not: neither hoped they for | vifitation they fhall fhine, and the wages of righteousness: run to and fro like fparks anor difcerned a reward for mong the stubble. blameless fouls. 23 For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity. 24 Nevertheless, through envy of the devil came death into the world: and they that do hold of his fide do find it. 8 They fhall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord fhall reign for ever. 9 They that put their trust in him fhall understand the truth: and fuch as be faithful in love fhall abide with him for grace and mercy is to his faints, and he hath care for his elect. 10 But the ungodly Brighteous are in the fhall be punished according hand of God, and there fhall no torment touch them. to their own imaginations, which have neglected the 2 In the fight of the un-righteous, and forfaken the wife they seemed to die: and Lord. their departure is taken for mifery, 3 And their going from us to be utter deftruction: but they are in peace. 4 For though they be punifhed in the fight of men: yet is their hope full of immortality. 5 And having been a little chaftifed, they fhall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself. II For whofo defpifeth wisdom and nurture, he is miferable, and their hope is vain, their labours unfruitful, and their works unprofitable. 12 Their wives are foolifh, and their children wicked. 13 Their offspring is curfed: wherefore bleffed is the barren that is undefiled, which hath not known the finful bed: fhe fhall have" 6 As gold in the furnace fruit in the vifitation of hath he tried them, and re-fouls. ceived them as a burnt-offer ing. 14 And bleed is the eunuch, which with his hands 7 And in the time of their hath wrought no iniquity, umpheth for ever, having gotten the victory, ftriving for undefiled rewards. 3¶ But the multiplying brood of the ungodly fhall not thrive, nor take deep rooting from baftard flips, nor lay any fast foundation. 4 For though they flourish in branches for a time; yet ftanding not faft, they shall be fhaken with the wind, and through the force of winds they fhall be rooted out. 5 The imperfect branches fhall be broken off, their fruit unprofitable, not ripe to eat, yea, meet for nothing. 6 For children begotten of unlawful beds, are witneffes of wickedness against their parents in their trial. 7 But though the righte ous be prevented with death; yet fhall he be in reft. 8 For honourable age is not that which ftandeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years: 9 But wifdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unfpotted life is old age. 10 He pleafed God, and was beloved of him: so that living amongst finners he was translated. 11 Yea, fpeedily was I taken taken away, left that wick-carcafe, and a reproach aedness fhould alter his un-mong the dead for evermore. derstanding, or deceit beguile his foul. 12 For the bewitching of naughtinefs doth obfcure things that are honest: and the wandering of concupifcence doth undermine the fimple mind. 13 He being made perfect in a fhort time, fulfilled a long time. 14 For his foul pleafed the Lord therefore hafted he to take him away from among the wicked. 15 This the people faw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, that his grace and mercy is with his faints, and that he hath refpect unto his chofen. 16 Thus the righteous that is dead, fhall condemn the ungodly which are living; and youth that is foon perfected, the many years and old age of the unrighteous. 17 For they fhall fee the end of the wife, and fhall not understand what God in his counfel hath decreed of him, and to what end the Lord hath fet him in fafety. 18 They fhall fee him, and defpife him: but God fhall laugh them to fcorn, and they shall hereafter be a vile 19 For he fhall rend them, and caft them down headlong, that they fhall be fpeechlefs: and he fhall fhake them from the foundation : and they fhall be utterly laid wafte, and be in forrow: and their memorial shall perish. 20 And when they caft up the accounts of their fins, they fhall come with fear: and their own iniquities fhall convince them to their face. CHAP. V. HEN fhall the righte ous man ftand in great boldnefs, before the face of fuch as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labours. 2 When they fee it, they fhall be troubled with terrible fear, and fhall be amazed at the ftrangeness of his falvation, fo far beyond all that they looked for. 3 And they repenting and groaning for anguish of fpirit, fhall fay within themfelves, This was he whom we had sometimes in derifion, and a proverb of reproach. 4 T We fools accounted his life madnefs; and his end to be without honour. 5 ¶ How 5¶ How is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot is among the faints! 6 Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not fhined unto us, and the fun of righteousness rofe not upon us. 7 We wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness and deftruction: yea, we have gone through deferts, where there lay no way: but as for the way of the Lord, we have not known it. 8 What hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us! All thofe things are paffed away like a fhadow, and as a poft that hafteth by; through, and therein afterwards no fign where she went is to be found; 12 Or like as when an arrow is fhot at a mark, it parteth the air, which immediately cometh together again, fo that a man cannot know where it went through. 13 Even fo we, in like manner, as foon as we were born, began to draw to our end, and had no fign of virtue to fhew; but were confumed in our own wickednefs. 14 For the hope of the ungodly is like duft that is blown away with the wind; like a thin froth that is driven away with the storm; like as the fmoke which is difperfed here and there with a tempeft, and paffeth away as the remembrance of a guest that tarrieth but a day. 10 And as a ship that paffeth over the waves of the water, which when it is gone by, the trace thereof cannot 15 But the righteous live be found, neither the path-for evermore; their reward way of the keel in the alfo is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the moft High. waves; II Or as when a bird hath flown through the air, there is no token of her way to be found, but the light air being beaten with the ftroke of her wings, and parted with the violent noife and motion of them, is paffed 17 He shall take to him 2 Give ear, ye that rule his jealoufy for complete ar- the people, and glory in the mour, and make the crea-multitude of nations. 3 For power is given you of the Lord, and fove ture his weapon for the revenge of his enemies. 18 He fall put on righte-reignty from the Higheft, ousness as a breaft-plate, and who fhall try your works, true judgment inftead of an and fearch out your counfels. helmet. 19 He fhall take holinefs for an invincible shield. 20 His fevere wrath fhall he fharpen for a sword, and the world fhall fight with him against the unwife. 21 Then shall the rightaiming thunderbolts go abroad, and from the clouds, as from a well-drawn bow, fhall they fly to the mark. 22 And hailftones full of wrath fhall be caft as out of a ftone-bow, and the water of the fea fhall rage against them, and the floods fhall cruelly drown them. 23 Yea, a mighty wind fhall ftand up against them, and like a ftorm fhall blow them away: thus iniquity fhall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing fhall overthrow the thrones of the mighty. CHAP. VI. HEA 4 Because being ministers of his kingdom, ye have not judged aright, nor kept the law, nor walked after the counsel of God. 5¶ Horribly and speedily fhall he come upon you: for a fharp judgment fhall be to them that be in high places. 6 For mercy will foon pardon the meaneft: but mighty men fhall be mightily tormented. 7 For he which is Lord over all, fhall fear no man's perfon, neither fhall he stand in awe of any man's greatnefs: for he hath made the fmall and great, and careth for all alike. 8 But a fore trial fhall come upon the mighty. 9 O Unto you therefore, kings, do I fpeak, that ye may learn wisdom, and not fall away. 10 For they that keep holinefs holily, fhall be judged holy: and they that have EAR therefore, O ye kings, and under-learned fuch things, fhall find ftand; learn, ye that be judg- what to answer. es of the ends of the earth. II Wherefore fet your affection |