Wisdom of Solomon 5

1 Then the righteous person will stand with great confidence before those who afflicted him and disregarded his labors. 2 When they see him, they will be shaken with terrible fear and amazed at his unexpected rescue. 3 They will change their minds, groan in anguish of spirit, and say among themselves:

4 “This is the one we once made a laughingstock and a proverb of reproach. We fools considered his life madness and his end dishonorable. 5 How has he been numbered among the sons of God, and how is his portion among the holy ones? 6 So we strayed from the path of truth. The light of righteousness did not shine on us, and the sun did not rise on us. 7 We had our fill of paths of lawlessness and destruction and traveled through trackless deserts, but we did not know the Lord’s way. 8 What did our pride gain for us? What did wealth joined with boasting bring us?

9 All those things passed away like a shadow and like a message rushing by, 10 like a ship crossing surging water. After it has passed, no trace can be found and no path of its keel remains among the waves. 11 Or they passed like a bird flying through the air, where no sign of its path is found. The light air is struck by the beat of its wings and split by the force and rush of their motion; afterward no sign of its passage is found there. 12 Or they passed like an arrow shot at a target. The divided air immediately comes together again, so no one knows where it passed through. 13 So we too were born and then came to an end. We had no sign of virtue to show, but we were consumed by our own evil.”

14 The hope of the ungodly is like chaff carried by the wind, like thin frost driven by a storm, like smoke dispersed by the wind, and like the memory of a guest who stays only one day. 15 But the righteous live forever. Their reward is with the Lord, and the Most High cares for them. 16 Therefore they will receive a glorious kingdom and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand. He will shelter them with his right hand and protect them with his arm.

17 He will take his zeal as full armor and arm creation to defend against his enemies. 18 He will put on righteousness as a breastplate and wear impartial judgment as a helmet. 19 He will take holiness as an invincible shield. 20 He will sharpen his stern wrath into a sword, and the world will fight beside him against the senseless. 21 Well-aimed bolts of lightning will go out and leap from the clouds toward their target as from a well-drawn bow. 22 Hailstones full of wrath will be hurled from a catapult. Sea water will rage against them, and rivers will overwhelm them mercilessly. 23 A powerful wind will rise against them and winnow them away like a storm. Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth, and evildoing will overturn the thrones of sovereigns.