1. THEN shal the iust stand in great constancie against those that haue afflicted them, and taken away their labours.
2. They seing shal be trubled with horrible feare, and shal meruel at the sodennes of vnexpected saluation,
3. saying within themselues, repenting, and sighing for anguish of spirit: These are they, whom we had sometime in derision, and in a parable of reproch.
4. We senselesse estemed their life madnes, and their end without honour.
5. Behold how they are counted among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints.
6. We therfore haue erred from the way of truth, and the light of iustice hath not shined to vs, and the sunne of vnderstanding rose not to vs.
7. We are weried in the way of iniquitie and perdition, and haue walked hard wayes, but the way of our Lord we haue not knowen.
8. What hath pride profited vs? or what commoditie hath the vaunting of riches brought to vs?
9. Al those thinges are passed away as a shadow, and as a messenger running before,
10. and as a shippe, that passeth through the surging waters: wherof, when it is past, the trace can not be found, nor the path of that shippes keele in the waues:
11. or as a bird, that flyeth through in the ayre, of which there is no token can be found of her passage, but only a sound of the winges beating the light winde: and by vehemence of going cutting the ayre, mouing the winges she is flowen through, and afterward there is no signe found of her way:
12. or as when an arrow is shotte forth to a sette marke, the diuided ayre is forthwith closed in itself againe, so that the passage therof is not knowen:
13. so we also being born forthwith ceased to be: and of vertue certes haue bene able to shew no signe: but in our naughtines we are consumed.
14. Such thinges sayd they in hel, which sinned:
15. because the hope of the impious is as dust, which is taken away with the winde: and as a thinne froth, which is dispersed by the storme: and as smoke that is scatered abrode by the winde: and as the memorie of a ghest of one day that passeth.
16. But the iust shal liue for euer, and their reward is with our Lord, and cogitation of them with the Highest.
17. Therfore shal they receiue a kingdom of honour, & a crowne of beautie at the hand of our Lord: because with his right hand he wil couer them, and with in his holie arme he wil defend them.
18. And his zele wil take armour, and he wil arme the creature to the reuenge of the enemies.
19. He wil put on iustice for a brestplate, & wil take sincere iudgement for an helmet:
20. he wil take equitie for an inuincible shilde:
21. and he wil sharpen fierce wrath for a speare, and the round world shal fight with him against the senslesse.
22. The shottes of lightenings shal goe directly, & as it were from a bow of the clouds wel bent they shal be cast forth, and shal light on a certaine place.
23. And from rocked wrath shal thicke haile stones be cast, the water of the sea shal rage against them, and the riuers shal runne together roughly.
24. A spirit of powre shal stand against them, and as a hurlewinde shal diuide them: and their iniquitie shal bring al the land to a desert, and naughtines shal ouerthrow the seates of the mightie.