CHAPTER 16
1 For he coveteth not the multitude of sons unfaithful and unprofitable.
2 Be thou not glad in wicked [or unpious] sons, if they be multiplied; neither delight thou on (or in) them, if the dread of God is not in them.
3 Believe thou not to (or in) the life of them, and behold thou not into the travails of them. For why better is one dreading God, than a thousand wicked [or unpious] sons. And it is more profitable to die without sons, than to leave wicked [or unpious] sons.
4 A country shall be inhabited of (or by) one witty man; and it shall be made (a) desert of (or by) three wicked men.
5 Mine eye saw many other things, and mine ear heard stronger things than these.
6 Fire shall burn on high in the synagogue of sinners, and ire shall burn on high in a folk unbelieveful.
7 Eld [or Old] giants that were destroyed, trusting on their virtue (or in their own strength), prayed not for their sins;
8 and God spared not the pilgrim-age of them, that is, their life, which is a pilgrimage (here) on earth, but he killed [or smote] them, and cursed them, for the pride of their word(s).
9 He had not mercy on them, and he lost [or destroying] all the folk enhancing (or exalting) themselves in their sins.
10 And as he killed six hundred thousand of footmen, that were gather-ed together in the hardness of their heart(s), that is, rebelty (or in rebellion) against God;
11 and if one had been hard-nolled, (it is a) wonder if he had been guilt-less. For why mercy and ire [or wrath] is with him; prayer is mighty, and shedding out ire [or pouring out wrath].
12 By, [or After], (or According to) his mercy, so is the chastising of each man; he is deemed by, [or he deemeth a man after], (or according to) his works.
13 A sinner in (or with his) raven shall not escape; and the sufferance of him that doeth mercy shall not tarry.
14 All mercy shall make (a) place to (or for) each man, after the merit of his works, and after the understanding of his pilgrimage.
15 (This verse is omitted in the original text.)
16 (This verse is omitted in the original text.)
17 Say thou not, I shall be hid from God; and from the highest, that is, heaven, who shall have mind on me? Say thou not, I shall not be known in (such) a great (number of) people; for why which [or what] is my soul in so great a (number of) creature(s)?
18 Lo! heaven, and the heavens of heavens, the great ocean, [or (the) deepness], and all [the] earth, and those things that be in those [or in them], shall be moved in his sight (or by his presence);
19 (the) mountains (al)together, and (the) little hills, and the foundaments (or the foundations) of (the) earth; and when God beholdeth those [or them], those [or they] shall be shaken (al)to-gether with trembling.
20 And in all these things the heart is unwise, and (or but) each heart is understood of (or by) him. And (or But) who understandeth his ways?
21 and a tempest, which the eye of man saw not? For why full many works of him be in hid things,
22 but who shall tell out the works of his rightfulness, either [or] who shall suffer (them)? For why the testament is far from some men; and the asking of men is in the ending.
23 He that is made little in heart, thinketh (upon) vain things; and a man unprudent and a fool thinketh (upon) fond things [or follies].
24 Son, hear thou me, and learn thou teaching [or discipline] of wit, and give thou attention to my words in thine heart;
25 and I shall say teaching in equity, and I shall seek to tell out wisdom. And give thou attention to my words in thine heart; and I say in equity of spirit the virtues, which God hath set on his works at the beginning [or that God put into his works from the beginning], and in truth I tell out the cunning (or the knowing) of him.
26 In the doom of God be his works from the beginning; and in the ordinance of those, he parted [or severed] the parts of those [or them], and he parted the beginnings of those [or them] in his folks.
27 He adorned without end the works of them; they hungered not, neither travailed, and they ceased not of their works.
28 Each shall not make strait [or anguish] the next to him, till into without end. Be thou not unbelieve-ful to the word of him.
29 After these things God beheld into the earth, and filled it with his goods (or his good things).
30 Forsooth the soul of each living thing told before his face; and that soul is again the turning again of those things.