Wisdom 2

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
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 reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves, "Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no remedy when a man comes to his end, and no one has been known to return from Hades.
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 Because we were born by mere chance, and hereafter we shall be as though we had never been; because the breath in our nostrils is smoke, and reason is a spark kindled by the beating of our hearts.
3 And when this is quenched, our body will be ashes and our spirit will be poured abroad like unresisting air.	3 When it is extinguished, the body will turn to ashes, and the spirit will dissolve 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.	4 Our name will be forgotten in time and no one will remember our works; our life will pass away like the traces of a cloud, and be scattered like mist that is chased by the rays of the sun and overcome 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.	5 For our allotted time is the passing of a shadow, and there is no return from our death, because it is sealed up and no one turns back.
6 Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are real, and use the freshness of creation avidly.	6 "Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that exist, and make use of the creation to the full 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 take our fill of costly wine and perfumes, and let no flower of spring pass by us.
8 let us crown ourselves with rosebuds ere they wither.	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 rejoicing, for this our portion is, and this our lot.	9 Let none of us fail to share in our revelry, everywhere let us leave signs of enjoyment, because 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 righteous poor man; let us not spare the widow nor regard the gray hairs of the aged.
11 But let our strength be our norm of justice; for weakness proves itself useless.	11 But let our might be our law of right, for what is weak proves itself to be useless.
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 lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training.
13 He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the LORD.	13 He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls 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,	14 He became to us a reproof of our thoughts;
15 Because his life is not like other men's, and different are his ways.	15 the very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange.
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 considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the last end of the righteous happy, 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.	17 Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life;
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 the righteous man is God's son, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries.
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 test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance.
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 shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected."
21 These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them,	21 Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness 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 did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hope for the wages of holiness, nor discern the prize for blameless souls;
23 For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him.	23 for God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of his own eternity,
24 But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience it.	24 but through the devil's envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it.