Sapientia 18

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
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 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 et qui ante læsi erant, quia non lædebantur, gratias agebant, et ut esset differentia, donum petebant.	2 they thanked them for doing no injury in return for previous wrongs and asked forgiveness for theirpast il -wil .
3 Propter quod ignis ardentem columnam ducem habuerunt ignotæ viæ, et solem sine læsura boni hospitii præstitisti.	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 Digni quidem illi carere luce, et pati carcerem tenebrarum, qui inclusos custodiebant filios tuos, per quos incipiebat incorruptum legis lumen sæculo dari.	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 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 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 Illa enim nox ante cognita est a patribus nostris, ut vere scientes quibus juramentis crediderunt, animæquiores essent.	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 Suscepta est autem a populo tuo sanitas quidem justorum, injustorum autem exterminatio.	7 Your people thus were waiting both for the rescue of the upright and for the ruin of the enemy;
8 Sicut enim læsisti adversarios, sic et nos provocans magnificasti.	8 for by the very vengeance that you exacted on our adversaries, you glorified us by calling us to you.
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 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 Resonabat autem inconveniens inimicorum vox, et flebilis audiebatur planctus ploratorum infantium.	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 Simili autem pœna servus cum domino afflictus est, et popularis homo regi similia passus.	11 One and the same punishment had struck slave and master alike, and now commoner and king hadthe same sufferings to endure.
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 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 De omnibus enim non credentes, propter veneficia ; tunc vero primum cum fuit exterminium primogenitorum, spoponderunt populum Dei esse.	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 Cum enim quietum silentium contineret omnia, et nox in suo cursu medium iter haberet,	14 When peaceful silence lay over all, and night had run the half of her swift course,
15 omnipotens sermo tuus de cælo, a regalibus sedibus, durus debellator in mediam exterminii terram prosilivit,	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 gladius acutus insimulatum imperium tuum portans : et stans, replevit omnia morte, et usque ad cælum attingebat stans in terra.	16 it stood, and fil ed the universe with death; though standing on the earth, it touched the sky.
17 Tunc continuo visus somniorum malorum turbaverunt illos, et timores supervenerunt insperati.	17 Immediately, dreams and gruesome visions overwhelmed them with terror, unexpected fearsassailed them.
18 Et alius alibi projectus semivivus, propter quam moriebatur causam demonstrabat mortis.	18 Hurled down, some here, some there, half dead, they were able to say why they were dying;
19 Visiones enim quæ illos turbaverunt hæc præmonebant, ne inscii quare mala patiebantur perirent.	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 Tetigit autem tunc et justos tentatio mortis, et commotio in eremo facta est multitudinis : sed non diu permansit ira tua.	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 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 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 Vicit autem turbas non in virtute corporis, nec armaturæ potentia : sed verbo illum qui se vexabat subjecit, juramenta parentum et testamentum commemorans.	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 Cum enim jam acervatim cecidissent super alterutrum mortui, interstitit, et amputavit impetum, et divisit illam quæ ad vivos ducebat viam.	23 Already the corpses lay piled in heaps, when he interposed and beat Retribution back and cut off itsapproach 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 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 His autem cessit qui exterminabat, et hæc extimuit : erat enim sola tentatio iræ sufficiens.	25 From these the Destroyer recoiled, he was afraid of these. This one experience of Retribution wasenough.