Wisdom Chapter 11

Other Translations

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Direxit opera eorum in manibus prophetæ sancti.

2 Iter fecerunt per deserta, quæ non habitabantur: et in locis desertis fixerunt casas.

3 Steterunt contra hostes, et de inimicis se vindicaverunt.

4 Sitierunt, et invocaverunt te, et data est illis aqua de petra altissima, et requies sitis de lapide duro.

5 Per quæ enim pœnas passi sunt inimici illorum, a defectione potus sui, et in eis, cum abundarent filii Israel, lætati sunt;

6 per hæc, cum illis deessent, bene cum illis actum est.

7 Nam pro fonte quidem sempiterni fluminis, humanum sanguinem dedisti iniustis.

8 Qui cum minuerentur in traductione infantium occisorum, dedisti illis abundantem aquam insperate,

9 ostendens per sitim, quæ tunc fuit, quemadmodum tuos exaltares, et adversarios illorum necares.

10 Cum enim tentati sunt, et quidem cum misericordia disciplinam accipientes, scierunt quemadmodum cum ira iudicati impii tormenta paterentur.

11 Hos quidem tamquam pater monens probasti: illos autem tamquam durus rex interrogans condemnasti.

12 Absentes enim et præsentes similiter torquebantur.

13 Duplex enim illos acceperat tædium, et gemitus cum memoria præteritorum.

14 Cum enim audirent per sua tormenta bene secum agi, commemorati sunt Dominum, admirantes in finem exitus.

15 Quem enim in expositione prava proiectum deriserunt, in finem eventus mirati sunt: non similiter iustis sitientes.

16 Pro cogitationibus autem insensatis iniquitatis illorum, quod quidam errantes colebant mutos serpentes, et bestias supervacuas, immisisti illis multitudinem mutorum animalium in vindictam:

17 ut scirent quia per quæ peccat quis, per hæc et torquetur.

18 Non enim impossibilis erat omnipotens manus tua, quæ creavit orbem terrarum ex materia invisa, immittere illis multitudinem ursorum, aut audaces leones,

19 aut novi generis ira plenas ignotas bestias, aut vaporem ignium spirantes, aut fumi odorem proferentes, aut horrendas ab oculis scintillas emittentes:

20 quarum non solum læsura poterat illos exterminare, sed et aspectus per timorem occidere.

21 Sed et sine his uno spiritu poterant occidi persecutionem passi ab ipsis factis suis, et dispersi per spiritum virtutis tuæ: sed omnia in mensura, et numero, et pondere disposuisti.

22 Multum enim valere, tibi soli supererat semper: et virtuti brachii tui quis resistet?

23 Quoniam tamquam momentum stateræ, sic est ante te orbis terrarum, et tamquam gutta roris antelucani, quæ descendit in terram.

24 Sed misereris omnium, quia omnia potes, et dissimulas peccata hominum propter pœnitentiam.

25 Diligis enim omnia quæ sunt, et nihil odisti eorum quæ fecisti: nec enim odiens aliquid constituisti, aut fecisti.

26 Quomodo autem posset aliquid permanere, nisi tu voluisses? aut quod a te vocatum non esset, conservaretur?

27 Parcis autem omnibus: quoniam tua sunt Domine, qui amas animas.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).