Wisdom Chapter 5

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 Then shall the just stand with great constancy against those that have afflicted them, and taken away their labours.
2 These seeing it, shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the suddenness of their unexpected salvation,
3 Saying within themselves, repenting, and groaning for anguish of spirit: These are they, whom we had sometime in derision, and for a parable of reproach.
4 We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour.
5 Behold, how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints.
6 Therefore we have erred from the way of truth, and the light of justice hath not shined unto us, and the sun of understanding hath not risen upon us.
7 We wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity and destruction, and have walked through hard ways, but the way of the Lord we have not known.
8 What hath pride profited us? or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us?
9 All those things are passed away like a shadow, and like a post that runneth on,
10 And as a ship, that passeth through the waves: whereof when it is gone by, the trace cannot be found nor the path of its keel in the waters:
11 Or as when a bird flieth through the air, of the passage of which no mark can be found, but only the sound of the wings beating the light air, and parting it by the force of her flight: she moved her wings, and hath flown through, and there is no mark found afterwards of her way:
12 Or as when an arrow is shot at a mark, the divided air quickly cometh together again, so that the passage thereof is not known:
13 So we also being born, forthwith ceased to be: and have been able to show no mark of virtue: but are consumed in our wickedness.
14 Such things as these the sinners said in hell:
15 For the hope of the wicked is as dust, which is blown away with the wind, and as a thin froth which is dispersed by the storm: and a smoke that is scattered abroad by the wind: and as the remembrance of a guest of one day that passeth by.
16 But the just shall live for evermore: and their reward is with the Lord, and the care of them with the most High.
17 Therefore shall they receive a kingdom of glory, and a crown of beauty at the hand of the Lord: for with his right hand he will cover them, and with his holy arm he will defend them.
18 And his zeal will take armour, and he will arm the creature for the revenge of his enemies.
19 He will put on justice as a breastplate, and will take true judgment instead of a helmet:
20 He will take equity for an invincible shield:
21 And he will sharpen his severe wrath for a spear, and the whole world shall fight with him against the unwise.
22 Then shafts of lightning shall go directly from the clouds, as from a bow well bent, they shall be shot out, and shall fly to the mark.
23 And thick hail shall be cast upon them from the stone casting wrath: the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the rivers shall run together in a terrible manner.
24 A mighty wind shall stand up against them, and as a whirlwind shall divide them: and their iniquity shall bring all the earth to a desert, and wickedness shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 Tunc stabunt justi in magna constantia
adversus eos qui se angustiaverunt,
et qui abstulerunt labores eorum.
2 Videntes turbabuntur timore horribili,
et mirabuntur in subitatione insperatæ salutis;
3 dicentes intra se, pœnitentiam agentes,
et præ angustia spiritus gementes:
Hi sunt quos habuimus aliquando in derisum,
et in similitudinem improperii.
4 Nos insensati, vitam illorum æstimabamus insaniam,
et finem illorum sine honore;
5 ecce quomodo computati sunt inter filios Dei,
et inter sanctos sors illorum est.
6 Ergo erravimus a via veritatis,
et justitiæ lumen non luxit nobis,
et sol intelligentiæ non est ortus nobis.
7 Lassati sumus in via iniquitatis et perditionis,
et ambulavimus vias difficiles:
viam autem Domini ignoravimus.
8 Quid nobis profuit superbia?
aut divitiarum jactantia quid contulit nobis?
9 Transierunt omnia illa tamquam umbra,
et tamquam nuntius percurrens,
10 et tamquam navis quæ pertransit fluctuantem aquam,
cujus cum præterierit non est vestigium invenire,
neque semitam carinæ illius in fluctibus;
11 aut tamquam avis quæ transvolat in aëre,
cujus nullum invenitur argumentum itineris,
sed tantum sonitus alarum verberans levem ventum,
et scindens per vim itineris aërem:
commotis alis transvolavit,
et post hoc nullum signum invenitur itineris illius;
12 aut tamquam sagitta emissa in locum destinatum,
divisus aër continuo in se reclusus est,
ut ignoretur transitus illius:
13 sic et nos nati continuo desivimus esse;
et virtutis quidem nullum signum valuimus ostendere,
in malignitate autem nostra consumpti sumus.
14 Talia dixerunt in inferno hi qui peccaverunt:
15 quoniam spes impii tamquam lanugo est quæ a vento tollitur,
et tamquam spuma gracilis quæ a procella dispergitur,
et tamquam fumus qui a vento diffusus est,
et tamquam memoria hospitis unius diei prætereuntis.
16 Justi autem in perpetuum vivent,
et apud Dominum est merces eorum,
et cogitatio illorum apud Altissimum.
17 Ideo accipient regnum decoris,
et diadema speciei de manu Domini:
quoniam dextera sua teget eos,
et brachio sancto suo defendet illos.
18 Accipiet armaturam zelus illius,
et armabit creaturam ad ultionem inimicorum.
19 Induet pro thorace justitiam,
et accipiet pro galea judicium certum;
20 sumet scutum inexpugnabile æquitatem.
21 Acuet autem duram iram in lanceam,
et pugnabit cum illo orbis terrarum contra insensatos.
22 Ibunt directe emissiones fulgurum,
et tamquam a bene curvato arcu nubium exterminabuntur,
et ad certum locum insilient.
23 Et a petrosa ira plenæ mittentur grandines;
excandescet in illos aqua maris,
et flumina concurrent duriter.
24 Contra illos stabit spiritus virtutis,
et tamquam turbo venti dividet illos;
et ad eremum perducet omnem terram iniquitas illorum,
et malignitas evertet sedes potentium.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition

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