Wisdom 5

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Then shall the just stand with great constancy against those that have afflicted them, and taken away their labours.	1 Then shall the just one with great assurance confront his oppressors who set at nought his labors.
2 These seeing it, shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the suddenness of their unexpected salvation.	2 Seeing this, they shall be shaken with dreadful fear, and amazed at the unlooked-for salvation.
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 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 We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour.	4 fools that we were! His life we accounted madness, and his death dishonored.
5 Behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints.	5 See how he is accounted among the sons of God; how his lot is with the saints!
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 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 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 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 hath pride profited us? or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us?	8 What did our pride avail us? What have wealth and its boastfulness afforded us?
9 All those things are passed away like a shadow, and like a post that runneth on,	9 All of them passed like a shadow and like a fleeting rumor;
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 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 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; 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 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 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 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 Even so we, once born, abruptly came to nought and held no sign of virtue to display, but were consumed in our wickedness."
14 Such things as these the sinners said in hell:	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 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 just live forever, and in the LORD is their recompense, and the thought of them is with the Most High.
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 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 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 He shall take his zeal for armor and he shall arm creation to requite the enemy;
18 And his zeal will take armour, and he will arm the creature for the revenge of his enemies.	18 He shall don justice for a breastplate and shall wear sure judgment for a helmet;
19 He will put on justice as a breastplate, and will take true judgment instead of a helmet.	19 He shall take invincible rectitude as a shield
20 He will take equity for an invincible shield:	20 and whet his sudden anger for a sword, And the universe shall war with him against the foolhardy.
21 And he will sharpen his severe wrath for a spear, and the whole world shall fight with him against the unwise.	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 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 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 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 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.
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.