¹The Lord created a human being

out of earth,

and he returned that human being

into it again.

²God gave human beings a set number

of days and a fixed time,

and he gave them authority

over the things that are upon the earth.

³God endowed them with strength like his, and he made them according

to his image.

⁴God made all living beings afraid of them, so that they might exercise dominion over the animals and birds.[#17.4 LXX adds 17:5 They received the use of the Lord’s five faculties, but he apportioned to them the gift of mind as a sixth, and the seventh, reason, the interpreter of his faculties.]

⁶God gave them the capacity to plan,

a tongue and eyes,

ears and a mind for thinking.

⁷God filled them with common sense,

and he showed them

good things and bad.

⁸God put awe for him in their hearts,

in order to show them the greatness

of his works.

⁹So that they might tell of the magnificence of his works,

¹⁰they will praise his holy name.

¹¹God placed knowledge before them,

and he gave them a code for living.

¹²God established an eternal covenant

with them,

and he showed them his decrees.

¹³They saw the majesty of his glory

with their own eyes,

and they heard his glorious voice

with their own ears.

¹⁴God said to them,

“Beware of every injustice,”

and he gave each of them commandments concerning

their neighbor.

¹⁵Their ways are always before him;

they won’t be hidden from his sight.

¹⁷God appointed a leader for each nation,

and Israel is

the Lord’s responsibility.

¹⁹All of their deeds are before him

as plain as the sun,

and his eyes are always on their ways.

²⁰Their wrongs are not hidden from him,

and all their sins are exposed

in the Lord’s presence.

²²A person’s acts of charity

are like a seal with him,

and he will treasure a person’s generosity like the apple of his eye.

²³Afterward God will rise up

and repay them;

he will deliver their repayment

upon their heads.

²⁴However, for those who changed their hearts and minds, God granted a way back, and he encouraged those

who were abandoning hope.

²⁵Turn back to the Lord

and leave sin behind;

offer prayers in his presence,

and reduce your offense.

²⁶Return to the Most High,

and turn from injustice,

and hate what he detests.

²⁷Who will praise the Most High

in the grave

instead of the living

and those who give thanks?

²⁸From the dead thanksgiving has perished, since they are no longer alive;

those who are alive and healthy

will praise the Lord.

²⁹How great is the Lord’s mercy!

How quickly is he reconciled

with those who turn back to him!

³⁰Human beings can’t do all things,

because no person is immortal.

³¹What shines brighter than the sun?

Even that fails.

Flesh and blood will hanker after evil.

³²The Lord examines the might

of heaven’s height,

and all human beings are dust and ashes.