I. The Reward of Righteousness
- Chapter 1 -
Exhortation to Righteousness, the Key to Life
1 Love righteousness, you who judge the earth;
think of the Lord in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
2 Because he is found by those who do not test him,
and manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.
3 For perverse counsels separate people from God,
and his power, put to the proof, rebukes the foolhardy;
4 Because into a soul that plots evil wisdom does not enter,
nor does she dwell in a body under debt of sin.
5 For the holy spirit of discipline flees deceit
and withdraws from senseless counsels
and is rebuked when unrighteousness occurs.
think of the Lord in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
2 Because he is found by those who do not test him,
and manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.
3 For perverse counsels separate people from God,
and his power, put to the proof, rebukes the foolhardy;
4 Because into a soul that plots evil wisdom does not enter,
nor does she dwell in a body under debt of sin.
5 For the holy spirit of discipline flees deceit
and withdraws from senseless counsels
and is rebuked when unrighteousness occurs.
6 For wisdom is a kindly spirit,
yet she does not acquit blasphemous lips;
Because God is the witness of the inmost self
and the sure observer of the heart
and the listener to the tongue.
7 For the spirit of the Lord fills the world,
is all-embracing, and knows whatever is said.
8 Therefore those who utter wicked things will not go unnoticed,
nor will chastising condemnation pass them by.
9 For the devices of the wicked shall be scrutinized,
and the sound of their words shall reach the Lord,
for the chastisement of their transgressions;
10 Because a jealous ear hearkens to everything,
and discordant grumblings are not secret.
11 Therefore guard against profitless grumbling,
and from calumny withhold your tongues;
For a stealthy utterance will not go unpunished,
and a lying mouth destroys the soul.
yet she does not acquit blasphemous lips;
Because God is the witness of the inmost self
and the sure observer of the heart
and the listener to the tongue.
7 For the spirit of the Lord fills the world,
is all-embracing, and knows whatever is said.
8 Therefore those who utter wicked things will not go unnoticed,
nor will chastising condemnation pass them by.
9 For the devices of the wicked shall be scrutinized,
and the sound of their words shall reach the Lord,
for the chastisement of their transgressions;
10 Because a jealous ear hearkens to everything,
and discordant grumblings are not secret.
11 Therefore guard against profitless grumbling,
and from calumny withhold your tongues;
For a stealthy utterance will not go unpunished,
and a lying mouth destroys the soul.
12 Do not court death by your erring way of life,
nor draw to yourselves destruction by the works of your hands.
13 Because God did not make death,
nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.
14 For he fashioned all things that they might have being,
and the creatures of the world are wholesome;
There is not a destructive drug among them
nor any domain of Hades on earth,
15 For righteousness is undying
nor draw to yourselves destruction by the works of your hands.
13 Because God did not make death,
nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.
14 For he fashioned all things that they might have being,
and the creatures of the world are wholesome;
There is not a destructive drug among them
nor any domain of Hades on earth,
15 For righteousness is undying
The Wicked Reject Immortality and Righteousness Alike
16 It was the wicked who with hands and words invited death,considered it a friend, and pined for it,
and made a covenant with it,
Because they deserve to be allied with it.
- Chapter 2 -
1 For, not thinking rightly, they said among themselves:
“Brief and troubled is our lifetime;
there is no remedy for our dying,
nor is anyone known to have come back from Hades.
2 For by mere chance were we born,
and hereafter we shall be as though we had not been;
Because the breath in our nostrils is smoke,
and reason a spark from the beating of our hearts,
3 And when this is quenched, our body will be ashes
and our spirit will be poured abroad like empty air.
4 Even our name will be forgotten in time,
and no one will recall our deeds.
So our life will pass away like the traces of a cloud,
and will be dispersed like a mist
Pursued by the sun’s rays
and overpowered by its heat.
5 For our lifetime is the passing of a shadow;
and our dying cannot be deferred
because it is fixed with a seal; and no one returns.
6 Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are here,
and make use of creation with youthful zest.
7 Let us have our fill of costly wine and perfumes,
and let no springtime blossom pass us by;
8 let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they wither.
9 Let no meadow be free from our wantonness;
everywhere let us leave tokens of our merriment,
for this is our portion, and this our lot.
10 Let us oppress the righteous poor;
let us neither spare the widow
nor revere the aged for hair grown white with time.
11 But let our strength be our norm of righteousness;
for weakness proves itself useless.
“Brief and troubled is our lifetime;
there is no remedy for our dying,
nor is anyone known to have come back from Hades.
2 For by mere chance were we born,
and hereafter we shall be as though we had not been;
Because the breath in our nostrils is smoke,
and reason a spark from the beating of our hearts,
3 And when this is quenched, our body will be ashes
and our spirit will be poured abroad like empty air.
4 Even our name will be forgotten in time,
and no one will recall our deeds.
So our life will pass away like the traces of a cloud,
and will be dispersed like a mist
Pursued by the sun’s rays
and overpowered by its heat.
5 For our lifetime is the passing of a shadow;
and our dying cannot be deferred
because it is fixed with a seal; and no one returns.
6 Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are here,
and make use of creation with youthful zest.
7 Let us have our fill of costly wine and perfumes,
and let no springtime blossom pass us by;
8 let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they wither.
9 Let no meadow be free from our wantonness;
everywhere let us leave tokens of our merriment,
for this is our portion, and this our lot.
10 Let us oppress the righteous poor;
let us neither spare the widow
nor revere the aged for hair grown white with time.
11 But let our strength be our norm of righteousness;
for weakness proves itself useless.
12 Let us lie in wait for the righteous one, because he is annoying to us;
he opposes our actions,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
13 He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the Lord.
14 To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
15 Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
16 He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the righteous
and boasts that God is his Father.
he opposes our actions,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
13 He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the Lord.
14 To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
15 Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
16 He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the righteous
and boasts that God is his Father.
17 Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him in the end.
18 For if the righteous one is the son of God, God will help him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
19 With violence and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
20 Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
let us find out what will happen to him in the end.
18 For if the righteous one is the son of God, God will help him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
19 With violence and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
20 Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
21 These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
22 And they did not know the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense for holiness
nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.
23 For God formed us to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made us.
24 But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,
and they who are allied with him experience it.
for their wickedness blinded them,
22 And they did not know the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense for holiness
nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.
23 For God formed us to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made us.
24 But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,
and they who are allied with him experience it.
