The Wisdom of Solomon

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 17 -

The Egyptian darkness.

For thy judgments, O Lord, are great, and thy words cannot be expressed: therefore undisciplined souls have erred.

For while the wicked thought to be able to have dominion over the holy nation, they themselves being fettered with the bonds of darkness, and a long night, shut up in their houses, lay there exiled from the eternal providence.

And while they thought to lie hid in their obscure sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly afraid and troubled with exceeding great astonishment.

For neither did the den that held them, keep them from fear: for noises coming down troubled them, and sad visions appearing to them, affrighted them.

And no power of fire could give them light, neither could the bright flames of the stars enlighten that horrible night.

But there appeared to them a sudden fire, very dreadful: and being struck with the fear of that face, which was not seen, they thought the things which they saw to be worse:

And the delusions of their magic art were put down, and their boasting of wisdom was reproachfully rebuked.

For they who promised to drive away fears and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of a fear worthy to be laughed at.

For though no terrible thing disturbed them: yet being scared with the passing by of beasts, and hissing of serpents, they died for fear: and denying that they saw the air, which could by no means be avoided.

For whereas wickedness is fearful, it beareth witness of its condemnation: for a troubled conscience always forecasteth grievous things.

For fear is nothing else but a yielding up of the succours from thought.

And while there is less expectation from within, the greater doth it count the ignorance of that cause which bringeth the torment.

But they that during that night, in which nothing could be done, and which came upon them from the lowest and deepest hell, slept the same sleep.

Were sometimes molested with the fear of monsters, sometimes fainted away, their soul failing them: for a sudden and unlooked for fear was come upon them.

Moreover if any of them had fallen down, he was kept shut up in prison without irons.

For if any one were a husbandman, or a shepherd, or a labourer in the field, and was suddenly overtaken, he endured a necessity from which he could not fly.

For they were all bound together with one chain of darkness. Whether it were a whistling wind, or the melodious voice of birds, among the spreading branches of trees, or a fall of water running down with violence,

Or the mighty noise of stones tumbling down, or the running that could not be seen of beasts playing together, or the roaring voice of wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the highest mountains: these things made them to swoon for fear.

For the whole world was enlightened with a clear light, and none were hindered in their labours.

But over them only was spread a heavy night, an image of that darkness which was to come upon them. But they were to themselves more grievous than the darkness.

The Egyptian darkness.

For your judgments are great, and hard to interpret; therefore undisciplined souls went astray.

For when lawless men had supposed that they held a holy nation in their power, they, prisoners of darkness, and bound in the fetters of a long night, kept close beneath their roofs, lay exiled from the eternal providence.

For while they thought that they were unseen in their secret sins, they were divided from one another by a dark curtain of forgetfulness, stricken with terrible awe, and very troubled by apparitions.

For neither did the dark recesses that held them guard them from fears, but terrifying sounds rang around them, and dismal phantoms appeared with unsmiling faces.

And no power of fire prevailed to give light, neither were the brightest flames of the stars strong enough to illuminate that gloomy night;

but only the glimmering of a self-kindled fire appeared to them, full of fear. In terror, they considered the things which they saw to be worse than that sight, on which they could not gaze.

The mockeries of their magic arts were powerless, now, and a shameful rebuke of their boasted understanding:

For those who promised to drive away terrors and disorders from a sick soul, these were sick with a ludicrous fearfulness.

For even if no troubling thing frighted them, yet, scared with the creeping of vermin and hissing of serpents,

they perished trembling in fear, refusing even to look at the air, which could not be escaped on any side.

For wickedness, condemned by a witness within, is a coward thing, and, being pressed hard by conscience, always has added forecasts of the worst.

For fear is nothing else but a surrender of the help which reason offers;

and from within, the expectation of being less prefers ignorance of the cause that brings the torment.

But they, all through the night which was powerless indeed, and which came upon them out of the recesses of powerless Hades, sleeping the same sleep,

now were haunted by monstrous apparitions, and now were paralyzed by their soul’s surrendering; for sudden and unexpected fear came upon them.

So then whoever it might be, sinking down in his place, was kept captive, shut up in that prison which was not barred with iron;

for whether he was a farmer, or a shepherd, or a laborer whose toils were in the wilderness, he was overtaken, and endured that inescapable sentence; for they were all bound with one chain of darkness.

Whether there was a whistling wind, or a melodious sound of birds among the spreading branches, or a measured fall of water running violently,

or a harsh crashing of rocks hurled down, or the swift course of animals bounding along unseen, or the voice of wild beasts harshly roaring, or an echo rebounding from the hollows of the mountains, all these things paralyzed them with terror.

For the whole world was illuminated with clear light, and was occupied with unhindered works,

while over them alone was spread a heavy night, an image of the darkness that should afterward receive them; but to themselves, they were heavier than darkness.