Wisdom 16

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Thus they were appropriately punished by similar creatures and tormented by swarms of vermin.	1 For these things, and by the like things to these, they were worthily punished, and were destroyed by a multitude of beasts.
2 In contrast to this punishment, you did your people a kindness and, to satisfy their sharp appetite,provided quails -- a luscious rarity -- for them to eat.	2 Instead of which punishment, dealing well with thy people, thou gavest them their desire of delicious food, of a new taste, preparing for them quails for their meat:
3 Thus the Egyptians, at the repulsive sight of the creatures sent against them, were to find that, thoughthey longed for food, they had lost their natural appetite; whereas your own people, after a short privation, wereto have a rare relish for their portion.	3 To the end that they indeed desiring food, by means of those things that were shewn and sent among them, might loathe even that which was necessary to satisfy their desire. But these, after suffering want for a short time, tasted a new meat.
4 Inevitable that relentless want should seize on the former oppressors; enough for your people to beshown how their enemies were being tortured.	4 For it was requisite that inevitable destruction should come upon them that exercised tyranny: but to these it should only be shewn how their enemies were destroyed.
5 Even when the fearful rage of wild animals overtook them and they were perishing from the bites ofwrithing snakes, your retribution did not continue to the end.	5 For when the fierce rage of beasts came upon these, they were destroyed with the bitings of crooked serpents.
6 Affliction struck them briefly, by way of warning, and they had a saving token to remind them of thecommandment of your Law,	6 But thy wrath endured not for ever, but they were troubled for a short time for their correction, having a sign of salvation to put them in remembrance of the commandment of thy law.
7 for whoever turned to it was saved, not by what he looked at, but by you, the Saviour of all.	7 For he that turned to it, was not healed by that which he saw, but by thee the Saviour of all.
8 And by such means you proved to our enemies that you are the one who delivers from every evil;	8 And in this thou didst shew to our enemies, that thou art he who deliverest from all evil.
9 for them, the bites of locusts and flies proved fatal and no remedy could be found to save their lives,since they deserved to be punished by such creatures.	9 For the bitings of locusts, and of flies killed them, and there was found no remedy for their life: because they were worthy to be destroyed by such things.
10 But your children, not even the fangs of poisonous snakes could bring them down; for your mercycame to their help and cured them.	10 But not even the teeth of venomous serpents overcame thy children: for thy mercy came and healed them.
11 One sting -- how quickly healed!-to remind them of your pronouncements rather than that, by sinkinginto deep forgetfulness, they should be cut off from your kindness.	11 For they were examined for the remembrance of thy words, and were quickly healed, lest falling into deep forgetfulness, they might not be able to use thy help.
12 No herb, no poultice cured them, but your al -healing word, Lord.	12 For it was neither herb, nor mollifying plaster that healed them, but thy word, O Lord, which healeth all things.
13 Yes, you are the one with power over life and death, bringing to the gates of Hades and back again.	13 For it is thou, O Lord, that hast power of life and death, and leadest down to the gates of death, and bringest back again:
14 A human being out of malice may put to death, but cannot bring the departed spirit back or free thesoul that Hades has once received.	14 A man indeed killeth through malice, and when the spirit is gone forth, it shall not return, neither shall he call back the soul that is received:
15 It is not possible to escape your hand.	15 But it is impossible to escape thy hand.
16 The godless who refused to acknowledge you were scourged by the strength of your arm, pursued byno ordinary rains, hail and unrelenting downpours, and consumed by fire.	16 For the wicked that denied to know thee, were scourged by the strength of thy arm, being persecuted by strange waters, and hail, and rain, and consumed by fire.
17 Even more wonderful, in the water -- which quenches al -- the fire raged fiercer than ever; for theelements fight for the upright.	17 And which was wonderful, in water, which extinguisheth all things, the fire had more force: for the world fighteth for the just.
18 At one moment, the fire would die down, to avoid consuming the animals sent against the godlessand to make clear to them by that sight, that the sentence of God was pursuing them;	18 For at one time, the fire was mitigated, that the beasts which were sent against the wicked might not be burned, but that they might see and perceive that they were persecuted by the judgment of God.
19 at another, in the very heart of the water, it would burn more fiercely than fire to ruin the produce of awicked land.	19 And at another time the fire, above its own power, burned in the midst of water, to destroy the fruits of a wicked land.
20 How differently with your people! You gave them the food of angels, from heaven untiringly providingthem bread already prepared, containing every delight, to satisfy every taste.	20 Instead of which things thou didst feed thy people with the food of angels, and gavest them bread from heaven prepared without labour; having in it all that is delicious, and the sweetness of every taste.
21 And the substance you gave showed your sweetness towards your children, for, conforming to thetaste of whoever ate it, it transformed itself into what each eater wished.	21 For thy sustenance shewed thy sweetness to thy children, and serving every man's will, it was turned to what every man liked.
22 Snow and ice endured the fire, without melting; this was to show them that, to destroy the harvests oftheir enemies, fire would burn even in hail and flare in fal ing rain,	22 But snow and ice endured the force of fire, and melted not: that they might know that fire burning in the hail and flashing in the rain destroyed the fruits of the enemies.
23 whereas, on the other hand, it would even forget its own strength in the service of feeding the upright.	23 But this same again, that the just might be nourished, did even forget its own strength.
24 For the creation, being at the service of you, its Creator, tautens to punish the wicked and slackensfor the benefit of those who trust in you.	24 For the creature serving thee the Creator, is made fierce against the unjust for their punishment; and abateth its strength for the benefit of them that trust in thee.
25 And this is why, by changing into al things, it obediently served your all-nourishing bounty,conforming to the wishes of those who were in need;	25 Therefore even then it was transformed into all things, and was obedient to thy grace that nourisheth all, according to the will of them that desired it of thee.
26 so that your beloved children, Lord, might learn that the various crops are not what providenourishment, but your word which preserves al who believe in you.	26 That thy children, O Lord, whom thou lovedst, might know that it is not the growing of fruits that nourisheth men, but thy word preseveth them that believe in thee:
27 For that which fire could not destroy melted in the heat of a single fleeting sunbeam,	27 For that which could not be destroyed by fire, being warmed with a little sunbeam presently melted away:
28 to show that, to give you thanks, we must rise before the sun and meet you at the dawning of theday;	28 That it might be known to all, that we ought to prevent the sun to bless thee, and adore thee at the dawning of the light.
29 whereas the hope of the ungrateful melts like winter frost and flows away like water running to waste.	29 For the hope of the unthankful shall melt away as the winter's ice, and shall run off as unprofitable water.