Wisdom of Solomon 18

^aNevertheless thy ^hsaints had a very great light, whose voice they ^bhearing, and not seeing their shape, because they also had not suffered the same things, they counted them happy. ²But for that they did not hurt them now, of whom they had been wronged before, they thanked them, and besought them pardon for that they ^chad been enemies. ³Instead whereof ^dthou gavest them a burning pillar of fire, both to be a guide of the unknown journey, and a ^eharmless sun to entertain them honourably. ^4fFor they were worthy to be deprived of light, and imprisoned in darkness, who had kept thy sons shut up, by whom the uncorrupt light of the law was to be given unto the world.

⁵And ^gwhen they had determined to slay the babes of ^hthe saints, ⁱone child being cast forth, and saved, to reprove them, ^kthou tookest away the multitude of their children, and ^ldestroyedst them altogether in a mighty water. ^6mOf that night were our fathers certified afore, that ⁿassuredly knowing ^ounto what oaths they had given credence, they might afterwards be of good cheer. ⁷So of thy people was accepted both the salvation of the righteous, and destruction of the enemies. ⁸For ^pwherewith thou didst punish our adversaries, ^qby the same thou didst glorify us, whom thou hadst called. ⁹For the ^hrighteous children of good men ^rdid sacrifice ^ssecretly, and with one consent made a holy law, that the saints should be alike partakers of the same good and evil, the fathers now singing out the songs of praise. ¹⁰But on the other side there sounded ^tan ill according cry of the enemies; and a lamentable noise was carried abroad for children that were bewailed. ^11uThe master and the servant were punished after one manner; and like as the king, so suffered the common person. ^12tSo they altogether had innumerable dead with one kind of death; neither were the living sufficient to bury them: for in one moment the noblest offspring of them was destroyed. ¹³For whereas they would not believe any thing ^wby reason of the enchantments; upon the destruction of the firstborn, ^xthey acknowledged this people to be the sons of God. ¹⁴For while all things were in quiet silence, and ^kthat night was in the midst of her swift course, ^15kthine Almighty word leapt down from heaven ^yout of thy royal throne, as ^za fierce man of war into the midst of a land of destruction, ¹⁶and brought thine ^aunfeigned commandment as ^ba sharp sword, and standing up filled all things with death; and ^cit touched the heaven, but it stood upon the earth. ¹⁷Then suddenly ^dvisions of horrible dreams troubled them sore, and terrors came upon them unlooked for. ¹⁸And one thrown here, another there, half dead, shewed the cause of his death. ¹⁹For the dreams that troubled them did foreshew this, lest they should perish, and not know why they were afflicted.

²⁰Yea, ^qthe tasting of death touched ^ethe righteous also, and ^fthere was a destruction of the multitude in the wilderness: ^fbut the wrath endured not long. ²¹For then ^gthe blameless man made haste, and stood forth to defend them; and bringing ⁱthe shield of his proper ministry, even prayer, and ^hthe propitiation of incense, set himself against the wrath, and so brought the calamity to an end, declaring that he was thy servant. ²²So he overcame the destroyer, not with strength of body, nor force of ⁱarms, but with a word subdued he him that punished, ^kalleging the oaths and covenants made with the fathers. ²³For when the dead were now fallen down by heaps one upon another, ^lstanding between, he stayed the wrath, and parted the way to the living. ²⁴For ^min the long garment was the whole world, and ⁿin the four rows of the stones was the glory of the fathers graven, and thy majesty ^oupon the diadem of his head. ²⁵Unto these ^pthe destroyer gave place, and was afraid of them: for it was enough that they only ^qtasted of the wrath.

XIX.