Wisdom 19

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 But the wicked, merciless wrath assailed until the end. For he knew beforehand what they were yet to do:	1 As for the ungodly, wrath came upon them without mercy unto the end: for he knew before what they would do;
2 That though they themselves had agreed to the departure and had anxiously sent them on their way, they would regret it and pursue them.	2 How that having given them leave to depart, and sent them hastily away, they would repent and pursue them.
3 For while they were still engaged in funeral rites and were mourning at the burials of the dead, They adopted another senseless plan; and those whom they had sent away with entreaty, they pursued as fugitives.	3 For whilst they were yet mourning and making lamentation at the graves of the dead, they added another foolish device, and pursued them as fugitives, whom they had intreated to be gone.
4 For a compulsion suited to this ending drew them on, and made them forgetful of what had befallen them, That they might fill out the torments of their punishment,	4 For the destiny, whereof they were worthy, drew them unto this end, and made them forget the things that had already happened, that they might fulfil the punishment which was wanting to their torments:
5 and your people might experience a glorious journey while those others met an extraordinary death.	5 And that thy people might pass a wonderful way: but they might find a strange death.
6 For all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew, serving its natural laws, that your children might be preserved unharmed.	6 For the whole creature in his proper kind was fashioned again anew, serving the peculiar commandments that were given unto them, that thy children might be kept without hurt:
7 The cloud overshadowed their camp; and out of what had before been water, dry land was seen emerging: Out of the Red Sea an unimpeded road, and a grassy plain out of the mighty flood.	7 As namely, a cloud shadowing the camp; and where water stood before, dry land appeared; and out of the Red sea a way without impediment; and out of the violent stream a green field:
8 Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand, after they beheld stupendous wonders.	8 Wherethrough all the people went that were defended with thy hand, seeing thy marvellous strange wonders.
9 For they ranged about like horses, and bounded about like lambs, praising you, O LORD! their deliverer.	9 For they went at large like horses, and leaped like lambs, praising thee, O Lord, who hadst delivered them.
10 For they were still mindful of what had happened in their sojourn: how instead of the young of animals the land brought forth gnats, and instead of fishes the river swarmed with countless frogs.	10 For they were yet mindful of the things that were done while they sojourned in the strange land, how the ground brought forth flies instead of cattle, and how the river cast up a multitude of frogs instead of fishes.
11 And later they saw also a new kind of bird when, prompted by desire, they asked for pleasant foods;	11 But afterwards they saw a new generation of fowls, when, being led with their appetite, they asked delicate meats.
12 For to appease them quail came to them from the sea.	12 For quails came up unto them from the sea for their contentment.
13 And the punishments came upon the sinners only after forewarnings from the violence of the thunderbolts. For they justly suffered for their own misdeeds, since indeed they treated their guests with the more grievous hatred.	13 And punishments came upon the sinners not without former signs by the force of thunders: for they suffered justly according to their own wickedness, insomuch as they used a more hard and hateful behaviour toward strangers.
14 For those others did not receive unfamiliar visitors, but these were enslaving beneficent guests.	14 For the Sodomites did not receive those, whom they knew not when they came: but these brought friends into bondage, that had well deserved of them.
15 And not that only; but what punishment was to be theirs since they received strangers unwillingly!	15 And not only so, but peradventure some respect shall be had of those, because they used strangers not friendly:
16 Yet these, after welcoming them with festivities, oppressed with awful toils those who now shared with them the same rights.	16 But these very grievously afflicted them, whom they had received with feastings, and were already made partakers of the same laws with them.
17 And they were struck with blindness, as those others had been at the portals of the just- When, surrounded by yawning darkness, each sought the entrance of his own gate.	17 Therefore even with blindness were these stricken, as those were at the doors of the righteous man: when, being compassed about with horrible great darkness, every one sought the passage of his own doors.
18 For the elements, in variable harmony among themselves, like strings of the harp, produce new melody, while the flow of music steadily persists. And this can be perceived exactly from a review of what took place.	18 For the elements were changed in themselves by a kind of harmony, like as in a psaltery notes change the name of the tune, and yet are always sounds; which may well be perceived by the sight of the things that have been done.
19 For land creatures were changed into water creatures, and those that swam went over on to the land.	19 For earthly things were turned into watery, and the things, that before swam in the water, now went upon the ground.
20 Fire in water maintained its own strength, and water forgot its quenching nature;	20 The fire had power in the water, forgetting his own virtue: and the water forgat his own quenching nature.
21 Flames, by contrast, neither consumed the flesh of the perishable animals that went about in them, nor melted the icelike, quick-melting kind of ambrosial food.	21 On the other side, the flames wasted not the flesh of the corruptible living things, though they walked therein; neither melted they the icy kind of heavenly meat that was of nature apt to melt.
22 For every way, O LORD! you magnified and glorified your people; unfailing, you stood by them in every time and circumstance.	22 For in all things, O Lord, thou didst magnify thy people, and glorify them, neither didst thou lightly regard them: but didst assist them in every time and place.