Chapter 3
1 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
And no torment will touch them.
2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died;
And their departure was accounted to be their hurt,
3 And their journeying away from us to be their ruin:
But they are in peace.
4 For even if in the sight of men they be punished,
Their hope is full of immortality;
5 And having borne a little chastening, they will receive great good;
Because God made trial of them, and found them worthy of himself.
6 As gold in the furnace he proved them,
And as a whole burnt offering he accepted them.
7 And in the time of their visitation they will shine forth,
And as sparks among stubble they will run to and fro.
8 They will judge nations, and have dominion over peoples;
And the Lord will reign over them for evermore.
9 They that trust on him will understand truth,
And * Or, those who are faithful through love will abide with him the faithful will abide with him in love;
Because grace and mercy are to his chosen.
10 But the ungodly will be requited even as they reasoned,
They which lightly regarded † Or, that which is righteous the righteous man, and revolted from the Lord;
11 (For he that sets at nothing wisdom and discipline is miserable;)
And void is their hope and their toils unprofitable,
And useless are their works:
12 Their wives are foolish, and wicked are their children;
13 Accursed is their begetting.
Because happy is the barren that is undefiled,
She who has not conceived in transgression;
She will have fruit when God visiteth souls.
14 And happy is the eunuch which has wrought no lawless deed with his hands,
Nor imagined wicked things against the Lord;
For there will be given him for his faithfulness ‡ Or, the grace of God’s chosen Gr. a chosen grace. a peculiar favor,
And a lot in the sanctuary of the Lord more delightsome than wife or children.
15 For good labors have fruit of great renown;
And the root of understanding can’t fail.
16 But children of adulterers will not come to maturity,
And the seed of an unlawful bed will vanish away.
17 For if they live long, they will be held in no account,
And at the last their old age will be without honor.
18 And if they die quickly, they § Some authorities read have will have no hope,
Nor in the day of decision will they have consolation.
19 For ** Gr. the ends...are grievous. the end of an unrighteous generation is always grievous.