4. Your children must have sinned against him,so their punishment was well deserved.
5. But if you pray to Godand seek the favor of the Almighty,
6. and if you are pure and live with integrity,he will surely rise up and restore your happy home.
7. And though you started with little,you will end with much.
8. “Just ask the previous generation.Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors.
9. For we were born but yesterday and know nothing.Our days on earth are as fleeting as a shadow.
10. But those who came before us will teach you.They will teach you the wisdom of old.
11. “Can papyrus reeds grow tall without a marsh?Can marsh grass flourish without water?
12. While they are still flowering, not ready to be cut,they begin to wither more quickly than grass.
13. The same happens to all who forget God.The hopes of the godless evaporate.
14. Their confidence hangs by a thread.They are leaning on a spider’s web.
15. They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last.They try to hold it tight, but it will not endure.