Wisdom of Solomon 2

¹Their foolish minds lead them

to say to each other:

“Life is short and sad—

the end is certain to come,

and no one escapes the grave.

²Only by chance were we born,

and after we are gone,

everything will be

as though we had never been.

Our breath is merely smoke,

and reason is a spark

from the beat of our hearts.

³When that beating ends,

our bodies turn to dust,

and our spirits vanish

into thin air.

⁴In time we will be forgotten

and so will our deeds.

Life disappears like a cloud;

it melts away like mist

in the heat of the sun.

⁵Time fades away like a shadow,

and no one returns from death.

⁶“So make the most of life,[#Is 22.13; 1 Co 15.32.]

especially while you're young.

⁷Drink the very best wine,

wear expensive perfume,

and enjoy the spring flowers.

⁸Decorate your head with rosebuds

before they wilt.

⁹Do your share of celebrating!

Party always and everywhere—

that's what life is all about.

¹⁰Abuse the poor and the honest!

And do the same to widows

and old people.

¹¹After all, might is right,

and weakness is useless.

¹²“Destroy law-abiding people![#3 Macc 6.11.]

Get them out of the way.

All they do is condemn you

for breaking the law and doing

what we know is wrong.

¹³They claim to know the Lord God

and to be his children.

¹⁴That's why they criticize

your very thoughts.

¹⁵“Just looking at good people

is a heavy burden—

their lifestyle is so different;

in fact, it's strange.

¹⁶They think you're trash,

and they won't have anything

to do with you.

They claim God is their Father

and that he will reward them.

¹⁷“So test what they say

by watching them die.

¹⁸If those so-called good people

really are God's children,

he will look after them.

¹⁹We will insult and torture them

to find out how gentle

and patient they are.

²⁰We will sentence them

to a shameful death—

after all, they have said

that they will be protected.”

Evil People Are Foolish

²¹That's the reasoning of those

who are evil, and they are

both blind and foolish.

²²They don't understand

what God has in mind,

and they don't know the reward

for living right.

²³God created us to live forever,[#Gn 1.26,27.]

just as he himself does.

²⁴But death entered the world

because the devil was jealous,

and so all his followers die.