| But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and the pain of death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise they appear to die, and their end is taken for very destruction, but they are in rest. And though they suffer pain before men, yet is their hope full of immortality. They are punished but in few things, nevertheless in many things shall they be well rewarded. For God proved them, and findeth them *mete for himself: yee as gold in the furnace doth he try them, and receiveth them as a burnt offering, and when the time cometh they shall be looked upon.
The righteous shall shine as the sparks that run through the reed bush. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. They that put their trust in him, shall understand the truth, and such as be faithful, will agree unto him in love: for his chosen shall have gifts and peace. But the ungodly shall be punished according to their own imaginations, for they have despised the righteous, and forsaken the Lord.
Who so despiseth wisdom and nurture, he is unhappy, and as for the hope of such, it is but vain, their labors unfruitful, and their works unprofitable. Their wives are *indiscreet, and their children most ungodly. Their creature is cursed. Blessed is rather, the barren and undefiled, which hath not known the sinful bed: she shall have fruit in the reward of the holy souls. And blessed is the gelded, which with his hands hath wrought no unrighteousness, nor imagined wicked things against God. For unto him shall be given the special gift of faith, and the most acceptable portion in the temple of God. For glorious is the fruit of good labor, and the root of wisdom shall never fade away. As for the children of *advouters, they shall come to an end, and the seed of an unrighteous bed shall be rooted out. And though they live long, yet shall they be nothing regarded, and their last age shall be without honor. If they die hastily, they have no hope, neither shall they be spoken to in the day of knowledge. For horrible is the death and end of the unrighteous. |
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*mete (worthy) *indiscreet, (*deceptive, uncaring, foolishness)
*advoutry: prefix "a" meaning not, or without, devout: devotion; plain hearted to God, being devoted to something or some one else. see James 2 for adultery
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