1 Son, coming to the service of God, stand in justice, and in fear, & prepare thy soul to tentation.
1 Son, ¹when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation.
2 Repress thy heart, & sustain: incline thine ear, & receive the words of understanding, and make no haste in the time of obduction.
2 Humble thy heart, and endure: incline thy ear, and receive the words of understanding: and make not haste in the time of clouds.
3 Sustain the sustentations of God: be joined to God, and sustain, that thy life may increase in the later end.
3 Wait on God with patience: join thyself to God, and endure, that thy life may be increased in the latter end.
4 All that shall be applied to thee, receive: and in sorrow sustain, and in thy humiliation have patience:
4 Take all that shall be brought upon thee: and in thy sorrow endure, and in thy humiliation keep patience.
5 for gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.
5 ²For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.
6 Believe God, and he will recover thee: and direct thy way, and hope in him. Keep his fear, and grow old therein.
6 Believe God, and he will recover thee: and direct thy way, and trust in him. Keep his fear, and grow old therein.
7 Ye that fear our Lord, expect his mercy: & decline not from him, lest ye fall.
7 Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy: and go not aside from him lest ye fall.
8 Ye that fear our Lord, believe him, & your reward shall not be void.
8 Ye that fear the Lord, believe him: and your reward shall not be made void.
9 Ye that fear our Lord hope in him: and mercy shall come to you for your delectation.
9 Ye that fear the Lord hope in him: and mercy shall come to you for your delight.
10 Ye that fear our Lord, love him, & your hearts shall be illuminated.
10 Ye that fear the Lord, love him, and your hearts shall be enlightened.
11 Children behold the nations of men: and know ye that none hath hoped in our Lord, and hath been confounded.
11 My children behold the generations of men: and know ye that no one hath hoped in the Lord, and hath been confounded.
12 For who hath continued in his commandment, and hath been forsaken? Or who hath invocated him, and he despised him?
12 ³For who hath continued in his commandment, and hath been forsaken? Or who hath called upon him, and he despised him?
13 Because God is pitiful and merciful, and will forgive sins in the day of tribulation: and he is protector to all that seek him in truth.
13 For God is compassionate and merciful, and will forgive sins in the day of tribulation: and he is a protector to all that seek him in truth.
14 Woe to them of a double heart, & to wicked lips, and to the hands that do evil, and to the sinner that goeth on the earth two ways.
14 Woe to them that are of a double heart and to wicked lips, ⁴and to the hands that do evil, and to the sinner that goeth on the earth two ways.
15 Woe to them that be dissolute of heart, which believe not God: and therefore they shall not be protected of him.
15 Woe to them that are fainthearted, who believe not God: and therefore they shall not be protected by him.
16 Woe be to them, that have lost patience, and that have forsaken the right ways, and have declined into perverse ways.
16 Woe to them that have lost patience, and that have forsaken the right ways, and have gone aside into crooked ways.
17 And what will they do, when our Lord shall begin to look on them?
17 And what will they do, when the Lord shall begin to examine?
18 They that fear our Lord, will not be incredulous to his word: and they that love him, will keep his way.
18 They that fear the Lord, will not be incredulous to his word: ⁵and they that love him, will keep his way.
19 They that fear our Lord, will seek after the things that are well pleasing to him: and they that love him, shall be filled with his law.
19 They that fear the Lord, will seek after the things that are well pleasing to him: and they that love him, shall be filled with his law.
20 They that fear our Lord, will prepare their hearts, and in his sight will sanctify their souls.
20 They that fear the Lord, will prepare their hearts, and in his sight will sanctify their souls.
21 They that fear our Lord, keep his commandments, and will have patience even until his visitation,
21 They that fear the Lord, keep his commandments, and will have patience even until his visitation,
22 saying: If we do not penance, we shall fall into the hands of our Lord, and not into the hands of men.
22 Saying: If we do not penance, we shall fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men.
23 For according to his greatness, so also his mercy is with him.
23 For according to his greatness, so also is his mercy with him.