1 Living right is betterthan having children—both God and peoplewill always remember youand the good you have done.
2 People imitate goodness,and they miss itwhen it is gone.Goodness always triumphs;it receives the highest honorsbecause it is unselfish.
3 But all of the many childrenborn to sinnerswill be useless and helplesslike trees without roots.
4 They may blossom for a while,but they will be swept awayin a gust of wind.
5 Their branches will be brokenbefore they mature,and the fruit they producewill be worthless.
6 When God judges the world,these children will be witnessesagainst their sinful parents.
7 Good people may die early,but they will be at rest.
8 True respect isn't gainedmerely by growing old—
9 people are honored because oftheir wisdom and goodness.
10 Enoch, a person God lovedand who pleased him,was living among sinners.But God took him away
11 to protect his mind and soulfrom the influence of evil.
12 Even the most innocent personcan be deceived and destroyedby sinful thoughts.
13 But Enoch loved the Lord;he became mature in a few years
14 and pleased the Lord.So he quickly took Enoch awayto protect him from evil.
15 Others failed to understandthat this is howGod shows kindness and mercyand protects his holy people.
16 Good people may die young,but they shame those sinnerswho live a long time.
17 Sinners fail to understandwhy God gives them a long lifeand lets the wise die young.
18 When they see this happen,they simply sneer.But God will laugh at thembecause their dead bodieswill be forever disgustingto the rest of the dead.
19 God will throw them speechlessto the ground, and they will belike buildings that crumble.They will suffer and rot,then be forgotten.