Sapienza 2

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Dixerunt enim cogitantes apud se non recte: “ Exiguum et cum taedio est tempus vitae nostrae, et non est refrigerium in fine hominis, et non est agnitus, qui sit reversus ab inferis.	1 And this is the false argument they use, 'Our life is short and dreary, there is no remedy when our endcomes, no one is known to have come back from Hades.
2 Quia ex tempore nati sumus et post hoc erimus, tamquam non fuerimus, quoniam fumus flatus est in naribus nostris, et sermo scintilla in motu cordis nostri;	2 We came into being by chance and afterwards shal be as though we had never been. The breath in ournostrils is a puff of smoke, reason a spark from the beating of our hearts;
3 qua exstincta, cinis fiet corpus nostrum, et spiritus diffundetur tamquam mollis aer.	3 extinguish this and the body turns to ashes, and the spirit melts away like the yielding air.
4 Et nomen nostrum oblivioni tradetur per tempus, et nemo memoriam habebit operum nostrorum; et transibit vita nostra tamquam vestigium nubis, et sicut nebula dissolvetur, quae fugata est a radiis solis et a calore illius aggravata.	4 In time, our name wil be forgotten, nobody wil remember what we have done; our life will pass awaylike wisps of cloud, dissolving like the mist that the sun's rays drive away and that its heat dispels.
5 Umbrae enim transitus est tempus nostrum, et non est reversio finis nostri, quoniam consignata est, et nemo revertitur.	5 For our days are the passing of a shadow, our end is without return, the seal is affixed and nobodycomes back.
6 Venite ergo, et fruamur bonis, quae sunt, et utamur creatura tamquam in iuventute sollicite.	6 'Come then, let us enjoy the good things of today, let us use created things with the zest of youth:
7 Vino pretioso et unguentis nos impleamus, et non praetereat nos flos temporis verni;	7 take our fil of the dearest wines and perfumes, on no account forgo the flowers of spring
8 coronemus nos calycibus rosarum, antequam marcescant,	8 but crown ourselves with rosebuds before they wither,
9 nullum pratum exsors sit luxuriae nostrae; ubique relinquamus signa laetitiae, quoniam haec est pars nostra, et haec est sors.	9 no meadow excluded from our orgy; let us leave the signs of our revelry everywhere, since this is ourportion, this our lot!
10 Opprimamus pauperem iustum et non parcamus viduae nec veterani revereamur canos multi temporis.	10 'As for the upright man who is poor, let us oppress him; let us not spare the widow, nor respect oldage, white-haired with many years.
11 Sit autem fortitudo nostra lex iustitiae; quod enim infirmum est, inutile invenitur.	11 Let our might be the yardstick of right, since weakness argues its own futility.
12 Circumveniamus ergo iustum, quoniam inutilis est nobis et contrarius est operibus nostris et improperat nobis peccata legis et diffamat in nos peccata disciplinae nostrae.	12 Let us lay traps for the upright man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us forour sins against the Law, and accuses us of sins against our upbringing.
13 Promittit se scientiam Dei habere et filium Dei se nominat.	13 He claims to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord.
14 Factus est nobis in accusationem cogitationum nostrarum; gravis est nobis etiam ad videndum,	14 We see him as a reproof to our way of thinking, the very sight of him weighs our spirits down;
15 quoniam dissimilis est aliis vita illius, et immutatae sunt viae eius.	15 for his kind of life is not like other people's, and his ways are quite different.
16 Tamquam scoria aestimati sumus ab illo, et abstinet se a viis nostris tamquam ab immunditiis; beata dicit novissima iustorum et gloriatur patrem se habere Deum.	16 In his opinion we are counterfeit; he avoids our ways as he would filth; he proclaims the final end of theupright as blessed and boasts of having God for his father.
17 Videamus ergo, si sermones illius veri sint, et tentemus, quae in exitu eius erunt:	17 Let us see if what he says is true, and test him to see what sort of end he wil have.
18 si enim est verus filius Dei, suscipiet illum et liberabit eum de manibus contrariorum.	18 For if the upright man is God's son, God wil help him and rescue him from the clutches of hisenemies.
19 Contumelia et tormento interrogemus eum, ut sciamus modestiam eius et probemus patientiam illius;	19 Let us test him with cruelty and with torture, and thus explore this gentleness of his and put hispatience to the test.
20 morte turpissima condemnemus eum: erit enim ei visitatio ex sermonibus illius ”.	20 Let us condemn him to a shameful death since God wil rescue him -- or so he claims.'
21 Haec cogitaverunt et erraverunt; excaecavit enim illos malitia eorum,	21 This is the way they reason, but they are misled, since their malice makes them blind.
22 et nescierunt sacramenta Dei neque mercedem speraverunt sanctitatis nec iudicaverunt honorem animarum immaculatarum.	22 They do not know the hidden things of God, they do not hope for the reward of holiness, they do notbelieve in a reward for blameless souls.
23 Quoniam Deus creavit hominem in incorruptibilitate et imaginem similitudinis suae fecit illum;	23 For God created human beings to be immortal, he made them as an image of his own nature;
24 invidia autem Diaboli mors introivit in orbem terrarum; experiuntur autem illam, qui sunt ex parte illius.	24 Death came into the world only through the Devil's envy, as those who belong to him find to their cost.