1 It is better to have virtue, even if it means having no children. Your virtue will be recognized by other people and by God, and you will be remembered for it forever. 2 Virtue provides an example for people to follow; when it is not there, they miss it. It has always been the finest prize a person can win, and it always will be so. It is the noblest of all the good qualities a person can have.
3 No matter how many children are born of a forbidden union, none of them will ever amount to anything. They are illegitimate; they can never lay a firm foundation for themselves, never take deep root. 4 Like trees with shallow roots, they put out leaves for a while, but they sway in the wind, and storms uproot them. 5 Their branches snap off before they mature; their fruit never ripens, and it is good for nothing. 6 On Judgment Day children born of a forbidden union will testify to the sin of their parents and act as witnesses against them.
7 Righteous people, however, will find rest, even if they die young. 8 We honor old age, but not just because a person has lived a long time. 9 Wisdom and righteousness are signs of the maturity that should come with old age.
The Example of Enoch
10 Once there was a man named Enoch who pleased God, and God loved him. While Enoch was still living among sinners, God took him away, 11 so that evil and falsehood could not corrupt his mind and soul. ( 12 We all know that people can be so fascinated by evil that they cannot recognize what is good even when they are looking right at it. Innocent people can be so corrupted with desire that they can think of nothing but what they want.) 13 This man Enoch achieved in a few years' time a perfection that other people could never attain in a complete lifetime. 14 The Lord was pleased with Enoch's life and quickly took him out of this wicked world. People were aware of his departure but didn't understand. They never seemed to learn the lesson 15 that God is kind and merciful to his own people; he protects those whom he has chosen.
The Fate of the Wicked
16 Even when righteous people are dead and gone, they put to shame the wicked people who live on after them. In their old age the wicked will be disgraced by young people who have already achieved perfection. 17 The wise may die young, but the wicked will never understand that this is the Lord's way of taking them off to safety. 18 They make light of a wise person's death, but the Lord will soon be laughing at them. When they die, they will not be given an honorable burial. Even the dead will hold them in scorn and disgust forever. 19 God will throw them to the ground and make them speechless. Like buildings shaken from their foundations, they will be reduced to piles of ruins. They will be in torment. People will soon forget all about them. 20 They will come in fear to the Judgment, where their sins will be counted; they will stand condemned by their own lawless actions.
1 Labāk dzīve bez bērniem, bet tikumīga –
jo nemirstīgā piemiņā ir tikums,
gan Dievam, gan cilvēkiem zināms –,
2 kā piemēram seko,
ko zudušu apraud,
kas, uzvaras balvas guvusi godīgā cīniņā,
iet vainagota svinīgu gājienu mūžībā.
3 Turpretim bērnu daudzums nelīdzēs bezdievīgo pulkam,
no ārlaulības atvasēm neviena neiesakņosies dziļi,
droša pamata nebūs nevienai;
4 pat ja zaros sakuplos uz brīdi,
ļodzīgi augušas, svārstīsies vējā,
vētra ar saknēm tās izraus,
5 dzinumus vēl jaunus aplauzīs.
Neizmantojams –
negatavs un uzturā nelietojams būs auglis,
nekam nederīgs,
6 jo liegtās skaujās ieņemtie bērni
par vecāku ļaunumu liecinās tiesas dienā.
Taisnīgo priekšlaicīgā nāve un bezdievīgo gals
7 Bet taisnīgajam būs atpūta,
pat ja viņš nelaikā mirtu,
8 jo ne jau ilga mūža dēļ vecums ir pelnījis cieņu,
ne jau gados tas mērāms:
9 tas, ko ļaudis sauc par sudrabu matos, ir prātīgums,
un nevainojama dzīve – redzi, kas ir sirmgalvja vecums.
10 Dievs iemīlēja taisnīgo, kas bija kļuvis viņam patīkams,
no grēkotāju vidus aizsauca,
11 nolaupīja, lai sirdsapziņu nesamaitā ļaunums,
lai viltīgums dvēseli nepieviļ,
12 jo nekrietnības burvība vājina labo
un kaislību virpuļos sagriežas prāts, kas nepazīst ļauna.
13 Īsā laika sprīdī pilnīgots,
garu gadu gājumu taisnīgais piepildīja,
14 jo Kungam bija patīkama viņa dvēsele,
ko tādēļ aizsauca ar steigu prom no ļaunā vidus.
Bet ļaudis redz un nesaprot
un prātā neapsver,
15 ka savus izredzētos Dievs
ar žēlastību apveltī un žēlo,
ka aprauga viņš savus svētos.
16 Taisnīgais, kas guris cīņā,
tiesu spriedīs bezdievīgajam, kas dzīvo;
strauji pilnīgotais jaunībā –
netaisnajam sirmgalvja gados.
17 Redzēs ļaudis gudrā dzīves galu,
bet neaptvers, ko viņam iecerējis Kungs,
kālab to saucis drošībā.
18 Redzēs tie – un nicinās,
bet par viņiem pašiem smiesies Kungs;
19 un tad viņi būs negodā krituši līķi ,
uz visu mūžību apsmiekls mirušo vidū,
jo mēmus viņš zemē tos trieks,
no pamatiem izkustinās,
par tuksnesi pārvērtīs.
Tie mocīsies ciešanās,
un viņu piemiņa gaisīs.
20 Par saviem grēkiem atbildēt
tie, baiļu mākti, nāks,
un vaigu vaigā apsūdzēs
tos viņu noziegumi.
