Wisdom 5

¹Thanne iust men schulen stonde in greet stidfastnesse ayens hem that angwischiden `iust men, and whiche token awei her trauelis.

²Thei schulen se, and schulen be disturblyd with orrible drede, and thei schulen wondre in the sudeynte of heelthe vnhopid; and thei schulen weile for angwisch of spirit,

³and thei schulen seie, doynge penaunce withynne hem silf, and weilyng for the angwysch of spirit, These men it ben, whiche we hadden sum tyme in to scorn, and in to licnesse of vpbreidyng.

⁴We woode men gessiden her lijf woodnesse, and the ende of hem with oute onour;

⁵hou therfor ben thei rekened among the sones of God, and her part is among seyntis?

⁶Therfor we erriden fro the weie of treuthe, and the liyt of riytfulnesse schynede not to us, and the sunne of vndurstondyng roos not vp to us.

⁷We weren maad weri in the weie of wickidnesse and of perdicioun; and we yeden hard weies.

⁸But we knewen not the weie of the Lord; what profitide pride to vs, ethir what brouyte the boost of richessis to vs?

⁹All tho thingis passiden as schadewe, and as a messanger bifore rennynge.

¹⁰And as a schip, that passith thorou the flowynge watir, of which whanne it hath passid, it is not to fynde a step, nethir the path of the botme therof in wawys.

¹¹Ethir as a bryd, that flieth ouer in the eir, of which no preef is foundun of the weie therof, but oneli the sown of wengis betynge liyt wynde, and keruynge the eir by the myyt of weie, and with wyngis moued togidere it flei ouer, and aftir this no signe is foundun of the weie therof.

¹²Ethir as an arowe shot out in to a place ordeyned, the eir is departid, and is closid ayen anoon, that the passyng therof be not knowun.

¹³`So and we borun ceessiden anoon to be, and sotheli we myyten schewe no signe of vertu; but we weren wastid in oure malice.

¹⁴Thei that synneden, seiden siche thingis in helle.

¹⁵For the hope of a wickid man is as the flour of a brere which is takun awei of the wynd, and as smal froth which is scaterid of a tempest, and as smoke which is spred abrood of wynd, and as the mynde of `an herborid man of o dai, that passith forth.

¹⁶But iust men schulen lyue withouten ende, and the meede of hem is anentis the Lord; and the thouyt of hem is anentis the hiyeste.

¹⁷Therfor thei schulen take of the hond of the Lord the rewme of fairnesse, and the diademe of comelynesse; for he schal gouerne hem with his riythond, and he schal defende hem with his hooli arm.

¹⁸And his feruent loue schal take armure, and he schal arme the creature to the venieaunce of enemyes.

¹⁹He schal clothe riytfulnesse for an haburioun, and he schal take certeyn doom for a basynet;

²⁰he schal take a scheeld that may not be ouercomun, equyte;

²¹forsothe he schal whette hard wraththe in to a spere, and the world schal fiyte with him ayens vnwitti men.

²²Streiyte sendyngis out of leytis schulen go, and as the sidis of a reynbouwe, whanne the bouwe of cloudis is crokid, thei schulen be destried; and thei schulen skippe in to a certeyn place.

²³And fulle hailstones schulen be sent fro a stony wreththe, and the watir of the see schal wexe whijt ayens hem, and floodis schulen renne togider harde.

²⁴The spirit of vertu schal stonde ayens hem, and as the whirlyng of wind it schal departe hem; and the wickidnesse of hem schal brynge al the lond to desert, and malice schal distrye the seetis of myyti men.

Wisdom 5

¹Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labours.

²When they see it, they shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for.

³And they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit shall say within themselves, This was he, whom we had sometimes in derision, and a proverb of reproach:

⁴We fools accounted his life madness, and his end to be without honour:

⁵How is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot is among the saints!

⁶Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of righteousness rose not upon us.

⁷We wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness and destruction: yea, we have gone through deserts, where there lay no way: but as for the way of the Lord, we have not known it.

⁸What hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us?

⁹All those things are passed away like a shadow, and as a post that hasted by;

¹⁰And as a ship that passeth over the waves of the water, which when it is gone by, the trace thereof cannot be found, neither the pathway of the keel in the waves;

¹¹Or 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 stroke of her wings and parted with the violent noise and motion of them, is passed through, and therein afterwards no sign where she went is to be found;

¹²Or like as when an arrow is shot at a mark, it parteth the air, which immediately cometh together again, so that a man cannot know where it went through:

¹³Even so we in like manner, as soon as we were born, began to draw to our end, and had no sign of virtue to shew; but were consumed in our own wickedness.

¹⁴For the hope of the Godly is like dust that is blown away with the wind; like a thin froth that is driven away with the storm; like as the smoke which is dispersed here and there with a tempest, and passeth away as the remembrance of a guest that tarrieth but a day.

¹⁵But the righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High.

¹⁶Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them.

¹⁷He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armour, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies.

¹⁸He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet.

¹⁹He shall take holiness for an invincible shield.

²⁰His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise.

²¹Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark.

²²And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them.

²³Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty.