¹It is better to be childless

than to lack virtue.

For virtuous people will live on forever

since they are honored by God and by people.

²When virtue is present, people imitate it,

and when it is absent, they long for it.

Forever it marches, crowned in triumph,

honorably winning lasting rewards.

³The numerous offspring of the ungodly will not thrive;

their illegitimate seedlings will not take deep root

or gain a firm hold.

⁴They may flourish for a time,

but they will be shaken by the wind because of their shallow roots

and uprooted by the force of the storm.

⁵The young branches will be broken off,

and their fruit will be useless,

not ripe enough to eat and good for nothing.

⁶For children who are born of sinful relationships

will be evidence of their parents’ wickedness when judgment comes.

⁷But the righteous, though they may die young,

will be at rest.

⁸Honor is not gained merely by a long life,

nor is it measured by a person’s age;

⁹but understanding comes with gray hair,

and a blameless life brings the honor of ripe old age.

¹⁰Once such a man pleased God and was loved by him.

While living among sinners, he was taken from the earth.

¹¹He was taken away so evil could not undermine his judgment

nor deceit seduce his soul.

¹²For fascination with wickedness obscures what is truly good,

and unrestrained desire perverts the innocent mind.

¹³He was made perfect in his few short years,

as though he had lived a long life.

¹⁴Since his soul pleased the Lord,

the Lord quickly took him from the wickedness around him.

¹⁵Yet the people saw this and did not understand it;

they did not take these things to heart:

that God shows grace and mercy to his chosen ones

and that he watches over his holy ones.

Terror for the Wicked

¹⁶The righteous who have died

condemn the wicked who are living,

and the youth who is made perfect in a short life

condemns the long life of the unjust.

¹⁷The unjust will see the end of the wise,

but they will not understand what the Lord has designed for them

and why he has taken them to safety.

¹⁸The unjust will see them and despise them,

but the Lord will laugh at the unjust.

¹⁹They will become dishonored corpses;

they will be a reproach among the dead forever.

He will throw them down speechless

and will shake them from their foundations.

They will be completely abandoned and left to suffer grief.

Even the memory of them will perish.

²⁰They will be filled with dread when their sins are recounted,

and their crimes will convict them.