Weisheit 2

1For they have said, reasoning with themselves, but not right: The time of our life is short and tedious, and in the end of a man there is no remedy, and no man hath been known to have returned from hell:

2For we are born of nothing, and after this we shall be as if we had not been: for the breath in our nostrils is smoke: and speech a spark to move our heart,

3Which being put out, our body shall be ashes, and our spirit shall be poured abroad as soft air, and our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist, which is driven away by the beams of the sun, and overpowered with the heat thereof:

4And our name in time shall be forgotten, and no man shall have any remembrance of our works.

5For our time is as the passing of a shadow, and there is no going back of our end: for it is fast sealed, and no man returneth.

6Come therefore, and let us enjoy the good things that are present, and let us speedily use the creatures as in youth.

7Let us fill ourselves with costly wine, and ointments: and let not the flower of the time pass by us.

8Let us crown ourselves with roses, before they be withered: let no meadow escape our riot.

9Let none of us go without his part in luxury: let us everywhere leave tokens of joy: for this is our portion, and this our lot.

10Let us oppress the poor just man, and not spare the widow, nor honour the ancient grey hairs of the aged.

11But let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble, is found to be nothing worth.

12Let us therefore lie in wait for the just, because he is not for our turn, and he is contrary to our doings, and upbraideth us with transgressions of the law, and divulgeth against us the sins of our way of life.

13He boasteth that he hath the knowledge of God, and calleth himself the son of God.

14He is become a censurer of our thoughts.

15He is grievous unto us, even to behold: for his life is not like other men’s, and his ways are very different.

16We are esteemed by him as triflers, and he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness, and he preferreth the latter end of the just, and glorieth that he hath God for his father.

17Let us see then if his words be true, and let us prove what shall happen to him, and we shall know what his end shall be.

18For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him, and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies.

19Let us examine him by outrages and tortures, that we may know his meekness and try his patience.

20Let us condemn him to a most shameful death: for there shall be respect had unto him by his words.

21These things they thought, and were deceived: for their own malice blinded them.

22And they knew not the secrets of God, nor hoped for the wages of justice, nor esteemed the honour of holy souls.

23For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him.

24But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world:

25And they follow him that are of his side.

1[Dixerunt enim cogitantes apud se non recte: Exiguum et cum tædio est tempus vitæ nostræ, et non est refrigerium in fine hominis, et non est qui agnitus sit reversus ab inferis.

2Quia ex nihilo nati sumus, et post hoc erimus tamquam non fuerimus. Quoniam fumus flatus est in naribus nostris, et sermo scintilla ad commovendum cor nostrum:

3qua extincta, cinis erit corpus nostrum, et spiritus diffundetur tamquam mollis aër; et transibit vita nostra tamquam vestigium nubis, et sicut nebula dissolvetur quæ fugata est a radiis solis, et a calore illius aggravata.

4Et nomen nostrum oblivionem accipiet per tempus, et nemo memoriam habebit operum nostrorum.

5Umbræ enim transitus est tempus nostrum, et non est reversio finis nostri: quoniam consignata est, et nemo revertitur.

6Venite ergo, et fruamur bonis quæ sunt, et utamur creatura tamquam in juventute celeriter.

7Vino pretioso et unguentis nos impleamus, et non prætereat nos flos temporis.

8Coronemus nos rosis antequam marcescant; nullum pratum sit quod non pertranseat luxuria nostra:

9nemo nostrum exsors sit luxuriæ nostræ. Ubique relinquamus signa lætitiæ, quoniam hæc est pars nostra, et hæc est sors.

10Opprimamus pauperem justum, et non parcamus viduæ, nec veterani revereamur canos multi temporis:

11sit autem fortitudo nostra lex justitiæ; quod enim infirmum est, inutile invenitur.

12Circumveniamus ergo justum, quoniam inutilis est nobis, et contrarius est operibus nostris, et improperat nobis peccata legis, et diffamat in nos peccata disciplinæ nostræ.

