Sapientia 18

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Sanctis autem tuis maxima erat lux, et horum quidem vocem audiebant, sed figuram non videbant. Et quia non et ipsi eadem passi erant, magnificabant te ;	1 But your holy ones had very great light; And those others, who heard their voices but did not see their forms, since now they themselves had suffered, called them blest;
2 et qui ante læsi erant, quia non lædebantur, gratias agebant, et ut esset differentia, donum petebant.	2 And because they who formerly had been wronged did not harm them, they thanked them, and pleaded with them, for the sake of the difference between them.
3 Propter quod ignis ardentem columnam ducem habuerunt ignotæ viæ, et solem sine læsura boni hospitii præstitisti.	3 Instead of this, you furnished the flaming pillar which was a guide on the unknown way, and the mild sun for an honorable migration.
4 Digni quidem illi carere luce, et pati carcerem tenebrarum, qui inclusos custodiebant filios tuos, per quos incipiebat incorruptum legis lumen sæculo dari.	4 For those deserved to be deprived of light and imprisoned by darkness, who had kept your sons confined through whom the imperishable light of the law was to be given to the world.
5 Cum cogitarent justorum occidere infantes, et uno exposito filio et liberato, in traductionem illorum, multitudinem filiorum abstulisti, et pariter illos perdidisti in aqua valida.	5 When they determined to put to death the infants of the holy ones, and when a single boy had been cast forth but saved, As a reproof you carried off their multitude of sons and made them perish all at once in the mighty water.
6 Illa enim nox ante cognita est a patribus nostris, ut vere scientes quibus juramentis crediderunt, animæquiores essent.	6 That night was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage.
7 Suscepta est autem a populo tuo sanitas quidem justorum, injustorum autem exterminatio.	7 Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes.
8 Sicut enim læsisti adversarios, sic et nos provocans magnificasti.	8 For when you punished our adversaries, in this you glorified us whom you had summoned.
9 Absconse enim sacrificabant justi pueri bonorum, et justitiæ legem in concordia disposuerunt ; similiter et bona et mala recepturos justos, patrum jam decantantes laudes.	9 For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution, That your holy ones should share alike the same good things and dangers, having previously sung the praises of the fathers.
10 Resonabat autem inconveniens inimicorum vox, et flebilis audiebatur planctus ploratorum infantium.	10 But the discordant cry of their enemies responded, and the piteous wail of mourning for children was borne to them.
11 Simili autem pœna servus cum domino afflictus est, et popularis homo regi similia passus.	11 And the slave was smitten with the same retribution as his master; even the plebeian suffered the same as the king.
12 Similiter ergo omnes, uno nomine mortis, mortuos habebant innumerabiles : nec enim ad sepeliendum vivi sufficiebant, quoniam uno momento quæ erat præclarior natio illorum exterminata est.	12 And all alike by a single death had countless dead; For the living were not even sufficient for the burial, since at a single instant their nobler offspring were destroyed.
13 De omnibus enim non credentes, propter veneficia ; tunc vero primum cum fuit exterminium primogenitorum, spoponderunt populum Dei esse.	13 For though they disbelieved at every turn on account of sorceries, at the destruction of the first-born they acknowledged that the people was God's son.
14 Cum enim quietum silentium contineret omnia, et nox in suo cursu medium iter haberet,	14 For when peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its swift course was half spent,
15 omnipotens sermo tuus de cælo, a regalibus sedibus, durus debellator in mediam exterminii terram prosilivit,	15 Your all-powerful word from heaven's royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land,
16 gladius acutus insimulatum imperium tuum portans : et stans, replevit omnia morte, et usque ad cælum attingebat stans in terra.	16 bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree. And as he alighted, he filled every place with death; he still reached to heaven, while he stood upon the earth.
17 Tunc continuo visus somniorum malorum turbaverunt illos, et timores supervenerunt insperati.	17 Then, forthwith, visions in horrible dreams perturbed them and unexpected fears assailed them;
18 Et alius alibi projectus semivivus, propter quam moriebatur causam demonstrabat mortis.	18 And cast half-dead, one here, another there, each was revealing the reason for his dying.
19 Visiones enim quæ illos turbaverunt hæc præmonebant, ne inscii quare mala patiebantur perirent.	19 For the dreams that disturbed them had proclaimed this beforehand, lest they perish unaware of why they suffered ill.
20 Tetigit autem tunc et justos tentatio mortis, et commotio in eremo facta est multitudinis : sed non diu permansit ira tua.	20 But the trial of death touched at one time even the just, and in the desert a plague struck the multitude; Yet not for long did the anger last.
21 Prosperans enim homo sine querela deprecari pro populis, proferens servitutis suæ scutum, orationem et per incensum deprecationem allegans, restitit iræ, et finem imposuit necessitati, ostendens quoniam tuus est famulus.	21 For the blameless man hastened to be their champion, bearing the weapon of his special office, prayer and the propitiation of incense; He withstood the wrath and put a stop to the calamity, showing that he was your servant.
22 Vicit autem turbas non in virtute corporis, nec armaturæ potentia : sed verbo illum qui se vexabat subjecit, juramenta parentum et testamentum commemorans.	22 And he overcame the bitterness not by bodily strength, not by force of arms; But by word he overcame the smiter, recalling the sworn covenants with their fathers.
23 Cum enim jam acervatim cecidissent super alterutrum mortui, interstitit, et amputavit impetum, et divisit illam quæ ad vivos ducebat viam.	23 For when corpses had already fallen one on another in heaps, he stood in the midst and checked the anger, and cut off the way to the living.
24 In veste enim poderis quam habebat, totus erat orbis terrarum ; et parentum magnalia in quatuor ordinibus lapidum erant sculpta, et magnificentia tua in diademate capitis illius sculpta erat.	24 For on his full-length robe was the whole world, and the glories of the fathers were carved in four rows upon the stones, and your grandeur was on the crown upon his head.
25 His autem cessit qui exterminabat, et hæc extimuit : erat enim sola tentatio iræ sufficiens.	25 To these names the destroyer yielded, and these he feared; for the mere trial of anger was enough.