Wisdom Chapter 17

Other Translations

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

1 Magna sunt enim iudicia tua Domine, et inenarrabilia verba tua: propter hoc indisciplinatæ animæ erraverunt.

2 Dum enim persuasum habent iniqui posse dominari nationi sanctæ: vinculis tenebrarum et longæ noctis compediti, inclusi sub tectis, fugitivi perpetuæ providentiæ iacuerunt.

3 Et dum putant se latere in obscuris peccatis, tenebroso oblivionis velamento dispersi sunt, paventes horrende, et cum admiratione nimia perturbati.

4 Neque enim quæ continebat illos spelunca, sine timore custodiebat: quoniam sonitus descendens perturbabat illos, et personæ tristes illis apparentes pavorem illis præstabant.

5 Et ignis quidem nulla vis poterat illis lumen præbere, nec siderum limpidæ flammæ illuminare poterant illam noctem horrendam.

6 Apparebat autem illis subitaneus ignis, timore plenus: et timore perculsi illius quæ non videbatur, faciei, æstimabant deteriora esse quæ videbantur:

7 et magicæ artis appositi erant derisus, et sapientiæ gloriæ correptio cum contumelia.

8 Illi enim qui promittebant timores et perturbationes expellere se ab anima languente, hi cum derisu pleni timore languebant.

9 Nam etsi nihil illos ex monstris perturbabat: transitu animalium et serpentium sibilatione commoti, tremebundi peribant: et aerem, quem nulla ratione quis effugere posset, negantes se videre.

10 Cum sit enim timida nequitia, dat testimonium condemnationis: semper enim præsumit sæva, perturbata conscientia.

11 Nihil enim est timor nisi proditio cogitationis auxiliorum.

12 Et dum ab intus minor est expectatio, maiorem computat in scientiam eius causæ, de qua tormentum præstat.

13 Illi autem qui impotentem vere noctem, et ab infimis, et ab altissimis inferis supervenientem, eumdem somnum dormientes,

14 aliquando monstrorum exagitabantur timore, aliquando animæ deficiebant traductione: subitaneus enim illis et insperatus timor supervenerat.

15 Deinde si quisquam ex illis decidisset, custodiebatur in carcere sine ferro reclusus.

16 Si enim rusticus quis erat, aut pastor, aut agri laborum operarius præoccupatus esset, ineffugibilem sustinebat necessitatem.

17 Una enim catena tenebrarum omnes erant colligati. Sive spiritus sibilans, aut inter spissos arborum ramos avium sonus suavis, aut vis aquæ decurrentis nimium,

18 aut sonus validus præcipitatarum petrarum, aut ludentium animalium cursus invisus, aut mugientium valida bestiarum vox, aut resonans de altissimis montibus Echo: deficientes faciebant illos præ timore.

19 Omnis enim orbis terrarum limpido illuminabatur lumine, et non impeditis operibus continebatur.

20 Solis autem illis superposita erat gravis nox, imago tenebrarum, quæ superventura illis erat. Ipsi ergo sibi erant graviores tenebris.

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).