Wisdom of Solomon, 16

1. Thus they were appropriately punished by similar creatures and tormented by swarms of vermin.

1. Therefore those men were deservedly punished through such creatures, and were tormented by a multitude of animals.

2. In contrast to this punishment, you did your people a kindness and, to satisfy their sharp appetite, provided quails -- a luscious rarity -- for them to eat.

2. Instead of this punishment thou didst show kindness to thy people, and thou didst prepare quails to eat, a delicacy to satisfy the desire of appetite;

3. Thus the Egyptians, at the repulsive sight of the creatures sent against them, were to find that, though they longed for food, they had lost their natural appetite; whereas your own people, after a short privation, were to have a rare relish for their portion.

3. in order that those men, when they desired food, might lose the least remnant of appetite because of the odious creatures sent to them, while thy people, after suffering want a short time, might partake of delicacies.

4. Inevitable that relentless want should seize on the former oppressors; enough for your people to be shown how their enemies were being tortured.

4. For it was necessary that upon those oppressors inexorable want should come, while to these it was merely shown how their enemies were being tormented.

5. Even when the fearful rage of wild animals overtook them and they were perishing from the bites of writhing snakes, your retribution did not continue to the end.

5. For when the terrible rage of wild beasts came upon thy people and they were being destroyed by the bites of writhing serpents, thy wrath did not continue to the end;

6. Affliction struck them briefly, by way of warning, and they had a saving token to remind them of the commandment of your Law,

6. they were troubled for a little while as a warning, and received a token of deliverance to remind them of thy law's command.

7. for whoever turned to it was saved, not by what he looked at, but by you, the Saviour of all.

7. For he who turned toward it was saved, not by what he saw, but by thee, the Savior of all.

8. And by such means you proved to our enemies that you are the one who delivers from every evil;

8. And by this also thou didst convince our enemies that it is thou who deliverest from every evil.

9. for them, the bites of locusts and flies proved fatal and no remedy could be found to save their lives, since they deserved to be punished by such creatures.

9. For they were killed by the bites of locusts and flies, and no healing was found for them, because they deserved to be punished by such things;

10. But your children, not even the fangs of poisonous snakes could bring them down; for your mercy came to their help and cured them.

10. but thy sons were not conquered even by the teeth of venomous serpents, for thy mercy came to their help and healed them.

11. One sting -- how quickly healed!-to remind them of your pronouncements rather than that, by sinking into deep forgetfulness, they should be cut off from your kindness.

11. To remind them of thy oracles they were bitten, and then were quickly delivered, lest they should fall into deep forgetfulness and become unresponsive to thy kindness.

12. No herb, no poultice cured them, but your all-healing word, Lord.

12. For neither herb nor poultice cured them, but it was thy word, O Lord, which heals all men.

13. Yes, you are the one with power over life and death, bringing to the gates of Hades and back again.

13. For thou hast power over life and death; thou dost lead men down to the gates of Hades and back again.

14. A human being out of malice may put to death, but cannot bring the departed spirit back or free the soul that Hades has once received.

14. A man in his wickedness kills another, but he cannot bring back the departed spirit, nor set free the imprisoned soul.

15. It is not possible to escape your hand.

15. To escape from thy hand is impossible;

16. The godless who refused to acknowledge you were scourged by the strength of your arm, pursued by no ordinary rains, hail and unrelenting downpours, and consumed by fire.

16. for the ungodly, refusing to know thee, were scourged by the strength of thy arm, pursued by unusual rains and hail and relentless storms, and utterly consumed by fire.

17. Even more wonderful, in the water -- which quenches all -- the fire raged fiercer than ever; for the elements fight for the upright.

17. For -- most incredible of all -- in the water, which quenches all things, the fire had still greater effect, for the universe defends the righteous.

18. At one moment, the fire would die down, to avoid consuming the animals sent against the godless and to make clear to them by that sight, that the sentence of God was pursuing them;

18. At one time the flame was restrained, so that it might not consume the creatures sent against the ungodly, but that seeing this they might know that they were being pursued by the judgment of God;

19. at another, in the very heart of the water, it would burn more fiercely than fire to ruin the produce of a wicked land.

19. and at another time even in the midst of water it burned more intensely than fire, to destroy the crops of the unrighteous land.

20. How differently with your people! You gave them the food of angels, from heaven untiringly providing them bread already prepared, containing every delight, to satisfy every taste.

20. Instead of these things thou didst give thy people food of angels, and without their toil thou didst supply them from heaven with bread ready to eat, providing every pleasure and suited to every taste.

21. And the substance you gave showed your sweetness towards your children, for, conforming to the taste of whoever ate it, it transformed itself into what each eater wished.

21. For thy sustenance manifested thy sweetness toward thy children; and the bread, ministering to the desire of the one who took it, was changed to suit every one's liking.

22. Snow and ice endured the fire, without melting; this was to show them that, to destroy the harvests of their enemies, fire would burn even in hail and flare in falling rain,

22. Snow and ice withstood fire without melting, so that they might know that the crops of their enemies were being destroyed by the fire that blazed in the hail and flashed in the showers of rain;

23. whereas, on the other hand, it would even forget its own strength in the service of feeding the upright.

23. whereas the fire, in order that the righteous might be fed, even forgot its native power.

24. For the creation, being at the service of you, its Creator, tautens to punish the wicked and slackens for the benefit of those who trust in you.

24. For creation, serving thee who hast made it, exerts itself to punish the unrighteous, and in kindness relaxes on behalf of those who trust in thee.

25. And this is why, by changing into all things, it obediently served your all-nourishing bounty, conforming to the wishes of those who were in need;

25. Therefore at that time also, changed into all forms, it served thy all-nourishing bounty, according to the desire of those who had need,

26. so that your beloved children, Lord, might learn that the various crops are not what provide nourishment, but your word which preserves all who believe in you.

26. so that thy sons, whom thou didst love, O Lord, might learn that it is not the production of crops that feeds man, but that thy word preserves those who trust in thee.

27. For that which fire could not destroy melted in the heat of a single fleeting sunbeam,

27. For what was not destroyed by fire was melted when simply warmed by a fleeting ray of the sun,

28. to show that, to give you thanks, we must rise before the sun and meet you at the dawning of the day;

28. to make it known that one must rise before the sun to give thee thanks, and must pray to thee at the dawning of the light;

29. whereas the hope of the ungrateful melts like winter frost and flows away like water running to waste.

29. for the hope of an ungrateful man will melt like wintry frost, and flow away like waste water.