Wisdom of Solomon, 19
1. But the wicked, merciless wrath assailed until the end. For he knew beforehand what they were yet to do:
1. But the godless were assailed by merciless anger to the very end, for he knew beforehand what they would do,
2. That though they themselves had agreed to the departure and had anxiously sent them on their way, they would regret it and pursue them.
2. how, after letting his people leave and hastening their departure, they would change their minds and give chase.
3. For while they were still engaged in funeral rites and were mourning at the burials of the dead, They adopted another senseless plan; and those whom they had sent away with entreaty, they pursued as fugitives.
3. They were actually still conducting their mourning rites and lamenting at the tombs of their dead, when another mad scheme came into their heads and they set out to pursue, as though runaways, the people whom they had expelled and begged to go.
4. For a compulsion suited to this ending drew them on, and made them forgetful of what had befallen them, That they might fill out the torments of their punishment,
4. A well-deserved fate urged them to this extreme and made them forget what had already happened, so that they would add to their torments the one punishment outstanding
5. and your people might experience a glorious journey while those others met an extraordinary death.
5. and, while your people were experiencing a journey contrary to all expectations, would themselves meet an extraordinary death.
6. For all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew, serving its natural laws, that your children might be preserved unharmed.
6. For the whole creation, submissive to your commands, had its very nature re-created, so that your children should be preserved from harm.
7. The cloud overshadowed their camp; and out of what had before been water, dry land was seen emerging: Out of the Red Sea an unimpeded road, and a grassy plain out of the mighty flood.
7. Overshadowing the camp there was the cloud; where there had been water, dry land was seen to rise; the Red Sea became an unimpeded way, the tempestuous waves, a green plain;
8. Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand, after they beheld stupendous wonders.
8. sheltered by your hand, the whole nation passed across, gazing at these amazing prodigies.
9. For they ranged about like horses, and bounded about like lambs, praising you, O LORD! their deliverer.
9. They were like horses at pasture, they skipped like lambs, singing your praises, Lord, their deliverer.
10. For they were still mindful of what had happened in their sojourn: how instead of the young of animals the land brought forth gnats, and instead of fishes the river swarmed with countless frogs.
10. For they still remembered the events of their exile, how the land had bred mosquitoes instead of animals and the River had disgorged millions of frogs instead of fish.
11. And later they saw also a new kind of bird when, prompted by desire, they asked for pleasant foods;
11. Later they were to see a new way for birds to come into being, when, goaded by greed, they demanded something tasty,
12. For to appease them quail came to them from the sea.
12. and quails came up out of the sea to satisfy them.
13. And the punishments came upon the sinners only after forewarnings from the violence of the thunderbolts. For they justly suffered for their own misdeeds, since indeed they treated their guests with the more grievous hatred.
13. On the sinners, however, punishments rained down not without violent thunder as early warning; and they suffered what their own crimes had justly deserved since they had shown such bitter hatred to foreigners.
14. For those others did not receive unfamiliar visitors, but these were enslaving beneficent guests.
14. Others, indeed, had failed to welcome strangers who came to them, but the Egyptians had enslaved their own guests and benefactors.
15. And not that only; but what punishment was to be theirs since they received strangers unwillingly!
15. The sinners, moreover, will certainly be punished for it, since they gave the foreigners a hostile welcome;
16. Yet these, after welcoming them with festivities, oppressed with awful toils those who now shared with them the same rights.
16. but the latter, having given a festive reception to people who already shared the same rights as themselves, later overwhelmed them with terrible labours.
17. And they were struck with blindness, as those others had been at the portals of the just- When, surrounded by yawning darkness, each sought the entrance of his own gate.
17. Hence they were struck with blindness, like the sinners at the gate of the upright, when, yawning darkness all around them, each had to grope his way through his own door.
18. For the elements, in variable harmony among themselves, like strings of the harp, produce new melody, while the flow of music steadily persists. And this can be perceived exactly from a review of what took place.
18. A new attuning of the elements occurred, as on a harp the notes may change their rhythm, though all the while preserving the same tone; and this is just what happened:
19. For land creatures were changed into water creatures, and those that swam went over on to the land.
19. land animals became aquatic, swimming ones took to the land,
20. Fire in water maintained its own strength, and water forgot its quenching nature;
20. fire reinforced its strength in water, and water forgot the power of extinguishing it;
21. Flames, by contrast, neither consumed the flesh of the perishable animals that went about in them, nor melted the icelike, quick-melting kind of ambrosial food.
21. flames, on the other hand, did not char the flesh of delicate animals that ventured into them; nor did they melt the heavenly food resembling ice and as easily melted.
22. For every way, O LORD! you magnified and glorified your people; unfailing, you stood by them in every time and circumstance.
22. Yes, Lord, in every way you have made your people great and glorious; you have never failed to help them at any time or place.
