Read & explore together
The ungodly propose oppression and a test of the righteous man
This passage from the Catholic additional book of Wisdom of Solomon records the words of ungodly people. It shows how they talk about power, despise the weak, and decide to test a righteous man by cruelty.
Understanding the passage
Listening in context
In Wisdom of Solomon 2:10–20, the speakers are not giving good advice. The passage is wisdom and dialogue, presenting what the ungodly propose and why they oppose the righteous man. Their own words reveal their values, their accusations, and the harsh test they plan.
Wisdom of Solomon 2:10–20Main takeaway
This dialogue warns that people who treat strength as their rule may hate righteousness and choose oppression instead of truth.
Look closely at the words
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Power turned against the weakThe speech begins with a plan to oppress vulnerable people: the righteous poor, the widow, and the old man.
Explanation
The speech begins with a plan to oppress vulnerable people: the righteous poor, the widow, and the old man. The speakers reject mercy. They then declare that strength should decide what is right. In their view, weakness has no value, so power becomes their standard instead of justice.
02Why the righteous man troubles themThe righteous man bothers them because he stands against their deeds and exposes their sins.
Explanation
The righteous man bothers them because he stands against their deeds and exposes their sins. He is said to know God and call himself a child of the Lord. His presence acts like a rebuke, not because he attacks them here, but because his life and words confront their wrongdoing.
03A different way of livingThey say his life is unlike other people’s and his paths are strange. They feel judged by him and notice that he avoids their ways as uncleanness.
Explanation
They say his life is unlike other people’s and his paths are strange. They feel judged by him and notice that he avoids their ways as uncleanness. They also report that he speaks of a happy end for the righteous and says God is his father. Their complaint shows a sharp contrast in values.
04Their cruel testThe speakers decide to test whether his words are true by watching the end of his life. They say that if he is God’s son, God will help him.
Explanation
The speakers decide to test whether his words are true by watching the end of his life. They say that if he is God’s son, God will help him. Yet their test is unjust: they plan insult, torture, and a shameful death. Their method reveals violence, not a sincere search for wisdom.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01Which people do the speakers target first, and what does that show about them?
Notice how they name the righteous poor, the widow, and the old man, then connect rightness with strength.
02Why do the speakers resent the righteous man so strongly?
Look for the reasons they give: his life, his words about God, and the way he exposes their sins.
03What kind of test do they choose, and what does that reveal about their hearts?
Their plan includes insult, torture, and a shameful death, so the test itself shows oppression rather than fairness.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Wisdom of Solomon 2:10–20
10Let’s oppress the righteous poor. Let’s not spare the widow, nor regard the gray hair of the old man.
11But let our strength be a law of righteousness; for that which is weak is proven useless.
12But let’s lie in wait for the righteous man, because he annoys us, is contrary to our works, reproaches us with sins against the law, and charges us with sins against our training.
13He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord.
14He became to us a reproof of our thoughts.
15He is grievous to us even to look at, because his life is unlike other men’s, and his paths are strange.
16We were regarded by him as something worthless, and he abstains from our ways as from uncleanness. He calls the latter end of the righteous happy. He boasts that God is his father.
17Let’s see if his words are true. Let’s test what will happen at the end of his life.
18For if the righteous man is God’s son, he will uphold him, and he will deliver him out of the hand of his adversaries.
19Let’s test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and test his patience.
20Let’s condemn him to a shameful death, for he will be protected, according to his words.”