Such as hope not of life to come, 6. addict themselves to present pleasures: 10. and persecute the just, especially our Saviour Christ, as contrary to their wickedness. 23. Death came upon man by the devil's envy.Such as hope not of life to come, 6. addict themselues to present pleasures: 10. and persecute the iust, especially our Sauiour Christ, as contrarie to their wickednes. 23. Death came vpon man by the diuels ennie.✦
For they have said thinking with themselves not well: Little, and with tediousness is the time of our life: and in the end of a man there is no recovery, and there is none known that hath returned from hell:FOR they haue said thinking with themselues not wel: Little, and with tediousnes is the time of our life: and in the end of a man there is no recouerie, and there is none knowne that hath returned from hel:Dixerunt enim cogitantes apud se non recte : Exiguum et cum tædio est tempus vitæ nostræ, et non est refrigerium in fine hominis, et non est qui agnitus sit reversus ab inferis.
2because of nothing were we born, and after this, we shall be as if we had not been: because the breath is a smoke in our nostrils: & speech a spark to move our heart.because of nothing were we borne, and after this, we shal be as if we had not bene: because the breath is a smoke in our nosthrels: & speach a sparke to moue our hart.Quia ex nihilo nati sumus, et post hoc erimus tamquam non fuerimus. Quoniam fumus flatus est in naribus nostris, et sermo scintilla ad commovendum cor nostrum :
3Which being extinguished, our body shall be ashes, and the spirit shall be poured abroad as soft air, and our life shall pass as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dissolved as a mist, which is driven away by the beams of the sun, and oppressed with the heat thereof:Which being extinguished, our bodie shal be ashes, and the spirit shal be powred abrode as soft ayre, and our life shal passe as the trace of a cloude, and shal be dissolued as a mist, which is driuen away by the beames of the sunne, and oppressed with the heate therof:qua extincta, cinis erit corpus nostrum, et spiritus diffundetur tamquam mollis aër ; et transibit vita nostra tamquam vestigium nubis, et sicut nebula dissolvetur quæ fugata est a radiis solis, et a calore illius aggravata.
4and our name in time shall be forgotten, and no man shall have remembrance of our works.and our name in time shal be forgotten, and no man shal haue remembrance of our workes.Et nomen nostrum oblivionem accipiet per tempus, et nemo memoriam habebit operum nostrorum.
5For our time is the passing of a shadow, and there is no return of our end: because it is sealed, and no man returneth.For our time is the passing of a shadow, and there is no returne of our end: because it is sealed, and no man returneth.Umbræ enim transitus est tempus nostrum, et non est reversio finis nostri : quoniam consignata est, et nemo revertitur.
6Come therefore, and let us enjoy the good things that are, and let us quickly use the creature as in youth.Come therfore, and let vs enioy the good thinges that are, and let vs quickly vse the creature as in youth.Venite ergo, et fruamur bonis quæ sunt, et utamur creatura tamquam in juventute celeriter.
7Let us fill ourselves with precious wine, and ointments: and let not the flower of the time pass us.Let vs fil ourselues with precious wine, and oyntments: and let not the flowre of the time passe vs.Vino pretioso et unguentis nos impleamus, et non prætereat nos flos temporis.
8Let us crown ourselves with roses, before they wither: let there be no meadow, which our riot shall not pass through.Let vs crowne ourselues with roses, before they wither: let there be no medow, which our riote shal not passe through.Coronemus nos rosis antequam marcescant ; nullum pratum sit quod non pertranseat luxuria nostra :
9Let none of us be exempted from our luxuriæ: righteousness; riotous excess, wantonness: every where let us leave signs of joy: because this is our portion, and this our lot.Let none of vs be exempted from our rioteousnes: euerie where let vs leaue signes of ioy: because this is our portion, and this our lot.nemo nostrum exsors sit luxuriæ nostræ. Ubique relinquamus signa lætitiæ, quoniam hæc est pars nostra, et hæc est sors.
10Let us oppress the poor just man, and not spare the widow, nor reverence the old man's grey head of long time.Let vs oppresse the poore iust man, and not spare the widow, nor reuerence the oldmans grey head of long time.Opprimamus pauperem justum, et non parcamus viduæ, nec veterani revereamur canos multi temporis :
11But let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is weak, is found unprofitable.But let our strength be the law of iustice: for that which is weake, is found vnprofitable.sit autem fortitudo nostra lex justitiæ ; quod enim infirmum est, inutile invenitur.
