Sapienza 17

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Magna sunt enim iudicia tua et inenarrabilia; propter hoc indisciplinatae animae erraverunt.	1 Yes, your judgements are great and impenetrable, which is why uninstructed souls have gone astray.
2 Dum enim persuasum habent iniqui posse dominari nationi sanctae, captivi tenebrarum et longae noctis compediti, inclusi sub tectis, fugitivi perpetuae providentiae iacuerunt.	2 While the wicked supposed they had a holy nation in their power, they themselves lay prisoners of thedark, in the fetters of long night, confined under their own roofs, banished from eternal providence.
3 Et dum putant se latere in obscuris peccatis, tenebroso oblivionis velamento dispersi sunt, paventes horrende, et umbris perturbati.	3 While they thought to remain unnoticed with their secret sins, curtained by dark forgetfulness, theywere scattered in fearful dismay, terrified by apparitions.
4 Neque enim, quae continebat illos, spelunca sine timore custodiebat, quoniam sonitus descendentes perturbabant illos, et phantasmata tristi vultu maerentia apparebant.	4 The hiding place sheltering them could not ward off their fear; terrifying noises echoed round them;and gloomy, grim-faced spectres haunted them.
5 Et ignis quidem nulla vis poterat illis lumen praebere, nec siderum limpidae flammae illuminare poterant illam noctem horrendam.	5 No fire had power enough to give them light, nor could the brightly blazing stars il uminate that dreadfulnight.
6 Apparebat autem illis tantum subitaneus ignis timore plenus, et timore perculsi illius, quae non videbatur, visionis aestimabant deteriora esse, quae videbantur;	6 The only light for them was a great, spontaneous blaze -- a fearful sight to see! And in their terror,once that sight had vanished, they thought what they had seen more terrible than ever.
7 et magicae artis appositi erant derisus, et in sapientia gloriae correptio cum contumelia.	7 Their magical il usions were powerless now, and their claims to intel igence were ignominiouslyconfounded;
8 Illi enim, qui promittebant timores et perturbationes expellere se ab anima languente, hi cum ridiculo timore languebant.	8 for those who promised to drive out fears and disorders from sick souls were now themselves sick withludicrous fright.
9 Nam, etsi nihil turbulenti illos terrebat, transitu animalium et serpentium sibilatione commoti, tremebundi peribant, et aerem, quem nulla ratione quis effugere posset, negantes se videre.	9 Even when there was nothing frightful to scare them, the vermin creeping past and the hissing ofreptiles filled them with panic;
10 Formidinis enim suae propriae nequitia dat testimonium, cum sit condemnata; semper autem praesumit saeva perturbata conscientia.	10 they died convulsed with fright, refusing even to look at empty air, which cannot be eluded anyhow!
11 Nihil enim est timor nisi proditio auxiliorum, quae sunt a cogitatione;	11 Wickedness is confessedly very cowardly, and it condemns itself; under pressure from conscience italways assumes the worst.
12 et, dum ab intus minor est exspectatio, maiorem computat inscientiam eius causae, quae tormentum praestat.	12 Fear, indeed, is nothing other than the failure of the help offered by reason;
13 Illi autem per impotentem vere noctem et ab impotentis inferni speluncis supervenientem, eundem somnum dormientes,	13 the less you rely within yourself on this, the more alarming it is not to know the cause of yoursuffering.
14 aliquando a monstris exagitabantur phantasmatum, aliquando animae deficiebant proditione: subitaneus enim illis et insperatus timor infundebatur.	14 And they, al locked in the same sleep, while that darkness lasted -- which was in fact quite powerlessand had issued from the depths of equal y powerless Hades-
15 Itaque, si quisquam illic decidisset, custodiebatur in carcere sine ferro reclusus.	15 were now chased by monstrous spectres, now paralysed by the fainting of their souls; for a sudden,unexpected terror had attacked them.
16 Sive enim rusticus quis erat aut pastor aut agri laborum operarius praeoccupatus, ineffugibilem sustinebat necessitatem, una enim catena tenebrarum omnes erant colligati.	16 And thus, whoever it might be that fel there stayed clamped to the spot in this prison without bars.
17 Sive spiritus sibilans aut inter spissos arborum ramos avium sonus suavis aut numerus aquae decurrentis nimium aut sonus durus praecipitatarum petrarum	17 Whether he was ploughman or shepherd, or somebody at work in the desert, he was stil overtakenand suffered the inevitable fate, for al had been bound by the one same chain of darkness.
18 aut ludentium animalium cursus invisus aut mugientium ferissimarum bestiarum vox aut resonans de cavitate montium echo deficientes faciebant illos prae timore.	18 The soughing of the wind, the tuneful noise of birds in the spreading branches, the measured beat ofwater in its powerful course, the headlong din of rocks cascading down,
19 Omnis enim orbis terrarum limpido illuminabatur lumine et non impeditis operibus continebatur;	19 the unseen course of bounding animals, the roaring of the most savage of wild beasts, the echorebounding from the clefts in the mountains, all held them paralysed with fear.
20 solis autem illis superposita erat gravis nox, imago tenebrarum, quae illos recepturae erant: ipsi ergo sibi erant graviores tenebris.	20 For the whole world shone with the light of day and, unhindered, went about its work;
	21 over them alone there spread a heavy darkness, image of the dark that would receive them. Butheavier than the darkness was the burden they were to themselves.