Chapter 5

Wisdom of Solomon

1Then shall the righteous stande in great boldenesse before the face of such as haue tormented him, and taken away his labours. 2When they see him, they shall be vexed with horrible feare, and shall be amased for his wonderfull deliuerance, 3And shal change their minds, & sigh for griefe of minde, & say within theselues, This is he whom we sometime had in derision & in a parable of reproch. 4Wee fooles thought his life madnesse, and his ende without honour. 5Howe is hee counted among the children of God, and his portion is among the Saintes! 6Therefore wee haue erred from the way of trueth, and the light of righteousnes hath not shined vnto vs, & the sunne of vnderstading rose not vpo vs. 7Wee haue wearied our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction, and wee haue gone through dangerous wayes: but we haue not knowen the way of the Lord. 8What hath pride profited vs? or what profite hath the pompe of riches brought vs? 9All those things are passed away like a shadow, and as a poste that passeth bye 10As a ship that passeth ouer the waues of the water, which when it is gone by, the trace thereof cannot be found, neither ye path of it in the floods: 11Or as a birde that flieth thorow in the ayre, and no man can see any token of her passage, but onely heare the noise of her wings beating the light winde, parting the aire through the vehemencie of her going, and fleeth on shaking her wings, whereas afterward no token of her way can be found: 12Or as when an arrow is shot at a marke, it parteth the aire, which immediately cometh together againe, so that a man canot know where it went thorow. 13Euen so we, assoone us we were borne, we began to drawe to our ende, & haue shewed no token of vertue, but are cosumed in our owne wickednes. 14For the hope of the vngodly is like the dust that is blowen away with the winde, & like a thinne fome that is scattered abroad with ye storme, & as the smoke, which is dispersed with the winde, and as the remembrance of him passeth, that tarieth but for a day. 15But the righteous shall liue for euer: their rewarde also is with the Lord, and the most High hath care of them. 16Therefore shall they receiue a glorious kingdome, and a beautifull crowne of the Lordes hande: for with his right hande shall hee couer them, and with his arme shall he defende them. 17He shal take his ielousie for armour, and shall arme the creatures to be reuenged of the enemies. 18He shall put on righteousnes for a brestplate, and take true iudgement in steade of an helmet. 19He wil take holines for an inuincible shielde. 20He will sharpen his fierce wrath for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against ye vnwise. 21Then shal the thunder boltes go streight out of the lightnings, and shall flee to the marke 22(5:21) As out of the bent bowe of the cloudes, and out of his anger that throweth stones, shall thicke haile be cast, and the water of the sea shalbe wroth against them, and the floods shall mightily ouerflowe. 23(5:22) And a mightie winde shall stande vp against them, & like a storme shall scatter them abroad. Thus iniquitie shal bring all the earth to a wildernes, and wickednes shal ouerthrow ye thrones of the mighty.