Wisdom of Solomon, 4

1. Better to have no children yet to have virtue, since immortality perpetuates its memory; for God and human beings both recognise it.

1. Better than this is childlessness with virtue, for in the memory of virtue is immortality, because it is known both by God and by men.

2. Present, we imitate it, absent, we long for it; crowned, it holds triumph through eternity, having striven for untainted prizes and emerged the victor.

2. When it is present, men imitate it, and they long for it when it has gone; and throughout all time it marches crowned in triumph, victor in the contest for prizes that are undefiled.

3. But the offspring of the godless come to nothing, however prolific, sprung from a bastard stock, they will never strike deep roots, never put down firm foundations.

3. But the prolific brood of the ungodly will be of no use, and none of their illegitimate seedlings will strike a deep root or take a firm hold.

4. They may branch out for a time, but, on unsteady foundations, they will be rocked by the wind and uprooted by the force of the storm;

4. For even if they put forth boughs for a while, standing insecurely they will be shaken by the wind, and by the violence of the winds they will be uprooted.

5. their branches, yet unformed, will be snapped off, their fruit be useless, too unripe to eat, fit for nothing.

5. The branches will be broken off before they come to maturity, and their fruit will be useless, not ripe enough to eat, and good for nothing.

6. For children begotten of unlawful bed witness, when put on trial, to their parents' wickedness.

6. For children born of unlawful unions are witnesses of evil against their parents when God examines them.

7. The upright, though he die before his time, will find rest.

7. But the righteous man, though he die early, will be at rest.

8. Length of days is not what makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life;

8. For old age is not honored for length of time, nor measured by number of years;

9. understanding, this is grey hairs, untarnished life, this is ripe old age.

9. but understanding is gray hair for men, and a blameless life is ripe old age.

10. Having won God's favour, he has been loved and, as he was living among sinners, has been taken away.

10. There was one who pleased God and was loved by him, and while living among sinners he was taken up.

11. He has been carried off so that evil may not warp his understanding or deceitfulness seduce his soul;

11. He was caught up lest evil change his understanding or guile deceive his soul.

12. for the fascination of evil throws good things into the shade, and the whirlwind of desire corrupts a simple heart.

12. For the fascination of wickedness obscures what is good, and roving desire perverts the innocent mind.

13. Having come to perfection so soon, he has lived long;

13. Being perfected in a short time, he fulfilled long years;

14. his soul being pleasing to the Lord, he has hurried away from the wickedness around him. Yet people look on, uncomprehending; and it does not enter their heads

14. for his soul was pleasing to the Lord, therefore he took him quickly from the midst of wickedness.

15. that grace and mercy await his chosen ones and that he intervenes on behalf of his holy ones.

15. Yet the peoples saw and did not understand, nor take such a thing to heart, that God's grace and mercy are with his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.

16. The upright who dies condemns the godless who survive, and youth quickly perfected condemns the lengthy old age of the wicked.

16. The righteous man who had died will condemn the ungodly who are living, and youth that is quickly perfected will condemn the prolonged old age of the unrighteous man.

17. These people see the end of the wise without understanding what the Lord has in store or why he has taken such a one to safety;

17. For they will see the end of the wise man, and will not understand what the Lord purposed for him, and for what he kept him safe.

18. they look on and sneer, but the Lord will laugh at them.

18. They will see, and will have contempt for him, but the Lord will laugh them to scorn. After this they will become dishonored corpses, and an outrage among the dead for ever;

19. Soon they will be corpses without honour, objects of horror among the dead for ever. For he will shatter them and fling them headlong and dumbfounded. He will shake them from their foundations; they will be utterly laid waste, a prey to grief, and their memory will perish.

19. because he will dash them speechless to the ground, and shake them from the foundations; they will be left utterly dry and barren, and they will suffer anguish, and the memory of them will perish.

20. When the count of their sins has been drawn up, in terror they will come, and their crimes, confronting them, will accuse them.

20. They will come with dread when their sins are reckoned up, and their lawless deeds will convict them to their face.