The Wisdom of Solomon

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

- Chapter 17 -

The Egyptian darkness.

For your judgments are great, and hard to interpret; therefore undisciplined souls went astray.

For when lawless men had supposed that they held a holy nation in their power, they, prisoners of darkness, and bound in the fetters of a long night, kept close beneath their roofs, lay exiled from the eternal providence.

For while they thought that they were unseen in their secret sins, they were divided from one another by a dark curtain of forgetfulness, stricken with terrible awe, and very troubled by apparitions.

For neither did the dark recesses that held them guard them from fears, but terrifying sounds rang around them, and dismal phantoms appeared with unsmiling faces.

And no power of fire prevailed to give light, neither were the brightest flames of the stars strong enough to illuminate that gloomy night;

but only the glimmering of a self-kindled fire appeared to them, full of fear. In terror, they considered the things which they saw to be worse than that sight, on which they could not gaze.

The mockeries of their magic arts were powerless, now, and a shameful rebuke of their boasted understanding:

For those who promised to drive away terrors and disorders from a sick soul, these were sick with a ludicrous fearfulness.

For even if no troubling thing frighted them, yet, scared with the creeping of vermin and hissing of serpents,

they perished trembling in fear, refusing even to look at the air, which could not be escaped on any side.

For wickedness, condemned by a witness within, is a coward thing, and, being pressed hard by conscience, always has added forecasts of the worst.

For fear is nothing else but a surrender of the help which reason offers;

and from within, the expectation of being less prefers ignorance of the cause that brings the torment.

But they, all through the night which was powerless indeed, and which came upon them out of the recesses of powerless Hades, sleeping the same sleep,

now were haunted by monstrous apparitions, and now were paralyzed by their soul’s surrendering; for sudden and unexpected fear came upon them.

So then whoever it might be, sinking down in his place, was kept captive, shut up in that prison which was not barred with iron;

for whether he was a farmer, or a shepherd, or a laborer whose toils were in the wilderness, he was overtaken, and endured that inescapable sentence; for they were all bound with one chain of darkness.

Whether there was a whistling wind, or a melodious sound of birds among the spreading branches, or a measured fall of water running violently,

or a harsh crashing of rocks hurled down, or the swift course of animals bounding along unseen, or the voice of wild beasts harshly roaring, or an echo rebounding from the hollows of the mountains, all these things paralyzed them with terror.

For the whole world was illuminated with clear light, and was occupied with unhindered works,

while over them alone was spread a heavy night, an image of the darkness that should afterward receive them; but to themselves, they were heavier than darkness.

The Egyptian darkness.

For great are thy judgments, and cannot be expressed: therefore unnurtured souls have erred.

For when unrighteous men thought to oppress the holy nation; they being shut up in their houses, the prisoners of darkness, and fettered with the bonds of a long night, lay there exiled from the eternal providence.

For while they supposed to lie hid in their secret sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly astonished, and troubled with strange apparitions.

For neither might the corner that held them keep them from fear: but noises as of waters falling down sounded about them, and sad visions appeared unto them with heavy countenances.

No power of the fire might give them light: neither could the bright flames of the stars endure to lighten that horrible night.

Only there appeared unto them a fire kindled of itself, very dreadful: for being much terrified, they thought the things which they saw to be worse than the sight they saw not.

As for the illusions of art magick, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with disgrace.

For they, that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of fear, worthy to be laughed at.

For though no terrible thing did fear them; yet being scared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of serpents,

They died for fear, denying that they saw the air, which could of no side be avoided.

For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous things.

For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth.

And the expectation from within, being less, counteth the ignorance more than the cause which bringeth the torment.

But they sleeping the same sleep that night, which was indeed intolerable, and which came upon them out of the bottoms of inevitable hell,

Were partly vexed with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted, their heart failing them: for a sudden fear, and not looked for, came upon them.

So then whosoever there fell down was straitly kept, shut up in a prison without iron bars,

For whether he were husbandman, or shepherd, or a labourer in the field, he was overtaken, and endured that necessity, which could not be avoided: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness.

Whether it were a whistling wind, or a melodious noise of birds among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running violently,

Or a terrible sound of stones cast down, or a running that could not be seen of skipping beasts, or a roaring voice of most savage wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the hollow mountains; these things made them to swoon for fear.

For the whole world shined with clear light, and none were hindered in their labour:

Over them only was spread an heavy night, an image of that darkness which should afterward receive them: but yet were they unto themselves more grievous than the darkness.