The Wisdom of Solomon

⭑ King James Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 19 -

Why God showed no mercy to the Egyptians. His favour to the Israelites. All creatures obey God’s orders for the service of the good, and the punishment of the wicked.

As for the ungodly, wrath came upon them without mercy unto the end: for he knew before what they would do;

How that having given them leave to depart, and sent them hastily away, they would repent and pursue them.

For whilst they were yet mourning and making lamentation at the graves of the dead, they added another foolish device, and pursued them as fugitives, whom they had intreated to be gone.

For the destiny, whereof they were worthy, drew them unto this end, and made them forget the things that had already happened, that they might fulfil the punishment which was wanting to their torments:

And that thy people might pass a wonderful way: but they might find a strange death.

For the whole creature in his proper kind was fashioned again anew, serving the peculiar commandments that were given unto them, that thy children might be kept without hurt:

As namely, a cloud shadowing the camp; and where water stood before, dry land appeared; and out of the Red sea a way without impediment; and out of the violent stream a green field:

Wherethrough all the people went that were defended with thy hand, seeing thy marvellous strange wonders.

For they went at large like horses, and leaped like lambs, praising thee, O Lord, who hadst delivered them.

For they were yet mindful of the things that were done while they sojourned in the strange land, how the ground brought forth flies instead of cattle, and how the river cast up a multitude of frogs instead of fishes.

But afterwards they saw a new generation of fowls, when, being led with their appetite, they asked delicate meats.

For quails came up unto them from the sea for their contentment.

And punishments came upon the sinners not without former signs by the force of thunders: for they suffered justly according to their own wickedness, insomuch as they used a more hard and hateful behaviour toward strangers.

For the Sodomites did not receive those, whom they knew not when they came: but these brought friends into bondage, that had well deserved of them.

And not only so, but peradventure some respect shall be had of those, because they used strangers not friendly:

But these very grievously afflicted them, whom they had received with feastings, and were already made partakers of the same laws with them.

Therefore even with blindness were these stricken, as those were at the doors of the righteous man: when, being compassed about with horrible great darkness, every one sought the passage of his own doors.

For the elements were changed in themselves by a kind of harmony, like as in a psaltery notes change the name of the tune, and yet are always sounds; which may well be perceived by the sight of the things that have been done.

For earthly things were turned into watery, and the things, that before swam in the water, now went upon the ground.

The fire had power in the water, forgetting his own virtue: and the water forgat his own quenching nature.

On the other side, the flames wasted not the flesh of the corruptible living things, though they walked therein; neither melted they the icy kind of heavenly meat that was of nature apt to melt.

For in all things, O Lord, thou didst magnify thy people, and glorify them, neither didst thou lightly regard them: but didst assist them in every time and place.

Why God showed no mercy to the Egyptians. His favour to the Israelites. All creatures obey God’s orders for the service of the good, and the punishment of the wicked.

But indignation without mercy came upon the ungodly to the end; for God also foreknew their future,

how, having changed their minds to let your people go, and having sped them eagerly on their way, they would change their minds and pursue them.

For while they were yet in the midst of their mourning, and lamenting at the graves of the dead, they made another foolish decision, and pursued as fugitives those whom they had begged to leave and driven out.

For the doom which they deserved was drawing them to this end, and it made them forget the things that had happened to them, that they might fill up the punishment which was yet lacking from their torments,

and that your people might journey on by a marvelous road, but they themselves might find a strange death.

For the whole creation, each part in its diverse kind, was made new again, complying with your commandments, that your servants might be kept unharmed.

Then the cloud that overshadowed the camp was seen, and dry land rising up out of what had been water, out of the Red sea an unhindered highway, and a grassy plain out of the violent surge,

by which they passed over with all their army, these who were covered with your hand, having seen strange marvels.

For like horses they roamed at large, and they skipped about like lambs, praising you, O Lord, who was their deliverer.

For they still remembered the things that happened in the time of their sojourning, how instead of bearing cattle, the land brought forth lice, and instead of fish, the river spewed out a multitude of frogs.

But afterwards, they also saw a new kind of birds, when, led on by desire, they asked for luxurious dainties;

for, to comfort them, quails came up for them from the sea.

Punishments came upon the sinners, not without the signs that were given beforehand by the violence of the thunder, for they justly suffered through their own wickednesses, for the hatred which they practiced toward guests was grievous indeed.

For while the others didn’t receive the strangers when they came to them, the Egyptians made slaves of guests who were their benefactors.

And not only so, but while punishment of some sort will come upon the former, since they received as enemies those who were aliens;

because these first welcomed with feastings, and then afflicted with dreadful toils, those who had already shared with them in the same rights.

And moreover they were stricken with loss of sight (even as were those others at the righteous man’s doors), when, being surrounded with yawning darkness, they each looked for the passage through his own door.

For as the notes of a lute vary the character of the rhythm, even so the elements, changing their order one with another, continuing always in its sound, as may clearly be conjectured from the sight of the things that have happened.

For creatures of the dry land were turned into creatures of the waters, and creatures that swim moved upon the land.

Fire kept the mastery of its own power in water, and water forgot its quenching nature.

On the contrary, flames didn’t consume flesh of perishable creatures that walked among them, neither did they melt the crystalline grains of ambrosial food that were melted easily.

For in all things, O Lord, you magnified your people, and you glorified them and didn’t lightly regard them, standing by their side in every time and place.