Wisdom of Solomon, 19

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

1. Instead, a pitiless fury raged against the wicked to the very end, for God knew beforehand what they would do:

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

2. that after allowing them to leave and hastening their departure, they would then pursue them.

3. 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.

3. While the Egyptians were still mourning at the graves of their dead, they had the mad idea of pursuing them as fugitives.

4. 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:

4. A well-deserved fate drove them to this extreme, making them forget what had happened and completing their punishment with further torment.

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

5. While your people would experience a miraculous journey, their oppressors would suffer an extraordinary death.

6. 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:

6. All creation in its different forms was fashioned anew at your command, in order to protect your people.

7. 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:

7. The cloud covered the camp with its shadow, dry land emerged where water had been. A safe passage was opened through the Red Sea, the tempestuous flood became a green plain

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

8. where the whole nation of those protected by your hand passed across, witnessing your astounding deeds.

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

9. They were like horses led to pasture, or like frolicking lambs, praising you, their Lord, who had delivered them.

10. 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.

10. For they still remembered what they had seen in their exile: how the earth, in place of animals, had produced mosquitoes, and rivers, instead of providing fish, produced frogs.

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

11. Later your people were to see a new way for birds to appear, for when they hungered for food,

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

12. quails came out of the sea to satisfy their need.

13. 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.

13. Punishment befell the sinners after they had been warned by violent thunder; deservedly they suffered for their own wickedness, for they had given proof of a most cruel hatred towards strangers.

14. 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.

14. Others had not welcomed unknown strangers, but the Egyptians enslaved guests who had been good to them.

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

15. The former will be condemned for dealing badly with strangers;

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

16. worse still, the Egyptians who had welcomed them with celebrations and treated them as equals, but later made them suffer cruelly.

17. 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.

17. For this they were afflicted with blindness like the men of Sodom who came to the door of the righteous man Lot and found themselves in utter darkness, each one groping around to find his own door.

18. 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.

18. The elements interchanged their qualities as on a harp the notes change their tones while retaining their own pitch. Clearly this is what happened as is shown by a scrutiny of events.

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

19. Creatures living on the land became aquatic and those that swam emerged on dry land.

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

20. Fire burned more fiercely in water when water ceased to quench.

21. 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.

21. On another occasion flames did not burn frail animals that passed through them nor did they melt the heavenly food that normally would have melted like frost.

22. 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. .

22. For in every way, Lord, you have exalted and glorified your people, never disdaining them, but standing by them always and everywhere.