The Wisdom of Solomon

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

- Chapter 18 -

The slaughter of the firstborn in Egypt: the efficacy of Aaron’s intercession, in the sedition on occasion of Core.

But for your holy ones there was great light. Their enemies, hearing their voice but not seeing their form, counted it a happy thing that they too had suffered,

yet for that they do not hurt them, though wronged by them before, they are thankful; and because they had been at variance with them, they begged for pardon.

Therefore you provided a burning pillar of fire, to be a guide for your people’s unknown journey, and a harmless sun for their glorious exile.

For the Egyptians well deserved to be deprived of light and imprisoned by darkness, they who had imprisoned your children, through whom the incorruptible light of the law was to be given to the race of men.

After they had taken counsel to kill the babes of the holy ones, and when a single child had been abandoned and saved to convict them of their sin, you took away from them their multitude of children, and destroyed all their army together in a mighty flood.

Our fathers were made aware of that night beforehand, that, having sure knowledge, they might be cheered by the oaths which they had trusted.

Salvation of the righteous and destruction of the enemies was expected by your people.

For as you took vengeance on the adversaries, by the same means, calling us to yourself, you glorified us.

For holy children of good men offered sacrifice in secret, and with one consent they agreed to the covenant of the divine law, that they would partake alike in the same good things and the same perils, the fathers already leading the sacred songs of praise.

But the discordant cry of the enemies echoed back, and a pitiful voice of lamentation for children was spread abroad.

Both servant and master were punished with the same just doom, and the commoner suffering the same as king;

Yes, they all together, under one form of death, had corpses without number. For the living were not sufficient even to bury them, Since at a single stroke, their most cherished offspring was consumed.

For while they were disbelieving all things by reason of the enchantments, upon the destruction of the firstborn they confessed the people to be God’s children.

For while peaceful silence wrapped all things, and night in her own swiftness was half spent,

your all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne, a stern warrior, into the midst of the doomed land,

bearing as a sharp sword your authentic commandment, and standing, it filled all things with death, and while it touched the heaven it stood upon the earth.

Then immediately apparitions in dreams terribly troubled them, and unexpected fears came upon them.

And each, one thrown here half dead, another there, made known why he was dying;

for the dreams, disturbing them, forewarned them of this, that they might not perish without knowing why they were afflicted.

The experience of death also touched the righteous, and a multitude were destroyed in the wilderness, but the wrath didn’t last long.

For a blameless man hurried to be their champion, bringing the weapon of his own ministry, prayer, and the atoning sacrifice of incense. He withstood the indignation and set an end to the calamity, showing that he was your servant.

And he overcame the anger, not by strength of body, not by force of weapons, but by his word, he subdued the avenger by bringing to remembrance oaths and covenants made with the fathers.

For when the dead had already fallen in heaps one upon another, he intervened and stopped the wrath, and cut off its way to the living.

For the whole world was pictured on his long robe, and the glories of the fathers were upon the engraving of the four rows of precious stones, and your majesty was upon the diadem on his head.

The destroyer yielded to these, and they feared; for it was enough only to test the wrath.

The slaughter of the firstborn in Egypt: the efficacy of Aaron’s intercession, in the sedition on occasion of Core.

Nevertheless thy saints had a very great light, whose voice they hearing, and not seeing their shape, because they also had not suffered the same things, they counted them happy.

But for that they did not hurt them now, of whom they had been wronged before, they thanked them, and besought them pardon for that they had been enemies.

Instead whereof thou gavest them a burning pillar of fire, both to be a guide of the unknown journey, and an harmless sun to entertain them honourably.

For they were worthy to be deprived of light and imprisoned in darkness, who had kept thy sons shut up, by whom the uncorrupt light of the law was to be given unto the world.

And when they had determined to slay the babes of the saints, one child being cast forth, and saved, to reprove them, thou tookest away the multitude of their children, and destroyedst them altogether in a mighty water.

Of that night were our fathers certified afore, that assuredly knowing unto what oaths they had given credence, they might afterwards be of good cheer.

So of thy people was accepted both the salvation of the righteous, and destruction of the enemies.

For wherewith thou didst punish our adversaries, by the same thou didst glorify us, whom thou hadst called.

For the righteous children of good men did sacrifice secretly, and with one consent made a holy law, that the saints should be like partakers of the same good and evil, the fathers now singing out the songs of praise.

But on the other side there sounded an ill according cry of the enemies, and a lamentable noise was carried abroad for children that were bewailed.

The master and the servant were punished after one manner; and like as the king, so suffered the common person.

So they all together had innumerable dead with one kind of death; neither were the living sufficient to bury them: for in one moment the noblest offspring of them was destroyed.

For whereas they would not believe any thing by reason of the enchantments; upon the destruction of the firstborn, they acknowledged this people to be the sons of God.

For while all things were in quiet silence, and that night was in the midst of her swift course,

Thine Almighty word leaped down from heaven out of thy royal throne, as a fierce man of war into the midst of a land of destruction,

And brought thine unfeigned commandment as a sharp sword, and standing up filled all things with death; and it touched the heaven, but it stood upon the earth.

Then suddenly visions of horrible dreams troubled them sore, and terrors came upon them unlooked for.

And one thrown here, and another there, half dead, shewed the cause of his death.

For the dreams that troubled them did foreshew this, lest they should perish, and not know why they were afflicted.

Yea, the tasting of death touched the righteous also, and there was a destruction of the multitude in the wilderness: but the wrath endured not long.

For then the blameless man made haste, and stood forth to defend them; and bringing the shield of his proper ministry, even prayer, and the propitiation of incense, set himself against the wrath, and so brought the calamity to an end, declaring that he was thy servant.

So he overcame the destroyer, not with strength of body, nor force of arms, but with a word subdued him that punished, alleging the oaths and covenants made with the fathers.

For when the dead were now fallen down by heaps one upon another, standing between, he stayed the wrath, and parted the way to the living.

For in the long garment was the whole world, and in the four rows of the stones was the glory of the fathers graven, and thy Majesty upon the diadem of his head.

Unto these the destroyer gave place, and was afraid of them: for it was enough that they only tasted of the wrath.