Wisdom 11

1She prospered their works in the hands of the holy prophet.

2They went through wildernesses that were not inhabited, and in desert places they pitched their tents.

3They stood against their enemies, and revenged themselves of their adversaries.

4They were thirsty, and they called upon thee, and water was given them out of the high rock, and a refreshment of their thirst out of the hard stone.

5For by what things their enemies were punished, when their drink failed them, while the children of Israel abounded therewith, and rejoiced:

6By the same things they in their need were benefited.

7For instead of a fountain of an ever running river, thou gavest human blood to the unjust.

8And whilst they were diminished for a manifest reproof of their murdering the infants, thou gavest to thine abundant water unlooked for:

9Showing by the thirst that was then, how thou didst exalt thine, and didst kill their adversaries.

10For when they were tried, and chastised with mercy, they knew how the wicked were judged with wrath, and tormented.

11For thou didst admonish and try them as a father: but the others, as a severe king, thou didst examine and condemn.

12For whether absent or present, they were tormented alike.

13For a double affliction came upon them, and a groaning for the remembrance of things past.

14For when they heard that by their punishments the others were benefited, they remembered the Lord, wondering at the end of what was come to pass.

15For whom they scorned before, when he was thrown out at the time of his being wickedly exposed to perish, him they admired in the end, when they saw the event: their thirsting being unlike to that of the just.

16But for the foolish devices of their iniquity, because some being deceived worshipped dumb serpents and worthless beasts, thou didst send upon them a multitude of dumb beasts for vengeance:

17That they might know that by what things a man sinneth, by the same also he is tormented.

18For thy almighty hand, which made the world of matter without form, was not unable to send upon them a multitude of bears, or fierce lions,

19Or unknown beasts of a new kind, full of rage; either breathing out a fiery vapour, or sending forth a stinking smoke, or shooting horrible sparks out of their eyes:

20Whereof not only the hurt might be able to destroy them, but also the very sight might kill them through fear.

21Yea, and without these, they might have been slain with one blast, persecuted by their own deeds, and scattered by the breath of thy power: but thou hast ordered all things in measure, and number, and weight.

22For great power always belonged to thee alone: and who shall resist the strength of thy arm?

23For the whole world before thee is as the least grain of the balance, and as a drop of the morning dew, that falleth down upon the earth.

24But thou hast mercy upon all, because thou canst do all things, and overlookest the sins of men for the sake of repentance.

25For thou lovest all things that are, and hatest none of the things which thou hast made: for thou didst not appoint, or make any thing hating it.

26And how could any thing endure, if thou wouldst not? or be preserved, if not called by thee?

27But thou sparest all: because they are thine, O Lord, who lovest souls.

1Direxit opera eorum in manibus prophetæ sancti.

2Iter fecerunt per deserta quæ non habitabantur, et in locis desertis fixerunt casas.

3Steterunt contra hostes, et de inimicis se vindicaverunt.

4Sitierunt, et invocaverunt te, et data est illis aqua de petra altissima, et requies sitis de lapide duro.

5Per quæ enim pœnas passi sunt inimici illorum a defectione potus sui, et in eis cum abundarent filii Israël lætati sunt :

6per hæc, cum illis deessent, bene cum illis actum est.

7Nam pro fonte quidem sempiterni fluminis, humanum sanguinem dedisti injustis.

8Qui cum minuerentur in traductione infantium occisorum, dedisti illis abundantem aquam insperate,

9ostendens per sitim quæ tunc fuit, quemadmodum tuos exaltares, et adversarios illorum necares.

10Cum enim tentati sunt, et quidem cum misericordia disciplinam accipientes, scierunt quemadmodum cum ira judicati impii tormenta paterentur.

11Hos quidem tamquam pater monens probasti; illos autem tamquam durus rex interrogans condemnasti.

12Absentes enim, et præsentes, similiter torquebantur.

13Duplex enim illos acceperat tædium et gemitus, cum memoria præteritorum.

14Cum enim audirent per sua tormenta bene secum agi, commemorati sunt Dominum, admirantes in finem exitus.

15Quem enim in expositione prava projectum deriserunt, in finem eventus mirati sunt, non similiter justis sitientes.

16Pro cogitationibus autem insensatis iniquitatis illorum, quod quidam errantes colebant mutos serpentes et bestias supervacuas, immisisti illis multitudinem mutorum animalium in vindictam;

17ut scirent quia per quæ peccat quis, per hæc et torquetur.

18Non enim impossibilis erat omnipotens manus tua, quæ creavit orbem terrarum ex materia invisa, immittere illis multitudinem ursorum, aut audaces leones,

19aut novi generis ira plenas ignotas bestias, aut vaporem ignium spirantes, aut fumi odorem proferentes, aut horrendas ab oculis scintillas emittentes;

20quarum non solum læsura poterat illos exterminare, sed et aspectus per timorem occidere.

21Sed et sine his uno spiritu poterant occidi, persecutionem passi ab ipsis factis suis, et dispersi per spiritum virtutis tuæ : sed omnia in mensura, et numero et pondere disposuisti.

22Multum enim valere, tibi soli supererat semper : et virtuti brachii tui quis resistet?

23Quoniam tamquam momentum stateræ, sic est ante te orbis terrarum, et tamquam gutta roris antelucani quæ descendit in terram.

24Sed misereris omnium, quia omnia potes; et dissimulas peccata hominum, propter pœnitentiam.

