Final judgment

5 Then the one who did do what was right will stand up with full confidence in the very midst of those who caused his suffering and made light of his distress. ² They will tremble with great fear when they see him. They will be amazed that he was delivered so unexpectedly. ³ They will sing a different tune as they gasp and say to themselves: ⁴ He’s the one we mocked?! He’s the one we insulted? What idiots we were! We thought his life was madness and his death a disgrace. ⁵ How is it that he’s now counted among God’s children? How is it that he’s now considered one of the saints?

¹⁴ The ungodly person’s hope disappears like dust in the wind, like frost that is stripped away and scattered by a mighty wind, like smoke that rises and is immediately dispersed by the wind, like the memory of a stranger who spends the day and then is gone.

¹⁵ In contrast, those who do the right thing live forever. Their reward comes from the Lord. The Most High takes care of them. ¹⁶ For this reason, they will receive a lovely palace and a beautiful royal crown from the Lord himself. With his right hand he shelters them and with his right arm he protects them.