1 Love justice, you who rule over the world. Think rightly of God, seek him with simplicity of heart, 2 for he reveals himself to those who do not challenge him and is found by those who do not distrust him.
3 Crooked thinking distances you from God, and his Omnipotence, put to the test, confounds the foolish.
4 Wisdom does not enter the wicked nor remain in a body that is enslaved to sin. 5 The Holy Spirit who instructs us shuns deceit; it keeps aloof from foolishness and is ill at ease when injustice is done.
6 Wisdom is a spirit, a friend to man, and will not leave the blasphemous unpunished, because God knows his innermost feelings, truly sees his thoughts and hears what he says.
7 For God’s spirit has filled the whole world and he who holds together all things, knows each word that is spoken. 8 So whoever speaks unjustly will not escape; the irrefutable sentence will reach him. 9 The intentions of the unholy will be examined; what he has said will reach the Lord and his wickedness will be confounded.
10 Remember that a jealous ear hears everything; even whispers are recorded.
11 Beware then, of empty complaints and keep your tongue from faultfinding, since your most secret word will have consequences; a lying tongue brings death to the soul. 12 Do not bring about your own death by your wrong way of living. And do not let the work of your hands destroy you.
13 God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. 14 Since he has created everything, all creatures of the universe are for our good; there is no deadly poison in them and the netherworld has no dominion over the earth, 15 because immortal is not submitted to death.
16 It is the godless that consider death a friend and call for it in every way. They have made a pact with it and they shall justly belong to it.
Original sin, 16th C. Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, Milan.