Wisdom 16

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Thus they were appropriately punished by similar creatures and tormented by swarms of vermin.	1 Therefore by the like were they punished worthily, and by the multitude of beasts tormented.
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 graciously with thine own people, thou preparedst for them meat of a strange taste, even quails to stir up their appetite:
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, desiring food, might for the ugly sight of the beasts sent among them lothe even that, which they must needs desire; but these, suffering penury for a short space, might be made partakers of a strange taste.
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 upon them exercising tyranny should come penury, which they could not avoid: but to these it should only be shewed how their enemies were tormented.
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 horrible fierceness of beasts came upon these, and they perished with the stings of crooked serpents, thy wrath endured not for ever:
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 they were troubled for a small season, that they might be admonished, 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 himself toward it was not saved by the thing that he saw, but by thee, that art 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 madest thine enemies confess, that it is thou 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 them the bitings of grasshoppers and flies killed, neither was there found any remedy for their life: for they were worthy to be punished by such.
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 thy sons not the very teeth of venomous dragons overcame: for thy mercy was ever by them, 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 pricked, that they should remember thy words; and were quickly saved, that not falling into deep forgetfulness, they might be continually mindful of thy goodness.
12 No herb, no poultice cured them, but your al -healing word, Lord.	12 For it was neither herb, nor mollifying plaister, that restored them to health: 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 thou hast power of life and death: thou leadest to the gates of hell, and bringest up 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 his malice: and the spirit, when it is gone forth, returneth not; neither the soul received up cometh again.
15 It is not possible to escape your hand.	15 But it is not possible to escape thine 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 ungodly, that denied to know thee, were scourged by the strength of thine arm: with strange rains, hails, and showers, were they persecuted, that they could not avoid, and through fire were they consumed.
17 Even more wonderful, in the water -- which quenches al -- the fire raged fiercer than ever; for theelements fight for the upright.	17 For, which is most to be wondered at, the fire had more force in the water, that quencheth all things: for the world fighteth for the righteous.
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 sometime the flame was mitigated, that it might not burn up the beasts that were sent against the ungodly; but themselves might see and perceive that they were persecuted with 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 it burneth even in the midst of water above the power of fire, that it might destroy the fruits of an unjust 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 whereof thou feddest thine own people with angels' food, and didst send them from heaven bread prepared without their labour, able to content every man's delight, and agreeing to 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 declared thy sweetness unto thy children, and serving to the appetite of the eater, tempered itself to every man's liking.
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 fire, and melted not, that they might know that fire burning in the hail, and sparkling in the rain, did destroy 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 again did even forget his own strength, that the righteous might be nourished.
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 that serveth thee, who art the Maker increaseth his strength against the unrighteous for their punishment, and abateth his strength for the benefit of such as put their 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 was it altered into all fashions, and was obedient to thy grace, that nourisheth all things, according to the desire of them that had need:
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 lovest, might know, that it is not the growing of fruits that nourisheth man: but that it is thy word, which preserveth them that put their trust in thee.
27 For that which fire could not destroy melted in the heat of a single fleeting sunbeam,	27 For that which was not destroyed of the fire, being warmed with a little sunbeam, soon 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, that we must prevent the sun to give thee thanks, and at the dayspring pray unto thee.
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 hoar frost, and shall run away as unprofitable water.