μεμέτρηται

9 πολιὰ δέ ἐστιν φρόνησις ἀνθρώποις καὶ ἡλικία γήρως βίος ἀκηλίδωτος

10 εὐάρεστος θεῷ γενόμενος ἠγαπήθη καὶ ζῶν μεταξὺ ἁμαρτωλῶν μετετέθη

11 ἡρπάγη μὴ κακία ἀλλάξῃ σύνεσιν αὐτοῦ ἢ δόλος ἀπατήσῃ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ

12 βασκανία γὰρ φαυλότητος ἀμαυροῖ τὰ καλά καὶ ῥεμβασμὸς ἐπιθυμίας μεταλλεύει νοῦν ἄκακον

13 τελειωθεὶς ἐν ὀλίγῳ ἐπλήρωσεν χρόνους μακρούς

14 ἀρεστὴ γὰρ ἦν κυρίῳ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦτο ἔσπευσεν ἐκ μέσου πονηρίας οἱ δὲ λαοὶ ἰδόντες καὶ μὴ νοήσαντες μηδὲ θέντες ἐπὶ διανοίᾳ τὸ τοιοῦτο

15 ὅτι χάρις καὶ ἔλεος ἐν τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπισκοπὴ ἐν τοῖς ὁσίοις αὐτοῦ

16 κατακρινεῖ δὲ δίκαιος καμὼν τοὺς ζῶντας ἀσεβεῖς καὶ νεότης τελεσθεῖσα ταχέως πολυετὲς γῆρας ἀδίκου

17 ὄψονται γὰρ τελευτὴν σοφοῦ καὶ οὐ νοήσουσιν τί ἐβουλεύσατο περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς τί ἠσφαλίσατο αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος

18 ὄψονται καὶ ἐξουθενήσουσιν αὐτοὺς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἐκγελάσεται

19 καὶ ἔσονται μετὰ τοῦτο εἰς πτῶμα ἄτιμον καὶ εἰς ὕβριν ἐν νεκροῖς δι᾽ αἰῶνος ὅτι ῥήξει αὐτοὺς ἀφώνους πρηνεῖς καὶ σαλεύσει αὐτοὺς ἐκ θεμελίων καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου χερσωθήσονται καὶ ἔσονται ἐν ὀδύνῃ καὶ ἡ μνήμη αὐτῶν ἀπολεῖται

20 ἐλεύσονται ἐν συλλογισμῷ ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῶν δειλοί καὶ ἐλέγξει αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἐναντίας τὰ ἀνομήματα αὐτῶν

Vul

1 [O quam pulchra est casta generatio, cum claritate!
immortalis est enim memoria illius,
quoniam et apud Deum nota est, et apud homines.

2 Cum præsens est, imitantur illam,
et desiderant eam cum se eduxerit;
et in perpetuum coronata triumphat,
incoinquinatorum certaminum præmium vincens.

3 Multigena autem impiorum multitudo non erit utilis,
et spuria vitulamina non dabunt radices altas,
nec stabile firmamentum collocabunt.

4 Etsi in ramis in tempore germinaverint,
infirmiter posita, a vento commovebuntur,
et a nimietate ventorum eradicabuntur.

5 Confringentur enim rami inconsummati;
et fructus illorum inutiles et acerbi ad manducandum,
et ad nihilum apti.

6 Ex iniquis enim somnis filii qui nascuntur,
testes sunt nequitiæ adversus parentes in interrogatione sua.

7 Justus autem si morte præoccupatus fuerit,
in refrigerio erit;

8 senectus enim venerabilis est non diuturna,
neque annorum numero computata:
cani autem sunt sensus hominis,

9 et ætas senectutis vita immaculata.

10 Placens Deo factus est dilectus,
et vivens inter peccatores translatus est.

11 Raptus est, ne malitia mutaret intellectum ejus,
aut ne fictio deciperet animam illius.

12 Fascinatio enim nugacitatis obscurat bona,
et inconstantia concupiscentiæ transvertit sensum sine malitia.

13 Consummatus in brevi,
explevit tempora multa;

14 placita enim erat Deo anima illius:
propter hoc properavit educere illum de medio iniquitatum.
Populi autem videntes, et non intelligentes,
nec ponentes in præcordiis talia,

15 quoniam gratia Dei et misericordia est in sanctos ejus,
et respectus in electos illius.

16 Condemnat autem justus mortuus vivos impios,
et juventus celerius consummata longam vitam injusti.

17 Videbunt enim finem sapientis,
et non intelligent quid cogitaverit de illo Deus,
et quare munierit illum Dominus.

18 Videbunt, et contemnent eum;
illos autem Dominus irridebit.

19 Et erunt post hæc decidentes sine honore,
et in contumelia inter mortuos in perpetuum:
quoniam disrumpet illos inflatos sine voce,
et commovebit illos a fundamentis,
et usque ad supremum desolabuntur,
et erunt gementes, et memoria illorum peribit.

20 Venient in cogitatione peccatorum suorum timidi,
et traducent illos ex adverso iniquitates ipsorum.]