Wisdom 18

¹But your saints were your greatest light, and they heard your voice, but did not see your form. And because they themselves did not also suffer the same things, they praised you greatly.

²And those who were wounded before, gave thanks, because they were no longer being wounded, and because they had petitioned for this gift, that there would be this difference.

³Because of this, they had a burning column of fire as a guide on the unknown way, and you displayed a harmless sun of a good hospitality.

⁴The others, indeed, deserved to be deprived of the light and to endure a prison of darkness, who watched for an opportunity to imprison your sons, by whom the incorruptible light of the law was beginning to be given to future generations.

⁵When they thought to kill the babes of the just, one son having been exposed and set free, to their disgrace, you took away a multitude of their sons and destroyed them all together in a mighty water.

⁶For that night was known beforehand by our fathers, so that, knowing the truth of the oaths in which they had trusted, they might be more peaceful in their souls.

⁷Yet your people received not only the salvation of the just, but also the destruction of the unjust.

⁸For just as you wounded our adversaries, so also did you greatly esteem calling us forth.

⁹For the just children of goodness were secretly offering sacrifice, and in agreement they administered the law of justice, so that both good and bad would be able to receive justice, and so that you might now approve of their chanting to the father.

¹⁰On the other hand, a dissimilar voice was resounding from the enemies, and a lamentable wailing was heard for the children who were being cried over.

¹¹But the same punishment afflicted the servant with the master, and the common man endured the same as the king.

¹²Therefore, all were the same, with one name for death, and the dead were innumerable. For neither were the living sufficient to bury the dead, because, with a single effort, their most illustrious nation was exterminated.

¹³For they would not believe anything because of the drugs; then truly, at the beginning, when the extermination of the firstborn happened, they pledged the people to belong to God.

¹⁴For, when a quiet silence surrounded all things, and when the course of the night was passing the middle of its journey,

¹⁵your almighty word from heaven leapt down from your royal throne, as a fierce warrior in the midst of the land of extermination,

¹⁶as a sharp sword carrying your unfeigned authority, and standing, filled all things with death, and, standing on the earth, reached all the way up to touch heaven.

¹⁷Then, incessant visions of nightmares disturbed them, and unexpected fears overcame them.

¹⁸And another was thrown down elsewhere half-alive; and so, by means of that which was dying, the cause of death was revealed.

¹⁹For the visions that disturbed them had forewarned of these things, lest they should perish and not know why they suffered these evils.

²⁰Yet, at that time, the trial of death touched even the just, and there was a disturbance of the multitude in the wilderness, but your wrath did not continue for long.

²¹For a blameless man, prospering, is to be entreated for your people, bringing forth the shield of your service, through prayer and incense, making prayerful supplication, he withstands anger, and so establishes an end to the necessary difficulty, revealing that he is your servant.

²²Yet he outlasted the disturbance, not by virtue of the body, nor by force of arms, but, with a word, he subdued those who were troubling him, commemorating the oaths and covenant of the parents.

²³For when they were now fallen down dead by heaps one upon another, he stood between them and cut off their attack, and he divided those who controlled the path to the living.

²⁴For, within the garment of shame which he held, the world was all together, and the great deeds of the parents were engraved on four orders of stones, and your majesty was engraved on the crown of his head.

²⁵Yet he who was exterminating yielded even to those he frightened. For one trial of wrath was sufficient.

Wisdom 18

¹Nevertheless thy saints had a very great light, whose voice they hearing, and not seeing their shape, because they also had not suffered the same things, they counted them happy.

²But for that they did not hurt them now, of whom they had been wronged before, they thanked them, and besought them pardon for that they had been enemies.

³Instead whereof thou gavest them a burning pillar of fire, both to be a guide of the unknown journey, and an harmless sun to entertain them honourably.

⁴For they were worthy to be deprived of light and imprisoned in darkness, who had kept thy sons shut up, by whom the uncorrupt light of the law was to be given unto the world.

⁵And when they had determined to slay the babes of the saints, one child being cast forth, and saved, to reprove them, thou tookest away the multitude of their children, and destroyedst them altogether in a mighty water.

⁶Of that night were our fathers certified afore, that assuredly knowing unto what oaths they had given credence, they might afterwards be of good cheer.

⁷So of thy people was accepted both the salvation of the righteous, and destruction of the enemies.

⁸For wherewith thou didst punish our adversaries, by the same thou didst glorify us, whom thou hadst called.

⁹For the righteous children of good men did sacrifice secretly, and with one consent made a holy law, that the saints should be like partakers of the same good and evil, the fathers now singing out the songs of praise.

¹⁰But on the other side there sounded an ill according cry of the enemies, and a lamentable noise was carried abroad for children that were bewailed.

¹¹The master and the servant were punished after one manner; and like as the king, so suffered the common person.

¹²So they all together had innumerable dead with one kind of death; neither were the living sufficient to bury them: for in one moment the noblest offspring of them was destroyed.

¹³For whereas they would not believe any thing by reason of the enchantments; upon the destruction of the firstborn, they acknowledged this people to be the sons of God.

¹⁴For while all things were in quiet silence, and that night was in the midst of her swift course,

¹⁵Thine Almighty word leaped down from heaven out of thy royal throne, as a fierce man of war into the midst of a land of destruction,

¹⁶And brought thine unfeigned commandment as a sharp sword, and standing up filled all things with death; and it touched the heaven, but it stood upon the earth.

¹⁷Then suddenly visions of horrible dreams troubled them sore, and terrors came upon them unlooked for.

¹⁸And one thrown here, and another there, half dead, shewed the cause of his death.

¹⁹For the dreams that troubled them did foreshew this, lest they should perish, and not know why they were afflicted.

²⁰Yea, the tasting of death touched the righteous also, and there was a destruction of the multitude in the wilderness: but the wrath endured not long.

²¹For then the blameless man made haste, and stood forth to defend them; and bringing the shield of his proper ministry, even prayer, and the propitiation of incense, set himself against the wrath, and so brought the calamity to an end, declaring that he was thy servant.

²²So he overcame the destroyer, not with strength of body, nor force of arms, but with a word subdued him that punished, alleging the oaths and covenants made with the fathers.

²³For when the dead were now fallen down by heaps one upon another, standing between, he stayed the wrath, and parted the way to the living.

²⁴For in the long garment was the whole world, and in the four rows of the stones was the glory of the fathers graven, and thy Majesty upon the diadem of his head.

²⁵Unto these the destroyer gave place, and was afraid of them: for it was enough that they only tasted of the wrath.