1
In those days when He has brought a grievous fire upon you, Whither will you flee, and where will you find deliverance? And when He launches forth His word against you, Will you not be affrighted and fear?
2
And all the luminaries shall be affrighted with great fear, And all the earth shall be affrighted and tremble and be alarmed.
3
And all the mal’akhiym shall execute their commands And shall seek to hide themselves from the presence of the Great Glory, And the children of earth shall tremble and quake; And you sinners shall be accursed for ever, And you shall have no peace. 4. Fear you not, you souls of the righteous, And be hopeful you that have died in righteousness.
5
And grieve not if your soul into Sheol has descended in grief, And that in your life your body fared not according to your goodness, But wait for the day of the judgement of sinners, And for the day of cursing and chastisement.
6
And yet when you die the sinners speak over you: “As we die, so die the righteous, And what benefit do they reap for their deeds?
7
Behold, even as we, so do they die in grief and darkness, And what have they more than we? From henceforth we are equal.
8
And what will they receive and what will they see for ever? Behold, they too have died, And henceforth for ever shall they see no light.”
9
I tell you, you sinners, you are content to eat and drink, and rob and sin, and strip men naked, and acquire wealth and see good days. 10. Have you seen the righteous how their end falls out, that no manner of violence is found in them till their death? 11. “Nevertheless they perished and became as though they had not been, and their spirits descended into Sheol in tribulation.”