XVI. Desire not a multitude of aunprofitable children,

Neither delight in ungodly sons.

2  Though they multiply, rejoice not in them,

Except the fear of the Lord be with them.

3  Trust not thou in their life,

Neither respect their multitude:

For one that is just is better than a thousand;

And better it is to die without children, than to have them that are ungodly.

4  For by one that hath understanding shall the city be replenished:

But the * kindred of the wicked shall speedily become desolate.

5  Many such things have I seen with mine eyes,

And mine ear hath heard greater things than these.

6  bIn the congregation of the ungodly shall a fire be kindled;

And in a rebellious nation wrath * is set on fire.

7  cHe was not pacified towards the old giants,

Who fell away in the strength of their foolishness.

8  dNeither spared he the place where Lot sojourned,

But abhorred them for their epride.

9  eHe pitied not the people of perdition,

Who were taken away in their sins.

10  fNor gthe six hundred thousand footmen,

Who were gathered together in the hardness of their hearts.

11  And if there be one stiffnecked among the people,

It is marvel if he escape unpunished:

hFor mercy and wrath are with him;

He is mighty to forgive, and to pour out displeasure.

12  As his mercy is great, so is his correction also:

iHe judgeth a man according to his works.

13  kThe sinner shall not escape with his spoils:

And the patience of the godly shall not be frustrate.

14  Make way for every work of mercy:

For ievery man shall find according to his works.

15  lThe Lord hardened Pharaoh, that he should not know him,

That his powerful works might be known to the world.

16  His mercy is manifest to every creature;

And mhe hath separated his light from the darkness with an * n adamant.

17  Say not thou, oI will hide myself from the Lord:

Shall any remember me from above?

I shall not be remembered among so many people:

For what is my soul among such an infinite number of creatures?

18  Behold, pthe heaven, and the heaven of heavens,

The deep, and the earth, and all that therein is,

qShall be moved rwhen he shall visit.

19  sThe mountains also and tfoundations of the earth

Shall be shaken with trembling, when the Lord looketh upon them.

20  No heart can think upon these things worthily:

And uwho is able to conceive his ways?

21  It is a tempest which no man can see:

For xthe most part of his works are hid.

22  Who can declare the works of his justice? or who can endure them?

For his covenant is afar off,

And the trial of all things is in the end.

23  yHe that wanteth understanding will think upon vain things:

And a foolish man erring imagineth follies.

24  zMy son, hearken unto me, and learn knowledge,

And mark my words with thy heart.

25  I will shew forth doctrine ain weight,

And declare his knowledge bexactly.

26  cThe works of the Lord are done in judgment from the beginning:

And from the time he made them he disposed the parts thereof.

27  dHe garnished his works for ever,

And in his hand are the * chief of them unto all generations:

They neither labour, nor are weary, nor cease from their works.

28  None of them hindereth another,

And ethey shall never disobey his word.

29  fAfter this the Lord looked upon the earth,

And filled it with his blessings.

30  gWith all manner of living things hath he covered the face thereof;

And hthey shall return into it again.