Wisdom Chapter 9

Other Translations

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

1 Deus patrum meorum, et Domine misericordiæ, qui fecisti omnia verbo tuo,

2 et sapientia tua constituisti hominem, ut dominaretur creaturæ, quæ a te facta est,

3 ut disponat orbem terrarum in æquitate et iustitia, et in directione cordis iudicium iudicet:

4 da mihi sedium tuarum assistricem sapientiam, et noli me reprobare a pueris tuis:

5 quoniam servus tuus sum ego, et filius ancillæ tuæ, homo infirmus, et exigui temporis, et minor ad intellectum iudicii et legum.

6 Nam et si quis erit consummatus inter filios hominum, si ab illo abfuerit sapientia tua, in nihilum computabitur.

7 Tu elegisti me regem populo tuo, et iudicem filiorum tuorum et filiarum:

8 et dixisti me ædificare templum in monte sancto tuo, et in civitate habitationis tuæ altare, similitudinem tabernaculi sancti tui, quod præparasti ab initio:

9 et tecum sapientia tua, quæ novit opera tua, quæ et affuit tunc cum orbem terrarum faceres, et sciebat quid esset placitum oculis tuis, et quid directum in præceptis tuis.

10 Mitte illam de cælis sanctis tuis, et a sede magnitudinis tuæ, ut mecum sit et mecum laboret, ut sciam quid acceptum sit apud te:

11 scit enim illa omnia, et intelligit, et deducet me in operibus meis sobrie, et custodiet me in sua potentia.

12 Et erunt accepta opera mea, et disponam populum tuum iuste, et ero dignus sedium patris mei.

13 Quis enim hominum poterit scire consilium Dei? aut quis poterit cogitare quid velit Deus?

14 Cogitationes enim mortalium timidæ, et incertæ providentiæ nostræ.

15 Corpus enim, quod corrumpitur, aggravat animam, et terrena inhabitatio deprimit sensum multa cogitantem.

16 Et difficile æstimamus quæ in terra sunt: et quæ in prospectu sunt, invenimus cum labore. Quæ autem in cælis sunt quis investigabit?

17 Sensum autem tuum quis sciet, nisi tu dederis sapientiam, et miseris spiritum sanctum tuum de altissimis:

18 et sic correctæ sint semitæ eorum, qui sunt in terris, et quæ tibi placent didicerint homines?

19 Nam per sapientiam sanati sunt quicumque placuerunt tibi Domine a principio.

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).