Wisdom 5

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Then shall the just stand with great constancy against those that have afflicted them, and taken away their labours.	1 Then the upright will stand up boldly to face those who had oppressed him and had thought so little of his sufferings.
2 These seeing it, shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the suddenness of their unexpected salvation.	2 And, seeing him, they wil be seized with terrible fear, amazed that he should have been sounexpectedly saved.
3 Saying within themselves, repenting, and groaning for anguish of spirit: These are they, whom we had some time in derision, and for a parable of reproach.	3 Stricken with remorse, they wil say to one another with groans and labouring breath,
4 We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour.	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.
5 Behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints.	5 How has he come to be counted as one of the children of God and to have his lot among the holy ones?
6 Therefore we have erred from the way of truth, and the light of justice hath not shined unto us, and the sun of understanding hath not risen upon us.	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.
7 We wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity and destruction, and have walked through hard ways, but the way of the Lord we have not known.	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.
8 What hath pride profited us? or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us?	8 What good has arrogance been to us? What has been the purpose of our riches and boastfulness?
9 All those things are passed away like a shadow, and like a post that runneth on,	9 Al those things have passed like a shadow, passed like a fleeting rumour.
10 And as a ship that passeth through the waves: whereof when it is gone by, the trace cannot be found, nor the path of its keel in the waters:	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.
11 Or as when a bird flieth through the air, of the passage of which no mark can be found, but only the sound of the wings beating the light air, and parting it by the force of her flight; she moved her wings, and hath flown through, and there is no mark found afterwards of her way:	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.
12 Or as when an arrow is shot at a mark, the divided air presently cometh together again, so that the passage thereof is not known:	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.
13 So we also being born, forthwith ceased to be: and have been able to shew no mark of virtue: but are consumed in our wickedness.	13 So with us: scarcely born, we disappear; of virtue not a trace have we to show, we have spentourselves in our own wickedness!'
14 Such things as these the sinners said in hell:	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.
15 For the hope of the wicked is as dust, which is blown away with the wind, and as a thin froth which is dispersed by the storm: and a smoke that is scattered abroad by the wind: and as the remembrance of a guest of one day that passeth by.	15 But the upright live for ever, their recompense is with the Lord, and the Most High takes care of them.
16 But the just shall live for evermore: and their reward is with the Lord, and the care of them 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.
17 Therefore shall they receive a kingdom of glory, and a crown of beauty at the hand of the Lord: for with his right hand he will cover them, and with his holy arm he will defend them.	17 For armour he will take his jealous love, he wil arm creation to punish his enemies;
18 And his zeal will take armour, and he will arm the creature for the revenge of his enemies.	18 he wil put on justice as a breastplate, and for helmet wear his forthright judgement;
19 He will put on justice as a breastplate, and will take true judgment instead of a helmet.	19 he wil take up invincible holiness for shield,
20 He will take equity for an invincible shield:	20 of his pitiless wrath he will forge a sword, and the universe wil march with him to fight the reckless.
21 And he will sharpen his severe wrath for a spear, and the whole world shall fight with him against the unwise.	21 Bolts truly aimed, the shafts of lightning wil leap, and from the clouds, as from a ful -drawn bow, fly totheir mark;
22 Then shafts of lightning shall go directly from the clouds, as from a bow well bent, they shall be shot out, and shall fly 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,
23 And thick hail shall be cast upon them from the stone casting wrath: the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the rivers shall run together in a terrible manner.	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.
24 A mighty wind shall stand up against them, and as a whirlwind shall divide them: and their iniquity shall bring all the earth to a desert, and wickedness shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty.