Wisdom 11

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 She made their actions successful, by means of a holy prophet.	1 She directed their works in the hands of the holy prophet.
2 They journeyed through an unpeopled desert and pitched their tents in inaccessible places.	2 They made a path through desolate areas, which were uninhabited, and set up their homes in remote places.
3 They stood firm against their enemies, fought off their foes.	3 They stood firm against the enemy, and vindicated themselves from their adversaries.
4 On you they cal ed when they were thirsty, and from the rocky cliff water was given them, from hardstone a remedy for their thirst.	4 They thirsted, and they called upon you, and water was given them out of the deepest rock, and respite from thirst out of the hard stone.
5 Thus, what had served to punish their enemies became a benefit for them in their difficulties.	5 For through water, their enemies had been punished, by the corruption of their drinking water; and so, among them, when the sons of Israel lacked the abundance they would have had, their enemies rejoiced;
6 Whereas their enemies had only the ever-flowing source of a river fouled with mingled blood and mud,	6 yet though water, when they were in need, it turned out well for them.
7 to punish them for their decree of infanticide, you gave your people, against al hope, water inabundance,	7 For instead of a fountain, even everlasting in flow, you gave human blood to the unjust,
8 once you had shown by the thirst that they were experiencing how severely you were punishing theirenemies.	8 and while they would be crushed into disgrace because of the murdering of infants, you unexpectedly gave your own abundant water,
9 From their own ordeals, which were only loving correction, they realised how an angry sentence wastormenting the godless;	9 revealing through the thirst, which occurred at that time, how you would exalt your own and would kill their adversaries.
10 for you had tested your own as a father admonishes, but the others you had punished as a pitilessking condemns,	10 For when they were being tested, and even when receiving merciful correction, they knew in what way, when your wrath judged the impious, they would suffer torments.
11 and, whether far or near, they were equal y afflicted.	11 For these, advising like a father, you approved; but the others, interrogating like a severe king, you condemned.
12 For a double sorrow seized on them, and a groaning at the memory of the past;	12 For whether absent or present, they were tortured alike.
13 when they learned that the punishments they were receiving were beneficial to the others, theyrealised it was the Lord,	13 For they had received double: weariness and groaning in the remembrance of things past.
14 while for the man whom long before they had exposed and later mockingly rebuffed, they felt onlyadmiration when al was done, having suffered a thirst so different from that of the upright.	14 For when they paid attention to their punishments, to attend to their own benefit, they called to mind the Lord, admiring the end result.
15 For their foolish and wicked notions which led them astray into worshipping mindless reptiles andcontemptible beetles, you sent a horde of mindless animals to punish them	15 For though they showed scorn by throwing out distorted statements, in the end they were amazed at the result, but this is not the same as thirsting for justice.
16 and to teach them that the agent of sin is the agent of punishment.	16 For according to the thinking of their irrational iniquity, because some, going astray, were worshiping mute serpents and worthless beasts, you sent upon them a multitude of mute beasts for vengeance,
17 And indeed your al -powerful hand which created the world from formless matter, did not lack meansto unleash a horde of bears or savage lions on them	17 so that they might know that by whatever things a man sins, by the same also is he tormented.
18 or unknown beasts, newly created, ful of rage, breathing out fire, or puffing out stinking smoke, orflashing fearful sparks from their eyes,	18 For it was not impossible for your all-powerful hand, which created the world from unknown material, to send forth upon them a multitude of bears, or fierce lions,
19 beasts able not only to destroy them, being so savage, but even to strike them dead by their terrifyingappearance.	19 or, in anger, beasts of a new kind, massive and strange, either breathing out a fiery vapor, or sending forth an odorous smoke, or shooting horrible sparks from their eyes;
20 However, without these, one breath could have blown them over, pursued by Justice, whirled awayby the breath of your power. You, however, ordered all things by measure, number and weight.	20 whereby, not only wounds would be able to destroy them, but also the very sight would kill them through fear.
21 For your great power is always at your service, and who can withstand the might of your arm?	21 Yet, even without these, they could have been killed with one breath, suffering persecution of their own making and being scattered by your spirit of virtue; but you have ordered all things in size and number and weight.
22 The whole world, for you, can no more than tip a balance, like a drop of morning dew falling on theground.	22 Though many are strong, you alone always overcome. And who will withstand the strength of your arm?
23 Yet you are merciful to al , because you are almighty, you overlook people's sins, so that they canrepent.	23 For, like a tiny grain on a scale, just so is the world before you, and like a drop dew before dawn, which descends upon the earth.
24 Yes, you love everything that exists, and nothing that you have made disgusts you, since, if you hadhated something, you would not have made it.	24 But you are merciful to all, because you can do all, and you dismiss the sins of man because of repentance.
25 And how could a thing subsist, had you not wil ed it? Or how be preserved, if not cal ed forth by you?	25 For you love all things that are, and you hate nothing of the things you have made; for you would not have created or established anything that you hated.
26 No, you spare al , since al is yours, Lord, lover of life!	26 For how could anything endure, except by your will? Or what, having been called by you not to exist, would be preserved?
	27 Yet you spare all things, because they are yours, O Lord, who loves souls.