Liber Sapientiae, 18

1. Sanctis autem tuis maxima erat lux; et horum quidem vocem illi audiebant, sed figuram non videbant et, quia non et ipsi eadem passi erant, magnificabant;

1. But for thy holy ones there was very great light. Their enemies heard their voices but did not see their forms, and counted them happy for not having suffered,

2. quoniam autem, qui ante laesi erant, non laedebant, gratias agebant et, quod eos ante distulissent, donum petebant.

2. and were thankful that thy holy ones, though previously wronged, were doing them no injury; and they begged their pardon for having been at variance with them.

3. Propter quod ignis ardentem columnam, ducem ignotae viae, et solem sine laesura gloriosae peregrinationis praestitisti.

3. Therefore thou didst provide a flaming pillar of fire as a guide for thy people's unknown journey, and a harmless sun for their glorious wandering.

4. Digni quidem illi carere luce et pati carcerem tenebrarum, qui inclusos custodierant filios tuos, per quos incipiebat incorruptum legis lumen saeculo dari.

4. For their enemies deserved to be deprived of light and imprisoned in darkness, those who had kept thy sons imprisoned, through whom the imperishable light of the law was to be given to the world.

5. Cum cogitarent iustorum occidere infantes C et uno exposito filio et liberato — in traductionem illorum multitudinem filiorum abstulisti et pariter illos perdidisti in aqua valida.

5. When they had resolved to kill the babes of thy holy ones, and one child had been exposed and rescued, thou didst in punishment take away a multitude of their children; and thou didst destroy them all together by a mighty flood.

6. Illa nox ante cognita est a patribus nostris, ut vere scientes, quibus iuramentis crediderunt, animaequiores essent.

6. That night was made known beforehand to our fathers, so that they might rejoice in sure knowledge of the oaths in which they trusted.

7. Suscepta est a populo tuo sanitas quidem iustorum, iniustorum autem exterminatio;

7. The deliverance of the righteous and the destruction of their enemies were expected by thy people.

8. sicut enim punivisti adversarios, sic et nos provocans magnificasti.

8. For by the same means by which thou didst punish our enemies thou didst call us to thyself and glorify us.

9. Absconse enim sacrificabant iusti pueri bonorum et divinitatis legem in concordia disposuerunt; similiter et bona et pericula recepturos sanctos patrum iam ante decantantes laudes.

9. For in secret the holy children of good men offered sacrifices, and with one accord agreed to the divine law, that the saints would share alike the same things, both blessings and dangers; and already they were singing the praises of the fathers.

10. Resonabat autem inconveniens inimicorum clamor, et flebilis perferebatur vox ploratorum infantium.

10. But the discordant cry of their enemies echoed back, and their piteous lament for their children was spread abroad.

11. Simili autem poena servus cum domino afflictus est, et popularis homo regi similia passus;

11. The slave was punished with the same penalty as the master, and the common man suffered the same loss as the king;

12. similiter ergo omnes uno nomine mortis mortuos habebant innumerabiles. Nec enim ad sepeliendum vivi sufficiebant, quoniam uno momento, quae erat praeclarior generatio illorum, exterminata erat.

12. and they all together, by the one form of death, had corpses too many to count. For the living were not sufficient even to bury them, since in one instant their most valued children had been destroyed.

13. De omnibus enim non credentes propter veneficia, in exterminio primogenitorum confessi sunt populum filium Dei esse.

13. For though they had disbelieved everything because of their magic arts, yet, when their first-born were destroyed, they acknowledged thy people to be God's son.

14. Cum enim quietum silentium contineret omnia, et nox in suo cursu medium iter haberet,

14. For while gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was now half gone,

15. omnipotens sermo tuus de caelo a regalibus sedibus durus bellator in mediam exterminii terram prosilivit, gladium acutum insimulatum imperium tuum portans;

15. thy all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stern warrior

16. et stans replevit omnia morte et usque ad caelum attingebat stans in terra.

16. carrying the sharp sword of thy authentic command, and stood and filled all things with death, and touched heaven while standing on the earth.

17. Tunc continuo visus somniorum terribilium turbaverunt illos, et timores supervenerunt insperati,

17. Then at once apparitions in dreadful dreams greatly troubled them, and unexpected fears assailed them;

18. et alius alibi proiectus semivivus, propter quam moriebatur causam, demonstrabat.

18. and one here and another there, hurled down half dead, made known why they were dying;

19. Visiones enim, quae illos turbaverunt, haec praemonebant, ne inscii quare mala patiebantur, perirent.

19. for the dreams which disturbed them forewarned them of this, so that they might not perish without knowing why they suffered.

20. Tetigit autem et iustos tentatio mortis, et interitus in eremo factus est multitudinis, sed non diu permansit ira tua.

20. The experience of death touched also the righteous, and a plague came upon the multitude in the desert, but the wrath did not long continue.

21. Properans enim homo sine querela propugnavit, proferens servitutis suae scutum: orationem et per incensum deprecationem; restitit irae et finem imposuit necessitati, ostendens quoniam tuus est famulus.

21. For a blameless man was quick to act as their champion; he brought forward the shield of his ministry, prayer and propitiation by incense; he withstood the anger and put an end to the disaster, showing that he was thy servant.

22. Vicit autem iram non in virtute corporis, nec armaturae potentia, sed verbo illum, qui se vexabat, subiecit, iuramenta parentum et testamentum commemorans.

22. He conquered the wrath not by strength of body, and not by force of arms, but by his word he subdued the punisher, appealing to the oaths and covenants given to our fathers.

23. Cum enim iam acervatim cecidissent super alterutrum mortui, interstitit et amputavit impetum et divisit illam, quae ad vivos ducebat, viam.

23. For when the dead had already fallen on one another in heaps, he intervened and held back the wrath, and cut off its way to the living.

24. In veste enim poderis, quam habebat, totus erat orbis terrarum, et parentum magnalia in quattuor ordinum lapidum sculptura, et magnificentia tua in diademate capitis illius.

24. For upon his long robe the whole world was depicted, and the glories of the fathers were engraved on the four rows of stones, and thy majesty on the diadem upon his head.

25. His cessit, qui exterminabat, et haec extimuit; erat enim sola tentatio irae sufficiens.

25. To these the destroyer yielded, these he feared; for merely to test the wrath was enough.