12Let us therefore circumveniamus: bypass, evade; beset, entrap the just, because he is unprofitable to us, and he is contrary to our works, and reproachfully improperat: raise a disagreement; cast up as a charge, lay to our charge unto us the sins of the law, and defameth in us the sins of our discipline.Let vs therfore circumuent the iust, because he is vnprofitable to vs, and he is contrarie to our workes, and reprochfully obiecteth vnto vs the sinnes of the law, and defameth in vs the sinnes of our discipline.Circumveniamus ergo justum, quoniam inutilis est nobis, et contrarius est operibus nostris, et improperat nobis peccata legis, et diffamat in nos peccata disciplinæ nostræ.
13He boasteth that he hath the knowledge of God, and nameth himself the son of God.He boasteth that he hath the knowlege of God, and nameth himselfe the sonne of God.Promittit se scientiam Dei habere, et filium Dei se nominat.
14He is made unto us to the defaming of our cogitations.He is made vnto vs to the defaming of our cogitations.Factus est nobis in traductionem cogitationum nostrarum.
15He is grievous unto us even to behold, because his life is unlike to others, and his ways are changed.He is greuous vnto vs euen to behold, because his life is vnlike to others, and his wayes are changed.Gravis est nobis etiam ad videndum, quoniam dissimilis est aliis vita illius, et immutatæ sunt viæ ejus.
16We are esteemed of him as triflers, and he abstaineth from our ways as from uncleanness, and he preferreth the later ends of the just, and glorieth that he hath God for his father.We are estemed of him as triflers, and he absteyneth from our wayes as from vncleannes, and he preferreth the later ends of the iust, and glorieth that he hath God for his father.Tamquam nugaces æstimati sumus ab illo, et abstinet se a viis nostris tamquam ab immunditiis, et præfert novissima justorum, et gloriatur patrem se habere Deum.
17Let us see therefore if his words be true, and let us tentemus: demonstrate; test, try what things shall come to him, and we shall know what shall be his later ends.Let vs see therfore if his wordes be true, and let vs proue what thinges shal come to him, and we shal know what shal be his later ends.Videamus ergo si sermones illius veri sint, et tentemus quæ ventura sunt illi, et sciemus quæ erunt novissima illius.
18For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him, & will deliver him from the hands of the adversaries.For if he be the true sonne of God, he wil defend him, & wil deliuer him from the hands of the aduersaries.Si enim est verus filius Dei, suscipiet illum, et liberabit eum de manibus contrariorum.
19By contumelia: insulting abuse, reviling and torment let us examine him, that we may know his reverence, and prove his patience.By contumelie and torment let vs examine him, that we may know his reuerence, and proue his patience.Contumelia et tormento interrogemus eum, ut sciamus reverentiam ejus, et probemus patientiam illius.
20To a most shameful death let us condemn him: for there shall be respect had unto him by his words.To a most shameful death let vs condemne him: for there shal be respect had vnto him by his wordes.Morte turpissima condemnemus eum ; erit enim ei respectus ex sermonibus illius.
21These things have they thought, and have erred: for their malice hath blinded them.These thinges haue they thought, and haue erred: for their malice hath blinded them.Hæc cogitaverunt, et erraverunt : excæcavit enim illos malitia eorum.
22And they have not known the sacramenta: sacred mysteries, hidden counsels of God, nor hoped for the reward of justice, nor esteemed the honour of holy souls.And they haue not knowen the sacraments of God, nor hoped for the reward of iustice, nor estemed the honour of holie soules.Et nescierunt sacramenta Dei : neque mercedem speraverunt justitiæ, nec judicaverunt honorem animarum sanctarum.
23For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him.For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his owne likenes he made him.Quoniam Deus creavit hominem inexterminabilem, et ad imaginem similitudinis suæ fecit illum.
24But by the envy of the devil, death entered into the world:But by the enuie of the diuel, death entred into the world:Invidia autem diaboli mors introivit in orbem terrarum :
25and they follow him that are of his part.and they folow him that are of his part.imitantur autem illum qui sunt ex parte illius.
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.