2 Forsooth wicked men said, thinking with themselves not rightfully, The time of our life is little, and with annoyance (or harm); no refreshing is in the end of a man, and none there is, that is known, that (re)turned again from hells (or from the grave). [Forsooth unpious men said, thinking with themselves not right, Little and with annoyance is the time of our life; there is not refreshing in the end of a man, and there is not, (any) that be known, turned again from hell.]
2 For we were born (out) of nought, and after this time we shall be, as if we had not been; for why smoke is blown out in (or of) our nostrils, and a word of sparkle to stir our heart. [For of nought we be born, and after these things we shall be, as though we had not been; for smoke and blast is in our nostrils, and sermon of a sparkle to stir (al)together our heart.]
3 For our body shall be quenched ashes, and the spirit shall be scattered abroad as soft air; and our life shall pass as the step of a cloud, and it shall be departed as a mist, which is driven away of (or by) the beams of the sun, and is grieved of (or by) the heart thereof.
4 And our name shall take forgetting by the passing of time; and no man shall have mind (or remembrance) of our works.
5 For why our time is the passing of a shadow, and no (re)turning again of (or after) our end there is; for it is asealed, and no man (re)turneth again. [Forsooth the passing of the shadow is our time, and there is not turning again of our end; for it is all closed, and no man turneth again.]
6 Therefore come ye [or Cometh then], and use we the goods that be, and use we a creature, as in youth, swiftly.
7 Fill we us with precious wine and ointments; and the flower of time pass not (by) us.
8 Crown we us with roses, before that they wither; no meadow be, that our lechery pass not by. [Crown we us with roses, ere they wither; no meadow be, that our lechery pass not through.]
9 No man of us be there without part of our lechery; everywhere leave we the signs of gladness; for this is our part, and this is our heritage, (or our inheritance). [None of us be without lot of our lechery; over all leave we signs of gladness; for this is our part, and this is our lot.]
10 Oppress we a poor just man, and spare we not a widow, neither reverence we hoar hairs of an old man of much time. [Oppress we the rightwise poor man, and spare we not to the widow, nor worship we hoar hairs of the old man of much time.]
11 But our strength be the law of rightfulness; for why that that is feeble, is found unprofitable.
12 Therefore deceive we a just man, for he is unprofitable to us, and he is contrary to our works; and he upbraideth to us the sins of (the) law, and he defameth on us the sins of our teaching. [Beguile we then the rightwise man, for unprofitable he is to us, and contrary to our works; and reprovingly putteth to us the sins of law, and defameth against us the sins of our discipline.]
13 He promiseth that he hath the cunning (or the knowing) of God, and he nameth himself the son of God.
14 He is made to us into showing of our thoughts.
15 He is grievous to us, yea, to see; for why his life is unlike to other men, and his ways be changed.
16 We be guessed of him to be triflers, that is, men of no virtue, and he abstaineth himself from our ways, as from uncleannesses; and he before-setteth the last things of just men, and he hath glory, that he hath God (as) his father. [As triflers we be esteemed of him, and he abstaineth himself from our ways, as from uncleannesses; and he telleth before the last things of rightwise men, and he glorieth himself to have God to father.]
17 Therefore see we, if his words be true; and assay we, what things shall come to him; and we shall know, what shall be the last things of him.
18 For if he is the very (or the true) son of God, he shall up-take him, and shall deliver him from the hands of them that be contrary to him. [If forsooth he is the very son of God, he shall undertake him, and deliver him from the hands of the contrarious.]
19 Ask we him by despising and torment, (so) that we know his reverence, and that we prove his patience.
20 By most foul death condemn we him, for why beholding shall be of his words. [By most foul death condemn we him; forsooth respect shall be of the words of him.]
21 They thought these things, and they erred; for why their malice blinded them. [These things they thought, and erred; and the malice of them blinded them.]
22 And they knew not the sacraments of God, neither they hoped (for) the meed (or the reward) of rightfulness [or nor hoped (they for) the meed of rightwiseness], neither they deemed the honour of holy souls.
23 For why God made man unable to be destroyed, (or immortal), and God made man to the image of his likeness. [For God made man undeadly, and to the image of his likeness made him.]
24 But by envy of (or from) the devil death entered into the world; forsooth they (pur)sue him, that be of his part. [Forsooth through the envy of the devil death came into the roundness of (the) earth’s; forsooth they follow him, that be of the part of him.]