- 1
- For the vngodly said, reasoning with themselues, but not aright: Our life is short and tedious, and in the death of a man there is no remedie: neither was there any man knowen to haue returned from the graue.
- 2
- For wee are borne at all aduenture: & we shalbe heereafter as though we had neuer bene: for the breath in our nostrils is as smoke, and a litle sparke in the mouing of our heart.
- 3
- Which being extinguished, our body shall be turned into ashes, and our spirit shall vanish as the soft aire:
- 4
- And our name shalbe forgotten in time, and no man shall haue our works in remembrance, and our life shall passe away as the trace of a cloud: and shall be dispersed as a mist that is driuen away with the beames of the Sunne, and ouercome with the heat thereof.
- 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 commeth againe.
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- Come on therefore, let vs enioy the good things that are present: and let vs speedily vse the creatures like as in youth.
- 7
- Let vs fill our selues with costly wine, and ointments: and let no flower of the Spring passe by vs.
- 8
- Let vs crowne our selues with Rose buds, before they be withered.
- 9
- Let none of vs goe without his part of our voluptuousnesse: let vs leaue tokens of our ioyfulnesse in euery place: for this is our portion, and our lot is this.
- 10
- Let vs oppresse the poore righteous man, let vs not spare the widow, nor reuerence the ancient gray haires of the aged.
- 11
- Let our strength bee the Lawe of iustice: for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth.
- 12
- Therefore let vs lye in wait for the righteous: because he is not for our turne, and he is cleane contrary to our doings: he vpbraideth vs with our offending the Law, and obiecteth to our infamy the transgressings of our education.
- 13
- Hee professeth to haue the knowledge of God: and hee calleth himselfe the childe of the Lord.
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- Hee was made to reprooue our thoughts.
- 15
- Hee is grieuous vnto vs euen to beholde: for his life is not like other mens, his waies are of another fashion.
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- We are esteemed of him as counterfeits: he abstaineth from our wayes as from filthinesse: he pronounceth the end of the iust to be blessed, and maketh his boast that God is his father.
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- Let vs see if his wordes be true: and let vs proue what shall happen in the end of him.
- 18
- For if the iust man be the sonne of God, he will helpe him, and deliuer him from the hand of his enemies.
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- Let vs examine him with despitefulnesse and torrture, that we may know his meekenesse, and prooue his patience.
- 20
- Let vs condemne him with a shamefull death: for by his owne saying, he shall be respected.
- 21
- Such things they did imagine, and were deceiued: for their owne wickednesse hath blinded them.
- 22
- As for the mysteries of God, they knew them not: neither hoped they for the wages of righteousnesse: nor discerned a reward for blamelesse soules.
- 23
- For God created man to bee immortall, and made him to be an image of his owne eternitie.
- 24
- Neuerthelesse through enuie of the deuill came death into the world: and they that doe holde of his side doe finde it.
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