1

Observe the heaven, ye children of heaven, and every work of the Most High,
and fear ye Him and work no evil in His presence.

2

If He closes the windows of heaven, and withholds the rain and the dew from
descending on the earth on your account, what will ye do then?

3

And if He sends His anger upon you because of your deeds, ye cannot petition
Him; for ye spake proud and insolent words against His righteousness: therefore
ye shall have no peace.

4

And see ye not the sailors of the ships, how their ships are tossed to and fro by
the waves, and are shaken by the winds, and are in sore trouble?

5

And therefore do they fear because all their goodly possessions go into the sea
with them, and they have evil forebodings of heart that the sea will swallow
them and they will perish therein.

6

Are not the entire sea and all its waters, and all its movements, the work of the
Most High, and has He not set limits to its doings, and confined it throughout by
the sand?

7

And at His reproof it is afraid and dries up, and all its fish die and all that is in
it; But ye sinners that are on the earth fear Him not.

8

Has He not made the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein?

9

Who has given understanding and wisdom to everything that moves on the
earth and in the sea?

10

Do not the sailors of the ships fear the sea? Yet sinners fear not the Most
High.

11

In those days when He hath brought a grievous fire upon you, whither will ye
flee, and where will ye find deliverance?

12

And when He launches forth His Word against you will you not be affrighted
and fear? And all the luminaries shall be affrighted with great fear and all the
earth shall be affrighted and tremble and be alarmed.

13

And all the angels shall execute their commandst and shall seek to hide
themselves from the presence of the Great Glory, and the children of earth shall
tremble and quake; and ye sinners shall be cursed for ever, and ye shall have no
peace.

14

Fear ye not, ye souls of the righteous and be hopeful ye that have died in
righteousness.

15

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.

16

And yet when ye die the sinners speak over you: "As we die, so die the
righteous, and what benefit do they reap for their deeds? Behold, even as we, so
do they die in grief and darkness and what have they more than we? From
henceforth we are equal. 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."

17

I tell you, "Ye sinners, ye are content to eat and drink, and rob and sin, and
strip men naked, and acquire wealth and see good days. Have ye seen the
righteous how their end falls out, that no manner of violence is found in them till
their death?

18

Nevertheless they perished and became as though they had not been, and their
spirits descended into Sheol in tribulation."