Wisdom 18

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 But your holy ones had very great light; And those others, who heard their voices but did not see their forms, since now they themselves had suffered, called them blest;	1 But thy saints had a very great light, and they heard their voice indeed, but did not see their shape. And because they also did not suffer the same things, they glorified thee:
2 And because they who formerly had been wronged did not harm them, they thanked them, and pleaded with them, for the sake of the difference between them.	2 And they that before had been wronged, gave thanks, because they were not hurt now: and asked this gift, that there might be a difference.
3 Instead of this, you furnished the flaming pillar which was a guide on the unknown way, and the mild sun for an honorable migration.	3 Therefore they received a burning pillar of fire for a guide of the way which they knew not, and thou gavest them a harmless sun of a good entertainment.
4 For those deserved to be deprived of light and imprisoned by darkness, who had kept your sons confined through whom the imperishable light of the law was to be given to the world.	4 The others indeed were worthy to be deprived of light, and imprisoned in darkness, who kept thy children shut up, by whom the pure light of the law was to be given to the world.
5 When they determined to put to death the infants of the holy ones, and when a single boy had been cast forth but saved, As a reproof you carried off their multitude of sons and made them perish all at once in the mighty water.	5 And whereas they thought to kill the babes of the just, one child being cast forth, and saved, to reprove them, thou tookest away a multitude of their children, and destroyedst them all together in a mighty water.
6 That night was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage.	6 For that night was known before by our fathers, that assuredly knowing what oaths they had trusted to, they might be of better courage.
7 Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes.	7 So thy people received the salvation of the just, and destruction of the unjust.
8 For when you punished our adversaries, in this you glorified us whom you had summoned.	8 For as thou didst punish the adversaries: so thou didst also encourage and glorify us.
9 For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution, That your holy ones should share alike the same good things and dangers, having previously sung the praises of the fathers.	9 For the just children of good men were offering sacrifice secretly, and they unanimously ordered a law of justice: that the just should receive both good and evil alike, singing now the praises of the fathers.
10 But the discordant cry of their enemies responded, and the piteous wail of mourning for children was borne to them.	10 But on the other side there sounded an ill according cry of the enemies, and a lamentable mourning was heard for the children that were bewailed.
11 And the slave was smitten with the same retribution as his master; even the plebeian suffered the same as the king.	11 And the servant suffered the same punishment as the master, and a common man suffered in like manner as the king.
12 And all alike by a single death had countless dead; For the living were not even sufficient for the burial, since at a single instant their nobler offspring were destroyed.	12 So all alike 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.
13 For though they disbelieved at every turn on account of sorceries, at the destruction of the first-born they acknowledged that the people was God's son.	13 For whereas they would not believe any thing before by reason of the enchantments, then first upon the destruction of the firstborn, they acknowledged the people to be of God.
14 For when peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its swift course was half spent,	14 For while all things were in quiet silence, and the night was in the midst of her course,
15 Your all-powerful word from heaven's royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land,	15 Thy almighty word leapt down from heaven from thy royal throne, as a fierce conqueror into the midst of the land of destruction.
16 bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree. And as he alighted, he filled every place with death; he still reached to heaven, while he stood upon the earth.	16 With a sharp sword carrying thy unfeigned commandment, and he stood and filled all things with death, and standing on the earth reached even to heaven.
17 Then, forthwith, visions in horrible dreams perturbed them and unexpected fears assailed them;	17 Then suddenly visions of evil dreams troubled them, and fears unlooked for came upon them.
18 And cast half-dead, one here, another there, each was revealing the reason for his dying.	18 And one thrown here, another there, half dead, shewed the cause of his death.
19 For the dreams that disturbed them had proclaimed this beforehand, lest they perish unaware of why they suffered ill.	19 For the visions that troubled them foreshewed these things, lest they should perish and not know why they suffered these evils.
20 But the trial of death touched at one time even the just, and in the desert a plague struck the multitude; Yet not for long did the anger last.	20 But the just also were afterwards touched by an assault of death, and there was a disturbance of the multitude in the wilderness: but thy wrath did not long continue.
21 For the blameless man hastened to be their champion, bearing the weapon of his special office, prayer and the propitiation of incense; He withstood the wrath and put a stop to the calamity, showing that he was your servant.	21 For a blameless man made haste to pray for the people, bringing forth the shield of his ministry, prayer, and by incense making supplication, withstood the wrath, and put an end to the calamity, shewing that he was thy servant.
22 And he overcame the bitterness not by bodily strength, not by force of arms; But by word he overcame the smiter, recalling the sworn covenants with their fathers.	22 And he overcame the disturbance, not by strength of body nor with force of arms, but with a word he subdued him that punished them, alleging the oaths and covenant made with the fathers.
23 For when corpses had already fallen one on another in heaps, he stood in the midst and checked the anger, and cut off the way to the living.	23 For when they were now fallen down dead by heaps one upon another, he stood between and stayed the assault, and cut off the way to the living.
24 For on his full-length robe was the whole world, and the glories of the fathers were carved in four rows upon the stones, and your grandeur was on the crown upon his head.	24 For in the priestly robe which he wore, was the whole world: and in the four rows of the stones the glory of the fathers was graven, and thy majesty was written upon the diadem of his head.
25 To these names the destroyer yielded, and these he feared; for the mere trial of anger was enough.	25 And to these the destroyer gave place, and was afraid of them: for the proof only of wrath was enough.