Wisdom 2

KING JAMES BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 For the ungodly said, reasoning with themselves, but not aright, Our life is short and tedious, and in the death of a man there is no remedy: neither was there any man known to have returned from the grave.	1 For they have said, reasoning with themselves incorrectly: “Our lifetime is brief and tedious, and there is no relief within the limits of man, and no one is acknowledged to have returned from the dead.
2 For we are born at all adventure: and we shall be hereafter as though we had never been: for the breath in our nostrils is as smoke, and a little spark in the moving of our heart:	2 For we are born from nothing, and after this we will be as if we had not been, because the breath in our nostrils is like smoke, and conversation sends out sparks from the stirring of our heart;
3 Which being extinguished, our body shall be turned into ashes, and our spirit shall vanish as the soft air,	3 therefore, when it is extinguished, our body will be ashes, and our spirit will be diffused like a soft breeze, and our life will pass away like the wisp of a cloud, just as a mist is dissolved when it is driven away by the rays of the sun and overpowered by its heat.
4 And our name shall be forgotten in time, and no man shall have our works in remembrance, and our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist, that is driven away with the beams of the sun, and overcome with the heat thereof.	4 And in time our name will surrender to oblivion, and no one will have remembrance of our works.
5 For our time is a very shadow that passeth away; and after our end there is no returning: for it is fast sealed, so that no man cometh again.	5 For our time is like the passing of a shadow, and nothing can reverse our end, for it is signed and sealed, and cannot be returned.
6 Come on therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are present: and let us speedily use the creatures like as in youth.	6 Therefore, hurry, let us enjoy the good things of the present time, and let us quickly use up passing things, just as in youth.
7 Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments: and let no flower of the spring pass by us:	7 Let us indulge ourselves with costly wine and ointments, and let no flower of youth pass us by.
8 Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds, before they be withered:	8 Let us surround ourselves with rosebuds before they wither; let no meadow be left untouched by our indulgence.
9 Let none of us go without his part of our voluptuousness: let us leave tokens of our joyfulness in every place: for this is our portion, and our lot is this.	9 Let no one among us be exempt from our indulgence. Let us leave behind tokens of enjoyment everywhere, for this is our portion, and this is fate.
10 Let us oppress the poor righteous man, let us not spare the widow, nor reverence the ancient gray hairs of the aged.	10 Let us oppress the poor just man, and not spare the widow, nor respect the aged grey hairs of elders.
11 Let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth.	11 But let our strength be the law of justice, for what is weak is found to be useless.
12 Therefore let us lie in wait for the righteous; because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings: he upbraideth us with our offending the law, and objecteth to our infamy the transgressings of our education.	12 Therefore, let us encircle the just, because he is useless to us, and he is against our works, and he reproaches us with our legal offenses, and makes known to us the sins of our way of life.
13 He professeth to have the knowledge of God: and he calleth himself the child of the Lord.	13 He promises that he has the knowledge of God and he calls himself the son of God.
14 He was made to reprove our thoughts.	14 He was made among us to expose our very thoughts.
15 He is grievous unto us even to behold: for his life is not like other men's, his ways are of another fashion.	15 He is grievous for us even to behold, for his life is unlike other men’s lives, and immutable are his ways.
16 We are esteemed of him as counterfeits: he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness: he pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed, and maketh his boast that God is his father.	16 It is as if we are considered by him to be insignificant, and he abstains from our ways as from filth; he prefers the newly justified, and he glories that he has God for his father.
17 Let us see if his words be true: and let us prove what shall happen in the end of him.	17 Let us see, then, if his words are true, and let us test what will happen to him, and then we will know what his end will be.
18 For if the just man be the son of God, he will help him, and deliver him from the hand of his enemies.	18 For if he is the true son of God, he will receive him and deliver him from the hands of his adversaries.
19 Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience.	19 Let us examine him with insult and torture, that we may know his reverence and try his patience.
20 Let us condemn him with a shameful death: for by his own saying he shall be respected.	20 Let us condemn him to a most shameful death, for, according to his own words, God will care for him.”
21 Such things they did imagine, and were deceived: for their own wickedness hath blinded them.	21 These things they thought, and they were mistaken, for their own malice blinded them.
22 As for the mysteries of God, they kn ew them not: neither hoped they for the wages of righteousness, nor discerned a reward for blameless souls.	22 And they were ignorant of the mysteries of God; they neither hoped for the reward of justice, nor judged the value of holy souls.
23 For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity.	23 For God created man to be immortal, and he made him in the image of his own likeness.
24 Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world: and they that do hold of his side do find it.	24 But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,
	25 yet they imitate him, who are from his side.