having God gracious and as an overseer; for he who is enslaved by sin could not escape. And having sought for their prudence among all women, I found it in none. And one might know a prudent man among a thousand, but not a woman. And I understood this especially, that men, having been made simple in their souls by God, draw to themselves various reasonings and endless questionings, and pretending to seek wisdom, they are worn out with trifles.

CHAPTER 8. 1 But wisdom, being examined in a man, also appears through his face

enlightening the one who possesses it; just as shamelessness, indeed, immediately proves that one in whom it has dwelt worthy of hatred when seen. But one must pay careful attention to the king's words, and avoid an oath in every way, especially one made in the name of God. Nevertheless, it is proper to resist an evil word; but to guard against all blasphemy against the Lord. For indeed it will not be possible to blame him for bringing something upon you, nor to speak against the decrees of the only potentate and king. But it is better, and more profitable, to abide in the sacred commandments, to stand apart from evil words. For a wise man knows and foresees the judgment in its time, that it will be just. For all the deeds in the life of men await the punishment from above; except the wicked man, it seems, does not quite know that, though much providence is over him, nothing whatever will be hidden in the future. For he does not know the things to come; for no one will be able to announce any of them worthily; because no one will be so strong as to be able to hinder the angel who takes away his soul, nor could any method at all be found to somehow set aside the time of death; but just as one caught in the midst of war, it is possible to see inescapable things from every side, and all impiety of man is destroyed along with him. And I am astonished, whenever I look at what sort of and how many things men have contrived for the harm of their neighbors. But I know that the impious are snatched away from here and are made to disappear, because they have given themselves to vanity. For since the providence of God does not pursue all things swiftly because of his great long-suffering, nor does it punish immediately for transgressions, for this reason the wicked man thinks he ought to sin more, as if he will depart unpunished; not understanding that even after a very long time, having done wrong, he will not be forgotten; yet the greatest good is to fear God; from which an impious man having fallen, will not for a long time make use of his folly. But a very bad and false opinion often spreads among men, concerning both the just and the unjust. For they suppose the opposite concerning each; and a certain man being just, did not seem so; and again an impious man, was considered prudent. I for my part consider this error to be among the most difficult. And I once thought the greatest of goods to be food and drink; and that man most beloved of God, who might enjoy these things throughout his life, as much as possible; and I considered such cheerfulness the only consolation of life; and so I paid attention to nothing else but this opinion, so as neither by night nor by day to keep myself from all the things that have been invented for human luxury. And I knew this much, that one wallowing in those things will in no way be able, not even by toiling much, to find the truly good.

CHAPTER 9. 1 For I thought that all men were then deemed worthy of the same things; and if anyone

wise, took care of justice, but turned away from injustice, and fled from enmity, being skillful toward all, which is pleasing to God, this man seemed to labor in vain. But the end

τὸν Θεὸν ἵλεω καὶ ἐπόπτην ἐσχηκώς· ὡς ὅ γε ἁμαρτίᾳ δεδουλωμένος οὐκ ἂν ἐκφύγοι. Ζητήσας δ' ἐγὼ διὰ πασῶν γυναικῶν σωφροσύνην αὐτῶν, εὗ ρον ἐν οὐδεμιᾷ. Καὶ ἄνδρα μέν τις ἐν χιλίοις γνοίη ἂν σώφρονα, γυναῖκα δὲ οὔ. Κατενόησα δὲ ἐκεῖνο μάλιστα, ὅτι ἄνθρωποι ὑπὸ Θεοῦ ἁπλοῖ ταῖς ψυχαῖς γενόμενοι, ἑαυτοῖς ἐπισπῶνται λογισμοὺς ποικί λους καὶ ζητήσεις ἀπεράντους, καὶ σοφίαν ζητεῖν προσποιούμενοι, περὶ ῥημάτια κατατρίβονται.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ηʹ. 1 Σοφία δὲ ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ἐξεταζομένη, καὶ διὰ προσ ώπου φαίνεται

φωτίζουσα τὸν κεκτημένον· ὤσπερ οὖν ἀναίδεια, μίσους εὐθὺς ὀφθέντα ἄξιον ἐκεῖνον ἐλέγχει, ᾧπερ ἐνῴκησε. Πάνυ δὲ χρὴ ἐπιμελῶς τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως προσέχειν λόγοις, ὅρκον δὲ ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου φεύγειν, μάλιστα τὸν εἰς Θεοῦ ὄνομα γινό μενον. Ἐφίστασθαι δὲ ὅμως προσήκει λόγῳ πονηρῷ· ἀλλὰ φυλάσσεσθαι ἅπασαν τὴν εἰς τὸν ∆εσπότην βλασφημίαν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἐπάγοντός τι μέμφεσθαι ὑπάρξει, οὐδὲ ἀντιλέγειν τοῖς τοῦ μόνου δυνάστου καὶ βασιλέως δόγμασι. Βέλτιον δὲ, καὶ λυσιτελέστε ρον ἐμμένοντα ταῖς ἱεραῖς ἐντολαῖς, λόγων τῶν πο νηρῶν ἐκτὸς καθεστάναι. Σοφὸς γὰρ ἀνὴρ ἐπίσταται καὶ προγινώσκει τὴν εἰς καιρὸν κρίσιν, ὅτι δικαία ἔσται. Πάντα γὰρ τὰ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πράγματα περιμένει τὴν ἄνωθεν κόλασιν· πλὴν ὅ γε πονηρὸς, οὐ λίαν γινώσκειν ἔοικεν, ὅτι πολλῆς ἐπ' αὐτῷ οὔσης προνοίας, οὐδὲν ὁτιοῦν εἰς τὸ μετέ πειτα λήσεται. Οὐ γὰρ οἶδε τὰ ἐπιόντα· οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν κατ' ἀξίαν τις ἀναγγεῖλαι δυνήσεται· ὅτι οὐχ οὕτως τις ἰσχυρὸς ὑπάρξει, ὡς τὸν ἀφαιρούμενον τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἄγγελον κωλῦσαι δύνασθαι, οὐδέ τις ὅλως μέθοδος εὑρεθείη ἂν τοῦ παραγράφασθαί πως τὸν καιρὸν τῆς τελευτῆς· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐν πολέμῳ μέσῳ ληφθέντα, ἄφυκτα πανταχόθεν ἔστιν ὁρᾷν, ἀσέβεια δὲ πᾶσα ἀνθρώπου συνεξόλλυται. Καὶ ἐκπέπληγμαι δὲ, ὁπότ' ἂν ἀπίδω οἷα καὶ ὅσα εἰς βλάβην τῶν πέ λας ἄνθρωποι ἐπιτετηδεύκασιν. Ἐπίσταμαι δὲ προ αναρπαζομένους ἐνθένδε τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς καὶ γινομένους 1009 ἐκ ποδῶν, ἄνθ' ὧν ἑαυτοὺς ματαιότητι δεδώκεσαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἐφ' ἁπάντων μετέρχεται ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοια ὀξέως διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀνεξικακίαν, οὐδὲ παραυτίκα τιμωρεῖται ἐπὶ ταῖς πλημμελείαις, τούτου χάριν οἴεται δεῖν ὁ πονηρὸς ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐπὶ πλεῖον, ὡς ἀθῶος ἀπαλλάξων· οὐ συνιεὶς, ὅτι καὶ μετὰ πάμπολυν χρόνον ἀδικήσας οὐ λήσεται· ἀγαθόν γε μὴν μέγιστον, εὐλαβεῖσθαι Θεόν· οὗπερ ἀσεβὴς ἐκπεσὼν, οὐ πολὺν χρόνον τῇ ἑαυτοῦ μωρίᾳ κατα χρήσεται. Χειρίστη δὲ καὶ ἐψευσμένη δόξα ἀνθρώπους ἐπινέμεται πολλάκις, περί τε δικαίων καὶ ἀδίκων. Ὑπολαμβάνουσι γὰρ περὶ ἑκατέρων τἀναντία· καὶ δίκαιός γε τὶς ὢν, οὐ τοιοῦτος ἔδοξε· καὶ πάλιν ἀσε βὴς, ἔμφρων ἐνομίσθη. Ταύτην ἔγωγε τὴν πλάνην χαλεπὴν ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα τίθεμαι. Ἔδοξα δέ ποτε τὸ μέγιστον τῶν ἀγαθῶν βρῶσιν εἶναι καὶ πόσιν· κἀ κεῖνον θεοφιλέστατον, ὃς ἂν τούτων ἀπολαύῃ παρὰ τὸν βίον, ὡς οἷόν τε μάλιστα· καὶ παραμυθίαν τῆς ζωῆς, τὴν τοιαύτην εὐθυμίαν μόνην ἡγησάμην· καὶ τοίνυν προσεῖχον οὐδενὶ ἑτέρῳ, ἢ τῇ οἰήσει ταύτῃ, ὡς μήτε νύκτωρ μήτε μεθημέραν ἁπάντων, ὅσα πρὸς τρυφὴν ἀνθρώποις εὕρηται, ἐμαυτὸν ἀπάγειν. Ἔγνων τε τοσοῦτον, ὅτι ἐν ἐκείνοις τὶς ἐμφύρων, οὐδαμῶς δυνήσεται, οὐδὲ πολλὰ μοχθήσας, εὑρεῖν τὸ ὄντως ἀγαθόν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Θʹ. 1 Ὤιμην γὰρ ἅπαντας τότε τῶν αὐτῶν ἀνθρώπους ἠξιῶσθαι· καὶ εἴ τέ τις

σοφὸς, δικαιοσύνης μὲν ἐπεμελήθη, ἀδικίαν δὲ ἐξετράπη, καὶ ἔχθραν ἔφυγε πρὸς ἅπαντας δεξιὸς ὢν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀρεστὸν Θεῷ, οὗτος ματαιοπονεῖν ἐφαίνετο. Τέλος δὲ