Wisdom of Solomon, 5

1. Then the upright will stand up boldly to face those who had oppressed him and had thought so little of his sufferings.

1. Then the righteous man will stand with great confidence in the presence of those who have afflicted him, and those who make light of his labors.

2. And, seeing him, they will be seized with terrible fear, amazed that he should have been so unexpectedly saved.

2. When they see him, they will be shaken with dreadful fear, and they will be amazed at his unexpected salvation.

3. Stricken with remorse, they will say to one another with groans and labouring breath,

3. They will speak to one another in repentance, and in anguish of spirit they will groan, and say,

4. 'This is the one whom we used to mock, making him the butt of our insults, fools that we were! His life we regarded as madness, his ending as without honour.

4. "This is the man whom we once held in derision and made a byword of reproach -- we fools! We thought that his life was madness and that his end was without honor.

5. How has he come to be counted as one of the children of God and to have his lot among the holy ones?

5. Why has he been numbered among the sons of God? And why is his lot among the saints?

6. Clearly we have strayed from the way of truth; the light of justice has not shone for us, the sun has not risen for us.

6. So it was we who strayed from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness did not shine on us, and the sun did not rise upon us.

7. We have left no path of lawlessness or ruin unexplored, we have crossed deserts where there was no track, but the way of the Lord is one we have never known.

7. We took our fill of the paths of lawlessness and destruction, and we journeyed through trackless deserts, but the way of the Lord we have not known.

8. What good has arrogance been to us? What has been the purpose of our riches and boastfulness?

8. What has our arrogance profited us? And what good has our boasted wealth brought us?

9. All those things have passed like a shadow, passed like a fleeting rumour.

9. "All those things have vanished like a shadow, and like a rumor that passes by;

10. Like a ship that cuts through heaving waves -- leaving no trace to show where it has passed, no wake from its keel in the waves.

10. like a ship that sails through the billowy water, and when it has passed no trace can be found, nor track of its keel in the waves;

11. Or like a bird flying through the air -- leaving no proof of its passing; it whips the light air with the stroke of its pinions, tears it apart in its whirring rush, drives its way onward with sweeping wing, and afterwards no sign is seen of its passage.

11. or as, when a bird flies through the air, no evidence of its passage is found; the light air, lashed by the beat of its pinions and pierced by the force of its rushing flight, is traversed by the movement of its wings, and afterward no sign of its coming is found there;

12. Or like an arrow shot at a mark, the pierced air closing so quickly on itself, there is no knowing which way the arrow has passed.

12. or as, when an arrow is shot at a target, the air, thus divided, comes together at once, so that no one knows its pathway.

13. So with us: scarcely born, we disappear; of virtue not a trace have we to show, we have spent ourselves in our own wickedness!'

13. So we also, as soon as we were born, ceased to be, and we had no sign of virtue to show, but were consumed in our wickedness."

14. For the hope of the godless is like chaff carried on the wind, like fine spray driven by the storm; it disperses like smoke before the wind, goes away like the memory of a one-day guest.

14. Because the hope of the ungodly man is like chaff carried by the wind, and like a light hoarfrost driven away by a storm; it is dispersed like smoke before the wind, and it passes like the remembrance of a guest who stays but a day.

15. But the upright live for ever, their recompense is with the Lord, and the Most High takes care of them.

15. But the righteous live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Most High takes care of them.

16. So they will receive the glorious crown and the diadem of beauty from the Lord's hand; for he will shelter them with his right hand and with his arm he will shield them.

16. Therefore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with his arm he will shield them.

17. For armour he will take his jealous love, he will arm creation to punish his enemies;

17. The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor, and will arm all creation to repel his enemies;

18. he will put on justice as a breastplate, and for helmet wear his forthright judgement;

18. he will put on righteousness as a breastplate, and wear impartial justice as a helmet;

19. he will take up invincible holiness for shield,

19. he will take holiness as an invincible shield,

20. of his pitiless wrath he will forge a sword, and the universe will march with him to fight the reckless.

20. and sharpen stern wrath for a sword, and creation will join with him to fight against the madmen.

21. Bolts truly aimed, the shafts of lightning will leap, and from the clouds, as from a full-drawn bow, fly to their mark;

21. Shafts of lightning will fly with true aim, and will leap to the target as from a well-drawn bow of clouds,

22. and the catapult will hurl hailstones charged with fury. The waters of the sea will rage against them, the rivers engulf them without pity,

22. and hailstones full of wrath will be hurled as from a catapult; the water of the sea will rage against them, and rivers will relentlessly overwhelm them;

23. a mighty gale will rise against them and winnow them like a hurricane. Thus wickedness will lay the whole earth waste and evil-doing bring down the thrones of the mighty.

23. a mighty wind will rise against them , and like a tempest it will winnow them away. Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth, and evil-doing will overturn the thrones of rulers.