Wisdom 17

¹For thy judgments, O Lord, are great, and thy words cannot be expressed: therefore undisciplined souls have erred.

²For while the wicked thought to be able to have dominion over the holy nation, they themselves being fettered with the bonds of darkness, and a long night, shut up in their houses, lay there exiled from the eternal providence.

³And while they thought to lie hid in their obscure sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfullness, being horribly afraid, and troubled with exceeding great astonishment.

⁴For neither did the den that held them, keep them from fear: for noises coming down troubled them, and sad visions appearing to them, affrighted them.

⁵And no power of fire could give them light, neither could the bright flames of the stars enlighten that horrible night.

⁶But there appeared to them a sudden fire, very dreadful: and being struck with the fear of that face, which was not seen, they thought the things which they saw to be worse:

⁷And the delusions of their magic art were put down, and their boasting of wisdom was reproachfully rebuked.

⁸For they who promised to drive away fears and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of a fear worthy to be laughed at.

⁹For though no terrible thing disturbed them: yet being scared with the passing by of beasts, and hissing of serpents, they died for fear and denying that they saw the air, which could by no means be avoided.

¹⁰For whereas wickedness is fearful, it beareth witness of its condemnation: for a troubled conscience always forecasteth grievous things.

¹¹For fear is nothing else but a yielding up of the succours from thought.

¹²And while there is less expectation from within, the greater doth it count the ignorance of that cause which bringeth the torment.

¹³But they that during that night, in which nothing could be done, and which came upon them from the lowest and deepest hell, slept the same sleep,

¹⁴Were sometimes molested with the fear of monsters, sometimes fainted away, their soul failing them: for a sudden and unlooked for fear was come upon them.

¹⁵Moreover, if any of them had fallen down, he was kept shut up in prison without irons.

¹⁶For if any one were a husbandman, or a shepherd, or a labourer in the field, and was suddenly overtaken, he endured a necessity from which he could not fly.

¹⁷For they were all bound together with one chain of darkness. Whether it were a whistling wind, or the melodious voice of birds, among the spreading branches of trees, or a fall of water running down with violence,

¹⁸Or the mighty noise of stones tumbling down, or the running that could not be seen of beasts playing together, or the roaring voice of wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the highest mountains: these things made them to swoon for fear.

¹⁹For the whole world was enlightened, with a clear light, and none were hindered in their labours.

²⁰But over them only was spread a heavy night, an image of that darkness which was to come upon them. But they were to themselves more grievous than the darkness.

Wisdom 17

¹For your judgments, O Lord, are great, and your words are indescribable. Therefore, undisciplined souls have wandered astray.

²For, while they managed to convince the unjust, so as to obtain dominion over the holy nation, they themselves were fettered with chains of darkness and of endless night, enclosed in their houses, fugitives of everlasting providence, lying in ruins.

³And, while they thought to escape notice in their secret sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of oblivion, being horribly afraid, and having been disturbed with great astonishment.

⁴For neither did the cave which enclosed them preserve them from fear, because descending noises disturbed them, and the sorrowful persons appearing to them intensified their fear.

⁵And, indeed, even fire had no strength to provide them light, nor could the clear flames of the stars illuminate that horrible night.

⁶Yet there appeared to them a sudden fire, filled with fear; and, having been struck with the fear of that face which is unseen, they considered those things which they did see to be worse,

⁷and, having been ridiculed, the illusions were removed from their arts along with their contemptuous rebuke of glorious wisdom.

⁸Indeed, those who promised to drive away fears and disturbances from a languishing soul, though they were filled with derision, were themselves languishing in fear.

⁹And, even if nothing unnatural disturbed them, yet being agitated by the passing of animals and the hissing of snakes, they died of fear, denying what they themselves saw even in the air, which no one thinks to be able to escape.

¹⁰For, while there may be apprehension with wickedness, it gives testimony to condemnation, for a troubled conscience always forecasts harshness.

¹¹For fear is nothing else but unfaithfulness to thinking helpful things.

¹²And, while expectation is driven from within, the cause of this is supposing that one is great in knowledge, and as a result, conflict excels.

¹³Yet those who were truly powerless that night, being overcome by both the vilest and the deepest hell, were sleeping the same sleep,

¹⁴sometimes stirred up by the fear of unnatural things, other times sinking down in disgrace of soul, for a sudden and unexpected fear overcame them.

¹⁵Then, if any among them had fallen away, he was kept in a prison without bars which had been left open.

¹⁶For if a farmer, or a shepherd, or a worker in a field of labor were suddenly overcome, he endured an inescapable necessity.

¹⁷For they were all bound together with one chain of darkness. Or if there were a whistling wind, or the sweet sound of birds among the thick tree branches, or the force of water rushing excessively,

¹⁸or the strong noise of rocks crashing down, or the scattering of playful animals having been seen, or the strong voice of bellowing beasts, or the resounding of the highest mountain echo, these things made them sink down because of fear.

¹⁹For the whole world was enlightened with a clear light, and none were being hindered in their labors.

²⁰But then, the heavy night was placed over the sun for them, an image of that darkness which was about to overcome them. Yet they were more grievous to themselves than was the darkness.