For they said within themselves, reasoning not aright: Our life is short and sorrowful, and there is no remedy when a man cometh to his end, neither was there known any to have returned from hell. Let us therefore lie in wait for the righteous; because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings: he upbraideth us with our offending the law, and objecteth to our infamy the transgressions of our education. He professeth to have the knowledge of God: and he calleth himself the child of the Lord.

For we are born of nothing, and after this we shall be as though we had never been: for the breath in our nostrils is as smoke, and a little spark in the moving of our heart: Which being extinguished, our body shall be turned into ashes, and our spirit shall vanish as the soft air. And our name shall be forgotten in time, and no man shall have our works in remembrance.

And our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist, which is driven away with the beams of the sun, and overcome with the heat thereof.

For our time is a very shadow that passeth away; and after our end there is no returning: for it is fast sealed, and no man cometh again.

Come on therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are present: and let us speed use of the creatures like as in youth.

Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments: and let no flower of the spring pass by us.

Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds, before they be withered: let no meadow alone untouched with our riot.

Let none of us go without his part of our voluptuousness: let us leave tokens of our joyfulness in every place: for this is our portion, and our lot is this.

Let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth.

Let us oppress the poor righteous man, let us not spare the widow, nor reverence the ancient gray hairs of the old.

But let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth.

He professeth to have the knowledge of God, and he calleth himself the child of the Lord.

He was made to reprove our thoughts.

He is grievous unto us even to behold: for his life is not like other men's, his ways are of another fashion.

Let us see if his words be true: and let us prove what shall happen in the end of him.

For if the just man be the son of God, he will help him, and deliver him from the hand of his enemies.

Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience.

Let us condemn him with a shameful death: for by his own saying he shall be respected.

Such things did they imagine, and were deceived: for their own wickedness hath blinded them.

For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity.

Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world:

And they that do hold of his side do find it.