25Diligis enim omnia quæ sunt, et nihil odisti eorum quæ fecisti; nec enim odiens aliquid constituisti aut fecisti.

26Quomodo autem posset aliquid permanere, nisi tu voluisses? aut quod a te vocatum non esset conservaretur?

27Parcis autem omnibus, quoniam tua sunt, Domine, qui amas animas.

1εὐόδωσεν τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἐν χειρὶ προφήτου ἁγίου

2διώδευσαν ἔρημον ἀοίκητον καὶ ἐν ἀβάτοις ἔπηξαν σκηνάς

3ἀντέστησαν πολεμίοις καὶ ἐχθροὺς ἠμύναντο

4ἐδίψησαν καὶ ἐπεκαλέσαντό σε καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἐκ πέτρας ἀκροτόμου ὕδωρ καὶ ἴαμα δίψης ἐκ λίθου σκληροῦ

6δι' ὧν γὰρ ἐκολάσθησαν οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν διὰ τούτων αὐτοὶ ἀποροῦντες εὐεργετήθησαν

7ἀντὶ μὲν πηγῆς ἀενάου ποταμοῦ αἵματι λυθρώδει ταραχθέντος

8εἰς ἔλεγχον νηπιοκτόνου διατάγματος ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς δαψιλὲς ὕδωρ ἀνελπίστως

9δείξας διὰ τοῦ τότε δίψους πῶς τοὺς ὑπεναντίους ἐκόλασας

10ὅτε γὰρ ἐπειράσθησαν καίπερ ἐν ἐλέει παιδευόμενοι ἔγνωσαν πῶς μετ' ὀργῆς κρινόμενοι ἀσεβεῖς ἐβασανίζοντο

11τούτους μὲν γὰρ ὡς πατὴρ νουθετῶν ἐδοκίμασας ἐκείνους δὲ ὡς ἀπότομος βασιλεὺς καταδικάζων ἐξήτασας

12καὶ ἀπόντες δὲ καὶ παρόντες ὁμοίως ἐτρύχοντο

13διπλῆ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἔλαβεν λύπη καὶ στεναγμὸς μνημῶν τῶν παρελθόντων

14ὅτε γὰρ ἤκουσαν διὰ τῶν ἰδίων κολάσεων εὐεργετημένους αὐτούς ᾔσθοντο τοῦ κυρίου

15ὃν γὰρ ἐν ἐκθέσει πάλαι ῥιφέντα ἀπεῖπον χλευάζοντες ἐπὶ τέλει τῶν ἐκβάσεων ἐθαύμασαν οὐχ ὅμοια δικαίοις διψήσαντες

16ἀντὶ δὲ λογισμῶν ἀσυνέτων ἀδικίας αὐτῶν ἐν οἷς πλανηθέντες ἐθρήσκευον ἄλογα ἑρπετὰ καὶ κνώδαλα εὐτελῆ ἐπαπέστειλας αὐτοῖς πλῆθος ἀλόγων ζῴων εἰς ἐκδίκησιν

17ἵνα γνῶσιν ὅτι δι' ὧν τις ἁμαρτάνει διὰ τούτων κολάζεται

18οὐ γὰρ ἠπόρει ἡ παντοδύναμός σου χεὶρ καὶ κτίσασα τὸν κόσμον ἐξ ἀμόρφου ὕλης ἐπιπέμψαι αὐτοῖς πλῆθος ἄρκων ἢ θρασεῖς λέοντας

19ἢ νεοκτίστους θυμοῦ πλήρεις θῆρας ἀγνώστους ἤτοι πυρπνόον φυσῶντας ἄσθμα ἢ βρόμον λικμωμένους καπνοῦ ἢ δεινοὺς ἀπ' ὀμμάτων σπινθῆρας ἀστράπτοντας

20ὧν οὐ μόνον ἡ βλάβη ἠδύνατο συνεκτρῖψαι αὐτούς ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ὄψις ἐκφοβήσασα διολέσαι

21καὶ χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ἑνὶ πνεύματι πεσεῖν ἐδύναντο ὑπὸ τῆς δίκης διωχθέντες καὶ λικμηθέντες ὑπὸ πνεύματος δυνάμεώς σου ἀλλὰ πάντα μέτρῳ καὶ ἀριθμῷ καὶ σταθμῷ διέταξας

22τὸ γὰρ μεγάλως ἰσχύειν σοι πάρεστιν πάντοτε καὶ κράτει βραχίονός σου τίς ἀντιστήσεται

23ὅτι ὡς ῥοπὴ ἐκ πλαστίγγων ὅλος ὁ κόσμος ἐναντίον σου καὶ ὡς ῥανὶς δρόσου ὀρθρινὴ κατελθοῦσα ἐπὶ γῆν

24ἐλεεῖς δὲ πάντας ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι καὶ παρορᾷς ἁμαρτήματα ἀνθρώπων εἰς μετάνοιαν

25ἀγαπᾷς γὰρ τὰ ὄντα πάντα καὶ οὐδὲν βδελύσσῃ ὧν ἐποίησας οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν μισῶν τι κατεσκεύασας

26πῶς δὲ διέμεινεν ἄν τι εἰ μὴ σὺ ἠθέλησας ἢ τὸ μὴ κληθὲν ὑπὸ σοῦ διετηρήθη

27φείδῃ δὲ πάντων ὅτι σά ἐστιν δέσποτα φιλόψυχε