Wisdom 11

¹ She directed their works in the hands of the holy prophet.

² They made a path through desolate areas, which were uninhabited, and set up their homes in remote places.

³ They stood firm against the enemy, and vindicated themselves from their adversaries.

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 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 yet though water, when they were in need, it turned out well for them.

⁷ For instead of a fountain, even everlasting in flow, you gave human blood to the unjust,

⁸ and while they would be crushed into disgrace because of the murdering of infants, you unexpectedly gave your own abundant water,

⁹ revealing through the thirst, which occurred at that time, how you would exalt your own and would kill their adversaries.

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 For these, advising like a father, you approved; but the others, interrogating like a severe king, you condemned.

¹² For whether absent or present, they were tortured alike.

¹³ For they had received double: weariness and groaning in the remembrance of things past.

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 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 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 so that they might know that by whatever things a man sins, by the same also is he tormented.

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 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 whereby, not only wounds would be able to destroy them, but also the very sight would kill them through fear.

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 Though many are strong, you alone always overcome. And who will withstand the strength of your arm?

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 But you are merciful to all, because you can do all, and you dismiss the sins of man because of repentance.

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 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.