Wisdom 5

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 shall the just one with great assurance confront his oppressors who set at nought his labors.
2 And, seeing him, they wil be seized with terrible fear, amazed that he should have been sounexpectedly saved.	2 Seeing this, they shall be shaken with dreadful fear, and amazed at the unlooked-for salvation.
3 Stricken with remorse, they wil say to one another with groans and labouring breath,	3 They shall say among themselves, rueful and groaning through anguish of spirit: "This is he whom once we held as a laughingstock and as a type for mockery,
4 'This is the one whom we used to mock, making him the butt of our insults, fools that we were! His lifewe regarded as madness, his ending as without honour.	4 fools that we were! His life we accounted madness, and his death dishonored.
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 See how he is accounted among the sons of God; how his lot is with the saints!
6 Clearly we have strayed from the way of truth; the light of justice has not shone for us, the sun has notrisen for us.	6 We, then, have strayed from the way of truth, and the light of justice did not shine for us, and the sun did not rise for us.
7 We have left no path of lawlessness or ruin unexplored, we have crossed deserts where there was notrack, but the way of the Lord is one we have never known.	7 We had our fill of the ways of mischief and of ruin; we journeyed through impassable deserts, but the way of the LORD we knew not.
8 What good has arrogance been to us? What has been the purpose of our riches and boastfulness?	8 What did our pride avail us? What have wealth and its boastfulness afforded us?
9 Al those things have passed like a shadow, passed like a fleeting rumour.	9 All of them passed like a shadow and like a fleeting rumor;
10 Like a ship that cuts through heaving waves -- leaving no trace to show where it has passed, no wakefrom its keel in the waves.	10 Like a ship traversing the heaving water, of which, when it has passed, no trace can be found, no path 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 strokeof its pinions, tears it apart in its whirring rush, drives its way onward with sweeping wing, and afterwards no signis seen of its passage.	11 Or like a bird flying through the air; no evidence of its course is to be found- But the fluid air, lashed by the beat of pinions, and cleft by the rushing force Of speeding wings, is traversed: and afterward no mark of passage can be found in it.
12 Or like an arrow shot at a mark, the pierced air closing so quickly on itself, there is no knowing whichway the arrow has passed.	12 Or as, when an arrow has been shot at a mark, the parted air straightway flows together again so that none discerns the way it went through-
13 So with us: scarcely born, we disappear; of virtue not a trace have we to show, we have spentourselves in our own wickedness!'	13 Even so we, once born, abruptly came to nought and held no sign of virtue to display, 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; itdisperses like smoke before the wind, goes away like the memory of a one-day guest.	14 Yes, the hope of the wicked is like thistledown borne on the wind, and like fine, tempest-driven foam; Like smoke scattered by the wind, and like the passing memory of the nomad camping for a single 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 just live forever, and in the LORD is their recompense, and the thought of them is with the Most High.
16 So they wil receive the glorious crown and the diadem of beauty from the Lord's hand; for he wilshelter them with his right hand and with his arm he wil shield them.	16 Therefore shall they receive the splendid crown, the beauteous diadem, from the hand of the LORD- For he shall shelter them with his right hand, and protect them with his arm.
17 For armour he will take his jealous love, he wil arm creation to punish his enemies;	17 He shall take his zeal for armor and he shall arm creation to requite the enemy;
18 he wil put on justice as a breastplate, and for helmet wear his forthright judgement;	18 He shall don justice for a breastplate and shall wear sure judgment for a helmet;
19 he wil take up invincible holiness for shield,	19 He shall take invincible rectitude as a shield
20 of his pitiless wrath he will forge a sword, and the universe wil march with him to fight the reckless.	20 and whet his sudden anger for a sword, And the universe shall war with him against the foolhardy.
21 Bolts truly aimed, the shafts of lightning wil leap, and from the clouds, as from a ful -drawn bow, fly totheir mark;	21 Well-aimed shafts of lightnings shall go forth and from the clouds as from a well-drawn bow shall leap to the mark;
22 and the catapult wil hurl hailstones charged with fury. The waters of the sea wil rage against them,the rivers engulf them without pity,	22 and as from his sling, wrathful hailstones shall be hurled. The water of the sea shall be enraged against them and the streams shall abruptly overflow;
23 a mighty gale wil rise against them and winnow them like a hurricane. Thus wickedness wil lay thewhole earth waste and evil-doing bring down the thrones of the mighty.	23 A mighty wind shall confront them and a tempest winnow them out; Thus lawlessness shall lay the whole earth waste and evildoing overturn the thrones of potentates.