Wisdom
Chapter 1
FINAL JUDGMENT
Justice Is Immortal
Love justice, you who govern the world! Think rightly of God, seek him with a simple heart,
for he reveals himself to those who do not challenge him and is found by those who do not distrust him.
Crooked thinking distances you from God, and his Omnipotence, when put to the test, confounds the foolish.
Wisdom does not enter the wicked nor stay in a body enslaved to sin.
The Holy Spirit, who teaches us, avoids deceit; it stays away from foolishness and is uncomfortable when injustice occurs.
Wisdom is a spirit, a friend to man, and will not let the blasphemous go unpunished because God knows his innermost feelings, truly sees his thoughts, and hears what he says.
For God’s spirit has filled the entire world, and he who holds everything together knows every word that is spoken.
So anyone who speaks unjustly will not escape; the unavoidable judgment will come to him.
The motives of the wicked will be scrutinized; what he has said will reach the Lord, and his wickedness will be exposed.
Remember that a jealous ear hears everything; even whispers are recorded.
Be cautious of empty complaints and watch your tongue from faultfinding, since your most secret words can have consequences; a lying tongue leads to the death of the soul.
Do not bring about your own demise through a wrongful way of living, and do not let the work of your hands destroy you.
God did not create death, nor does he take joy in destroying the living.
Since he has made everything, all creatures in the universe are for our benefit; there is no deadly poison in them, and the underworld has no power over the earth,
because justice is eternal.
It is the godless who see death as a friend and summon it in every way. They have made a pact with it and will justly belong to it.
Commentaries
Final Judgment.
The wise man and the fool are the two extremes in this first section. The former acknowledges himself as part of God’s plan; the latter, on the other hand, relies solely on his own strength. According to the book of Wisdom, God’s judgment will come relentlessly upon the wicked as punishment. Two thousand years later, this message still holds relevance: those who know God understand they are in his hands, part of his plan, established long ago.
Justice Is Immortal.
This title summarizes the chapter’s content and also serves as the lesson for the entire work. Although the book is addressed to rulers— a common theme in wisdom writings of antiquity (Ps 2:10; Prov 31:1f)—in reality, it is aimed at the Jews threatened by the pagan environment. Through the image of wisdom personified (cf. Prov 8:22-31) and taking on the role of teachers (cf. Prov 1-9), it describes righteous behavior (2-5) and God’s knowledge of all things (6-10). Beneath this lies the typical sapiential problem of the changing fortunes of the faithful and the wicked, whose solution is found by equating justice with life and immortality (Prov 8:31, 36; Acts 2:2-4), and injustice with death and final separation from God (Rev 6:8; 20:14). The wicked inherit death, while Israel is God’s inheritance (Deut 32:9; Ps 16:5; 73:26). Justice, whether viewed individually or collectively, calls out from all places and times, despite all means that silence its voice. True wisdom echoes this and calls on God as a witness, especially for those who suffer and for those who work for justice.