2
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.
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:
3 Which being extinguished, our body shall be turned into ashes, and our spirit shall vanish as the soft
air,
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.
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.
6 Come on therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are present: and let us speedily use the creatures
like as in youth.
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.
10 Let us oppress the poor righteous man, let us not spare the widow, nor reverence the ancient gray hairs
of the aged.
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.
15 He is grievous unto us even to behold: for his life is not like other men’s, his ways are of another
fashion.
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.
18 For if the just man be the son of God, he will help him, and deliver him from the hand of his enemies.
19 Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience.