Wisdom 2

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 they who said among themselves, thinking not aright: "Brief and troublous is our lifetime; neither is there any remedy for man's dying, nor is anyone known to have come back from the nether world.	1 For they have said, reasoning with themselves, but not right: The time of our life is short and tedious, and in the end of a man there is no remedy, and no man hath been known to have returned from hell:
2 For haphazard were we born, and hereafter we shall be as though we had not been; Because the breath in our nostrils is a smoke and reason is a spark at the beating of our hearts,	2 For we are born of nothing, and after this we shall be as if we had not been: for the breath in our nostrils is smoke: and speech a spark to move our heart,
3 And when this is quenched, our body will be ashes and our spirit will be poured abroad like unresisting air.	3 Which being put out, our body shall be ashes, and our spirit shall be poured abroad as soft air, and our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist, which is driven away by the beams of the sun, and overpowered with the heat thereof:
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.	4 And our name in time shall be forgotten, and no man shall have any remembrance of our works.
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.	5 For our time is as the passing of a shadow, and there is no going back of our end: for it is fast sealed, and no man returneth.
6 Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are real, and use the freshness of creation avidly.	6 Come therefore, and let us enjoy the good things that are present, and let us speedily use the creatures as in youth.
7 Let us have our fill of costly wine and perfumes, and let no springtime blossom pass us by;	7 Let us fill ourselves with costly wine, and ointments: and let not the flower of the time pass by us.
8 let us crown ourselves with rosebuds ere they wither.	8 Let us crown ourselves with roses, before they be withered: let no meadow escape our riot.
9 Let no meadow be free from our wantonness; everywhere let us leave tokens of our rejoicing, for this our portion is, and this our lot.	9 Let none of us go without his part in luxury: let us everywhere leave tokens of joy: for this is our portion, and this our lot.
10 Let us oppress the needy just man; let us neither spare the widow nor revere the old man for his hair grown white with time.	10 Let us oppress the poor just man, and not spare the widow, nor honour the ancient grey hairs of the aged.
11 But let our strength be our norm of justice; for weakness proves itself useless.	11 But let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble, is found to be nothing worth.
12 Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training.	12 Let us therefore lie in wait for the just, because he is not for our turn, and he is contrary to our doings, and upbraideth us with transgressions of the law, and divulgeth against us the sins of our way of life.
13 He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the LORD.	13 He boasteth that he hath the knowledge of God, and calleth himself the son of God.
14 To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us,	14 He is become a censurer of our thoughts.
15 Because his life is not like other men's, and different are his ways.	15 He is grievous unto us, even to behold: for his life is not like other men's, and his ways are very different.
16 He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father.	16 We are esteemed by him as triflers, and he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness, and he preferreth the latter end of the just, and glorieth that he hath God for his father.
17 Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him.	17 Let us see then if his words be true, and let us prove what shall happen to him, and we shall know what his end shall be.
18 For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes.	18 For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him, and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies.
19 With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience.	19 Let us examine him by outrages and tortures, that we may know his meekness 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."	20 Let us condemn him to a most shameful death: for there shall be respect had unto him by his words.
21 These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them,	21 These things they thought, and were deceived: for their own malice blinded them.
22 And they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward.	22 And they knew not the secrets of God, nor hoped for the wages of justice, nor esteemed the honour of holy souls.
23 For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him.	23 For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him.
24 But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience it.	24 But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world:
	25 And they follow him that are of his side.