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.
7 Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments: and let no flower of the spring pass by us:
8 Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds, before they be withered:
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.
11 Let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth.
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.
13 He professeth to have the knowledge of God: and he calleth himself the child of the Lord.
14 He was made to reprove our thoughts.
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.
17 Let us see if his words be true: and let us prove what shall happen in the end of him.
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.
20 Let us condemn him with a shameful death: for by his own saying he shall be respected.
21 Such things they did imagine, and were deceived: for their own wickedness hath blinded them.
22 As for the mysteries of God, they knew them not: neither hoped they for the wages of righteousness, nor discerned a reward for blameless souls.
23 For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity.
24 Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world: and they that do hold of his side do find it.
1 jo, aplami spriežot, cits citam tie teic:
“Īsa un skumja ir mūsu dzīve,
mūžam beidzoties, nav dziedināms cilvēks,
nav zināms neviens no mirušo valstības atlaists,
2 jo nejaušības dēļ mēs piedzimstam,
kā nebijuši reiz būsim:
vien dūmi – mūsu elpa,
dzirksts, sirdij sitoties, – domas;
3 tām izplēnot, ķermenis pārvēršas pelnos,
gars izšķīst kā netverams gaiss.
4 Laika ritumā tiks aizmirsts mūsu vārds,
mūsu darbus neatminēsies neviens,
kā mākoņi bez pēdām paies mūsu dzīve
un izklīdīs kā migla,
ko saules stari vajā un svelme spiež.
5 Mūsu laiks aizslīd garām kā ēna,
mūsu dzīves gals ir neatsaucams,
aizzīmogots, un neatgriežas neviens.
6 Tad nu šurp – baudīsim esošos labumus,
kā jaunībā mēdz, steigsim radīto izmantot!
7 Pildīsim sevi ar dārgāko vīnu un smaržām,
pavasara ziedam neļausim aizslīdēt garām!
8 Vainagosim sevi rožu pumpuriem, pirms tie vīst!
9 Lai tādas pļavas nav, kur nebūtu mēs dzīrojuši,
lai visur zīmes liecina par mūsu līksmi,
jo tā ir mūsu daļa, mūsu mantojums!
10 Apspiedīsim taisnīgu nabago,
atraitni nesaudzēsim,
neņemsim sirmgalvi vērā!
11 Bet mūsu spēks
lai top par taisnīguma likumu,
jo nelietderīgs, izrādās, ir nespēks.
12 No slēpņa uzglūnēsim taisnīgajam –
viņš ir par apgrūtinājumu;
pretojas tam, ko darām,
par pārkāpumiem peļ, ka bauslību mēs neievērojam,
un pārmet mums, ka grēkojam pret to, kā esam audzināti.
13 Viņš apgalvo, ka Dievu pazīstot,
un sevi sauc par Kunga bērnu.
14 Viņš – apsūdzība mūsu uzskatiem,
vien uzlūkojot viņu, mums jau smagi,
15 jo viņa dzīve nav tāda kā citiem,
pavisam citādas ir viņa takas.
16 Mēs viņa acīs – viltota nauda,
no mūsu ceļiem viņš vairās kā no visa, kas nešķīsts,
taisnīgo dzīves galu teic svētlaimīgu
un Dievu dižodamies sauc par tēvu.
17 Paskatīsim, cik patiesi ir viņa vārdi,
pārliecināsimies, kāds būs viņa gals:
18 ja taisnīgais būs Dieva Dēls,
Dievs viņam palīdzēs
un glābs no pretinieku rokām.
19 Pārbaudīsim viņu nievām un mokām,
lai iepazītu viņa iecietību
un viņa pacietību izpētītu;
20 ar kaunpilnu nāvi sodīsim,
jo taču – tā viņš apgalvo –
būs, kas to apraudzīšot!”
21 Akli savā ļaunumā,
tie šādi spriež un alojas,
22 nepazīstot Dieva noslēpumus,
necerot gūt dievbijības algu,
noniecinot goda balvu,
ko bezvainas dvēseles saņem,
23 jo neiznīcībai cilvēku radījis Dievs,
par savas dabas atveidu darījis.
24 Nāve pasaulē ienāca velna skaudības dēļ.
Tie nāvi piedzīvo, kas pieder nāvei.
