Wisdom 5:15-23

Common English Bible

¹⁵ In contrast, those who do the right thing live forever. Their reward comes from the Lord. The Most High takes care of them. ¹⁶ For this reason, they will receive a lovely palace and a beautiful royal crown from the Lord himself. With his right hand he shelters them and with his right arm he protects them. ¹⁷ For his weapon, the Lord will take his zeal. He will arm creation itself for the fight against his foes. ¹⁸ He will put on justice as his body armor. He will strap on honest judgment as his helmet. ¹⁹ He will take up holiness as a shield that can never be beaten down. ²⁰ He will sharpen his fierce anger into a sword.

The cosmos itself will join with him to defeat those who have wandered from reason. ²¹ Shafts of lightning will strike with precision. They will leap from the clouds as if shot from a well-bent bow, and they will hit their target every time. ²² Showers of hail will rain down upon them as if shot from a catapult that never stops firing. The sea’s waters will rage against them, and rivers will rise up and wash over them in a fury. ²³ A powerful wind will blow against them and like a whirlwind, it will scatter them. Lawlessness will turn the whole earth into a desert. Evildoing will pull down the thrones of the powerful.