13Promittit se scientiam Dei habere, et filium Dei se nominat.

14Factus est nobis in traductionem cogitationum nostrarum.

15Gravis est nobis etiam ad videndum, quoniam dissimilis est aliis vita illius, et immutatæ sunt viæ ejus.

16Tamquam nugaces æstimati sumus ab illo, et abstinet se a viis nostris tamquam ab immunditiis, et præfert novissima justorum, et gloriatur patrem se habere Deum.

17Videamus ergo si sermones illius veri sint, et tentemus quæ ventura sunt illi, et sciemus quæ erunt novissima illius.

18Si enim est verus filius Dei, suscipiet illum, et liberabit eum de manibus contrariorum.

19Contumelia et tormento interrogemus eum, ut sciamus reverentiam ejus, et probemus patientiam illius.

20Morte turpissima condemnemus eum; erit enim ei respectus ex sermonibus illius.

21Hæc cogitaverunt, et erraverunt: excæcavit enim illos malitia eorum.

22Et nescierunt sacramenta Dei: neque mercedem speraverunt justitiæ, nec judicaverunt honorem animarum sanctarum.

23Quoniam Deus creavit hominem inexterminabilem, et ad imaginem similitudinis suæ fecit illum.

24Invidia autem diaboli mors introivit in orbem terrarum:

25imitantur autem illum qui sunt ex parte illius.]

1For they have said, reasoning with themselves incorrectly: “Our lifetime is brief and tedious, and there is no relief within the limits of man, and no one is acknowledged to have returned from the dead.

2For we are born from nothing, and after this we will be as if we had not been, because the breath in our nostrils is like smoke, and conversation sends out sparks from the stirring of our heart;

3therefore, when it is extinguished, our body will be ashes, and our spirit will be diffused like a soft breeze, and our life will pass away like the wisp of a cloud, just as a mist is dissolved when it is driven away by the rays of the sun and overpowered by its heat.

4And in time our name will surrender to oblivion, and no one will have remembrance of our works.

5For our time is like the passing of a shadow, and nothing can reverse our end, for it is signed and sealed, and cannot be returned.

6Therefore, hurry, let us enjoy the good things of the present time, and let us quickly use up passing things, just as in youth.

7Let us indulge ourselves with costly wine and ointments, and let no flower of youth pass us by.

8Let us surround ourselves with rosebuds before they wither; let no meadow be left untouched by our indulgence.

9Let no one among us be exempt from our indulgence. Let us leave behind tokens of enjoyment everywhere, for this is our portion, and this is fate.

10Let us oppress the poor just man, and not spare the widow, nor respect the aged grey hairs of elders.

11But let our strength be the law of justice, for what is weak is found to be useless.

12Therefore, let us encircle the just, because he is useless to us, and he is against our works, and he reproaches us with our legal offenses, and makes known to us the sins of our way of life.

13He promises that he has the knowledge of God and he calls himself the son of God.

14He was made among us to expose our very thoughts.

15He is grievous for us even to behold, for his life is unlike other men’s lives, and immutable are his ways.

16It is as if we are considered by him to be insignificant, and he abstains from our ways as from filth; he prefers the newly justified, and he glories that he has God for his father.

17Let us see, then, if his words are true, and let us test what will happen to him, and then we will know what his end will be.

18For if he is the true son of God, he will receive him and deliver him from the hands of his adversaries.

19Let us examine him with insult and torture, that we may know his reverence and try his patience.

20Let us condemn him to a most shameful death, for, according to his own words, God will care for him.”

21These things they thought, and they were mistaken, for their own malice blinded them.

22And they were ignorant of the mysteries of God; they neither hoped for the reward of justice, nor judged the value of holy souls.

23For God created man to be immortal, and he made him in the image of his own likeness.

24But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,

25yet they imitate him, who are from his side.