Wisdom 18

NEW JERUSALEM	NOVA VULGATA
1 For your holy ones, however, there was a very great light. The Egyptians, who could hear them but notsee them, cal ed them fortunate because they had not suffered too;	1 Sanctis autem tuis maxima erat lux; et horum quidem vocem illi audiebant, sed figuram non videbant et, quia non et ipsi eadem passi erant, magnificabant;
2 they thanked them for doing no injury in return for previous wrongs and asked forgiveness for theirpast il -wil .	2 quoniam autem, qui ante laesi erant, non laedebant, gratias agebant et, quod eos ante distulissent, donum petebant.
3 In contrast to the darkness, you gave your people a pil ar of blazing fire to guide them on theirunknown journey, a mild sun for their ambitious migration.	3 Propter quod ignis ardentem columnam, ducem ignotae viae, et solem sine laesura gloriosae peregrinationis praestitisti.
4 But well those others deserved to be deprived of light and imprisoned in darkness, for they had kept incaptivity your children, by whom the incorruptible light of the Law was to be given to the world.	4 Digni quidem illi carere luce et pati carcerem tenebrarum, qui inclusos custodierant filios tuos, per quos incipiebat incorruptum legis lumen saeculo dari.
5 As they had resolved to kill the infants of the holy ones, and as of those exposed only one child hadbeen saved, you punished them by carrying off their horde of children and by destroying them al in the wildwater.	5 Cum cogitarent iustorum occidere infantes C et uno exposito filio et liberato — in traductionem illorum multitudinemfiliorum abstulisti et pariter illos perdidisti in aqua valida.
6 That night had been known in advance to our ancestors, so that, wel knowing him in whom they hadput their trust, they would be sure of his promises.	6 Illa nox ante cognita est a patribus nostris, ut vere scientes, quibus iuramentis crediderunt, animaequiores essent.
7 Your people thus were waiting both for the rescue of the upright and for the ruin of the enemy;	7 Suscepta est a populo tuo sanitas quidem iustorum, iniustorum autem exterminatio;
8 for by the very vengeance that you exacted on our adversaries, you glorified us by calling us to you.	8 sicut enim punivisti adversarios, sic et nos provocans magnificasti.
9 So the holy children of the good offered sacrifice in secret and with one accord enacted this holy law:that the holy ones should share good things and dangers alike; and forthwith they chanted the hymns of theancestors.	9 Absconse enim sacrificabant iusti pueri bonorum et divinitatis legem in concordia disposuerunt; similiter et bona et pericula recepturos sanctos patrum iam ante decantantes laudes.
10 In echo came the discordant cries of their enemies, and the pitiful wails of people mourning for theirchildren could be heard from far away.	10 Resonabat autem inconveniens inimicorum clamor, et flebilis perferebatur vox ploratorum infantium.
11 One and the same punishment had struck slave and master alike, and now commoner and king hadthe same sufferings to endure.	11 Simili autem poena servus cum domino afflictus est, et popularis homo regi similia passus;
12 Struck by the same death, al had innumerable dead. There were not enough living left to bury them,for, at one stroke, the flower of their offspring had perished.	12 similiter ergo omnes uno nomine mortis mortuos habebant innumerabiles. Nec enim ad sepeliendum vivi sufficiebant, quoniam uno momento, quae erat praeclarior generatio illorum, exterminata erat.
13 Those whose spel s had made them completely incredulous, when faced with the destruction of theirfirst-born, acknowledged this people to be child of God.	13 De omnibus enim non credentes propter veneficia, in exterminio primogenitorum confessi sunt populum filium Dei esse.
14 When peaceful silence lay over all, and night had run the half of her swift course,	14 Cum enim quietum silentium contineret omnia, et nox in suo cursu medium iter haberet,
15 down from the heavens, from the royal throne, leapt your al -powerful Word like a pitiless warrior intothe heart of a land doomed to destruction. Carrying your unambiguous command like a sharp sword,	15 omnipotens sermo tuus de caelo a regalibus sedibus durus bellator in mediam exterminii terram prosilivit, gladium acutum insimulatum imperium tuum portans;
16 it stood, and fil ed the universe with death; though standing on the earth, it touched the sky.	16 et stans replevit omnia morte et usque ad caelum attingebat stans in terra.
17 Immediately, dreams and gruesome visions overwhelmed them with terror, unexpected fearsassailed them.	17 Tunc continuo visus somniorum terribilium turbaverunt illos, et timores supervenerunt insperati,
18 Hurled down, some here, some there, half dead, they were able to say why they were dying;	18 et alius alibi proiectus semivivus, propter quam moriebatur causam, demonstrabat.
19 for the dreams that had troubled them had warned them why beforehand, so that they should notperish without knowing why they were being afflicted.	19 Visiones enim, quae illos turbaverunt, haec praemonebant, ne inscii quare mala patiebantur, perirent.
20 Experience of death, however, touched the upright too, and a great many were struck down in thedesert. But the Retribution did not last long,	20 Tetigit autem et iustos tentatio mortis, et interitus in eremo factus est multitudinis, sed non diu permansit ira tua.
21 for a blameless man hurried to their defence. Wielding the weapons of his sacred office, prayer andexpiating incense, he confronted Retribution and put an end to the plague, thus showing that he was yourservant.	21 Properans enim homo sine querela propugnavit, proferens servitutis suae scutum: orationem et per incensum deprecationem; restitit irae et finem imposuit necessitati, ostendens quoniam tuus est famulus.
22 He overcame Hostility, not by physical strength, nor by force of arms; but by word he prevailed overthe Punisher, by recal ing the oaths made to the Fathers, and the covenants.	22 Vicit autem iram non in virtute corporis, nec armaturae potentia, sed verbo illum, qui se vexabat, subiecit, iuramenta parentum et testamentum commemorans.
23 Already the corpses lay piled in heaps, when he interposed and beat Retribution back and cut off itsapproach to the living.	23 Cum enim iam acervatim cecidissent super alterutrum mortui, interstitit et amputavit impetum et divisit illam, quae ad vivos ducebat, viam.
24 For the whole world was on his flowing robe, the glorious names of the Fathers engraved on the fourrows of stones, and your Majesty on the diadem on his head.	24 In veste enim poderis, quam habebat, totus erat orbis terrarum, et parentum magnalia in quattuor ordinum lapidum sculptura, et magnificentia tuain diademate capitis illius.
25 From these the Destroyer recoiled, he was afraid of these. This one experience of Retribution wasenough.	25 His cessit, qui exterminabat, et haec extimuit; erat enim sola tentatio irae sufficiens.