Wisdom 18

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW JERUSALEM
1 But your saints were your greatest light, and they heard your voice, but did not see your form. And because they themselves did not also suffer the same things, they praised you greatly.	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;
2 And those who were wounded before, gave thanks, because they were no longer being wounded, and because they had petitioned for this gift, that there would be this difference.	2 they thanked them for doing no injury in return for previous wrongs and asked forgiveness for theirpast il -wil .
3 Because of this, they had a burning column of fire as a guide on the unknown way, and you displayed a harmless sun of a good hospitality.	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.
4 The others, indeed, deserved to be deprived of the light and to endure a prison of darkness, who watched for an opportunity to imprison your sons, by whom the incorruptible light of the law was beginning to be given to future generations.	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.
5 When they thought to kill the babes of the just, one son having been exposed and set free, to their disgrace, you took away a multitude of their sons and destroyed them all together in a mighty water.	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.
6 For that night was known beforehand by our fathers, so that, knowing the truth of the oaths in which they had trusted, they might be more peaceful in their souls.	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.
7 Yet your people received not only the salvation of the just, but also the destruction of the unjust.	7 Your people thus were waiting both for the rescue of the upright and for the ruin of the enemy;
8 For just as you wounded our adversaries, so also did you greatly esteem calling us forth.	8 for by the very vengeance that you exacted on our adversaries, you glorified us by calling us to you.
9 For the just children of goodness were secretly offering sacrifice, and in agreement they administered the law of justice, so that both good and bad would be able to receive justice, and so that you might now approve of their chanting to the father.	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.
10 On the other hand, a dissimilar voice was resounding from the enemies, and a lamentable wailing was heard for the children who were being cried over.	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.
11 But the same punishment afflicted the servant with the master, and the common man endured the same as the king.	11 One and the same punishment had struck slave and master alike, and now commoner and king hadthe same sufferings to endure.
12 Therefore, all were the same, with one name for death, and the dead were innumerable. For neither were the living sufficient to bury the dead, because, with a single effort, their most illustrious nation was exterminated.	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.
13 For they would not believe anything because of the drugs; then truly, at the beginning, when the extermination of the firstborn happened, they pledged the people to belong to God.	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.
14 For, when a quiet silence surrounded all things, and when the course of the night was passing the middle of its journey,	14 When peaceful silence lay over all, and night had run the half of her swift course,
15 your almighty word from heaven leapt down from your royal throne, as a fierce warrior in the midst of the land of extermination,	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,
16 as a sharp sword carrying your unfeigned authority, and standing, filled all things with death, and, standing on the earth, reached all the way up to touch heaven.	16 it stood, and fil ed the universe with death; though standing on the earth, it touched the sky.
17 Then, incessant visions of nightmares disturbed them, and unexpected fears overcame them.	17 Immediately, dreams and gruesome visions overwhelmed them with terror, unexpected fearsassailed them.
18 And another was thrown down elsewhere half-alive; and so, by means of that which was dying, the cause of death was revealed.	18 Hurled down, some here, some there, half dead, they were able to say why they were dying;
19 For the visions that disturbed them had forewarned of these things, lest they should perish and not know why they suffered these evils.	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.
20 Yet, at that time, the trial of death touched even the just, and there was a disturbance of the multitude in the wilderness, but your wrath did not continue for long.	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,
21 For a blameless man, prospering, is to be entreated for your people, bringing forth the shield of your service, through prayer and incense, making prayerful supplication, he withstands anger, and so establishes an end to the necessary difficulty, revealing that he is your servant.	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.
22 Yet he outlasted the disturbance, not by virtue of the body, nor by force of arms, but, with a word, he subdued those who were troubling him, commemorating the oaths and covenant of the parents.	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.
23 For when they were now fallen down dead by heaps one upon another, he stood between them and cut off their attack, and he divided those who controlled the path to the living.	23 Already the corpses lay piled in heaps, when he interposed and beat Retribution back and cut off itsapproach to the living.
24 For, within the garment of shame which he held, the world was all together, and the great deeds of the parents were engraved on four orders of stones, and your majesty was engraved on the crown of his head.	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.
25 Yet he who was exterminating yielded even to those he frightened. For one trial of wrath was sufficient.	25 From these the Destroyer recoiled, he was afraid of these. This one experience of Retribution wasenough.