Wisdom of Solomon 3

But the souls of the righteous are ^ain the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. ²In the sight of ^bthe unwise they seemed to die: and their ^cdeparture is taken for misery, ³and their going from us to be ^dutter destruction: but they are in peace. ⁴For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their ^ehope full of immortality. ⁵And ^fhaving been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for ^gGod proved them, and found them worthy for himself. ^6hAs gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering. ⁷And in the time of their ⁱvisitation ^kthey shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. ^8lThey shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and ^mtheir Lord shall reign for ever. ⁹They that put their trust in him ⁿshall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall ^oabide with him: for ^pgrace and mercy is to his saints, ^pand he hath ⁱcare for his ^qelect. ¹⁰But ^rthe ungodly shall be punished according to their own imaginations, which have neglected the righteous, and forsaken the Lord.

¹¹For whoso ^sdespiseth wisdom and nurture, he is miserable, and their hope is vain, their labours unfruitful, and their works unprofitable: ¹²their wives are foolish, and their children wicked: ¹³their offspring is cursed. Wherefore blessed is the barren that is ^tundefiled, which hath not known the sinful ^tbed: ^ushe shall have fruit in the ⁱvisitation of souls. ¹⁴And blessed is ^uthe eunuch, which with his hands hath wrought no iniquity, nor imagined wicked things against God: for unto him shall be given the special gift of faith, and an inheritance in ^uthe temple of the Lord more acceptable to his mind. ¹⁵For glorious is the fruit of good labours: and ^vthe root of wisdom shall never fall away. ¹⁶As for ^wthe children of adulterers, ^xthey shall not come to their perfection, and the seed of an unrighteous bed shall be rooted out. ¹⁷For though they live long, yet shall they be nothing regarded: and their last age shall be without honour. ¹⁸Or, if they die quickly, ^ythey have no hope, neither ^zcomfort in the day of trial. ¹⁹For horrible is the end of the unrighteous generation.

IV.