Wisdom 18

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 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.
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 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.
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 Because 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.
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, 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.
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 When 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.
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 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.
7 Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes.	7 Yet your people received not only the salvation of the just, but also the destruction of the unjust.
8 For when you punished our adversaries, in this you glorified us whom you had summoned.	8 For just as you wounded our adversaries, so also did you greatly esteem calling us forth.
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 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.
10 But the discordant cry of their enemies responded, and the piteous wail of mourning for children was borne to them.	10 On 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.
11 And the slave was smitten with the same retribution as his master; even the plebeian suffered the same as the king.	11 But the same punishment afflicted the servant with the master, and the common man endured the same 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 Therefore, 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.
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 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.
14 For when peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its swift course was half spent,	14 For, when a quiet silence surrounded all things, and when the course of the night was passing the middle of its journey,
15 Your all-powerful word from heaven's royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land,	15 your almighty word from heaven leapt down from your royal throne, as a fierce warrior in the midst of the land of extermination,
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 as 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.
17 Then, forthwith, visions in horrible dreams perturbed them and unexpected fears assailed them;	17 Then, incessant visions of nightmares disturbed them, and unexpected fears overcame them.
18 And cast half-dead, one here, another there, each was revealing the reason for his dying.	18 And another was thrown down elsewhere half-alive; and so, by means of that which was dying, the cause of death was revealed.
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 disturbed them had forewarned of 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 Yet, 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.
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, 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.
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 Yet 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.
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 them and cut off their attack, and he divided those who controlled the path 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, 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.
25 To these names the destroyer yielded, and these he feared; for the mere trial of anger was enough.	25 Yet he who was exterminating yielded even to those he frightened. For one trial of wrath was sufficient.