Wisdom 16

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Thus they were appropriately punished by similar creatures and tormented by swarms of vermin.	1 Therefore they were fittingly punished by similar creatures, and were tormented by a swarm of insects.
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 this punishment, you benefited your people with a novel dish, the delight they craved, by providing quail for their food;
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 That those others, when they desired food, since the creatures sent to plague them were so loathsome, should be turned from even the craving of necessities, While these, after a brief period of privation, partook of a novel dish.
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 upon those oppressors, inexorable want had to come; but these needed only be shown how their enemies were being 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 dire venom of beasts came upon them and they were dying from the bite of crooked serpents, your anger endured not to the end.
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 as a warning, for a short time they were terrorized, though they had a sign of salvation, to remind them of the precept of your 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 who turned toward it was saved, not by what he saw, but by you, the savior of all.
8 And by such means you proved to our enemies that you are the one who delivers from every evil;	8 And by this also you convinced our foes that you are he who delivers 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 bites of locusts and of flies slew them, and no remedy was found to save their lives because they deserved to be punished by such means;
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 fangs of poisonous reptiles overcame your sons, for your mercy brought the antidote to heal 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 as a reminder of your injunctions, they were stung, and swiftly they were saved, Lest they should fall into deep forgetfulness and become unresponsive to your beneficence.
12 No herb, no poultice cured them, but your al -healing word, Lord.	12 For indeed, neither herb nor application cured them, but your all-healing word, O LORD!
13 Yes, you are the one with power over life and death, bringing to the gates of Hades and back again.	13 For you have dominion over life and death; you lead down to the gates of the nether world, and lead back.
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 Man, however, slays in his malice, but when the spirit has come away, it does not return, nor can he bring back the soul once it is confined.
15 It is not possible to escape your hand.	15 But your hand none can escape.
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 who refused to know you were punished by the might of your arm, Pursued by unwonted rains and hailstorms and unremitting downpours, 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 For against all expectation, in water which quenches anything, the fire grew more active; For the universe fights on behalf of 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 now the flame was tempered so that the beasts might not be burnt up that were sent upon the wicked, but that these might see and know they were struck 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 again, even in the water, fire blazed beyond its strength so as to consume the produce of the 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 this, you nourished your people with food of angels and furnished them bread from heaven, ready to hand, untoiled-for, endowed with all delights and conforming 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 this substance of yours revealed your sweetness toward your children, and serving the desire of him who received it, was blended to whatever flavor each one wished.
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 Yet snow and ice withstood fire and were not melted, that they might know that their enemies' fruits Were consumed by a fire that blazed in the hail and flashed lightning in the rain.
23 whereas, on the other hand, it would even forget its own strength in the service of feeding the upright.	23 But this fire, again, that the just might be nourished, forgot even its proper 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 your creation, serving you, its maker, grows tense for punishment against the wicked, but is relaxed in benefit for those who trust in you.
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 at that very time, transformed in all sorts of ways, it was serving your all-nourishing bounty according to what they needed and desired;
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 your sons whom you loved might learn, O LORD, that it is not the various kinds of fruits that nourish man, but it is your word that preserves those who believe you!
27 For that which fire could not destroy melted in the heat of a single fleeting sunbeam,	27 For what was not destroyed by fire, when merely warmed by a momentary sunbeam, melted;
28 to show that, to give you thanks, we must rise before the sun and meet you at the dawning of theday;	28 So that men might know that one must give you thanks before the sunrise, and turn to you at daybreak.
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 ingrate melts like a wintry frost and runs off like useless water.