Wisdom Chapter 8

Other Translations

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

1 Attingit ergo a fine usque ad finem fortiter, et disponit omnia suaviter.

2 Hanc amavi, et exquisivi a iuventute mea, et quæsivi sponsam mihi eam assumere, et amator factus sum formæ illius.

3 Generositatem illius glorificat, contubernium habens Dei: sed et omnium Dominus dilexit illam.

4 doctrix enim est disciplinæ Dei, et electrix operum illius.

5 Et si divitiæ appetuntur in vita, quid sapientia locupletius, quae operatur omnia?

6 Si autem sensus operatur: quis horum, quæ sunt, magis quam illa est artifex?

7 Et si iustitiam quis diligit: labores huius magnas habent virtutes: sobrietatem enim, et prudentiam docet, et iustitiam, et virtutem, quibus utilius nihil est in vita hominibus.

8 Et si multitudinem scientiæ desiderat quis, scit præterita, et de futuris æstimat: scit versutias sermonum, et dissolutiones argumentorum: signa et monstra scit antequam fiant, et eventus temporum et sæculorum.

9 Proposui ergo hanc adducere mihi ad convivendum: sciens quoniam mecum communicabit de bonis, et erit allocutio cogitationis et tædii mei.

10 Habebo propter hanc claritatem ad turbas, et honorem apud seniores iuvenis:

11 et acutus inveniar in iudicio, et in conspectu potentium admirabilis ero, et facies principum mirabuntur me:

12 tacentem me sustinebunt, et loquentem me respicient, et sermocinante me plura, manus ori suo imponent.

13 Præterea habebo per hanc immortalitatem: et memoriam æternam his, qui post me futuri sunt, relinquam.

14 Disponam populos: et nationes mihi erunt subditæ.

15 Timebunt me audientes reges horrendi: in multitudine videbor bonus, et in bello fortis.

16 Intrans in domum meam, conquiescam cum illa: non enim habet amaritudinem conversatio illius, nec tædium convictus illius, sed lætitiam et gaudium.

17 Hæc cogitans apud me, et commemorans in corde meo: quoniam immortalitas est in cognatione sapientiæ,

18 et in amicitia illius delectatio bona, et in operibus manuum illius honestas sine defectione, et in certamine loquelæ illius sapientia, et præclaritas in communicatione sermonum ipsius: circuibam quærens, ut mihi illam assumerem.

19 Puer autem eram ingeniosus, et sortitus sum animam bonam.

20 Et cum essem magis bonus, veni ad corpus incoinquinatum.

21 Et ut scivi quoniam aliter non possem esse continens, nisi Deus det, et hoc ipsum erat sapientiæ, scire cuius esset hoc donum: adii Dominum, et deprecatus sum illum, et dixi ex totis præcordiis meis.

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).