- WISDOM OF SOLOMON
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CHAPTER 18
1 But full great light there was to thine holy servants[or To thy saints forsooth was most light], and soothly (the) enemies heard the voice of them, but they saw not the figure, either shape; and for also they suffered not by the same things, they magnified thee.
2 And for they were hurt before, they did thankings [or graces] to thee, for (or because) they were not hurt; and that (a) difference should be betwixt them and (the) Egyptians, they asked thee, God.
3 For which thing they had a burn-ing pillar of fire, the leader of (the) unknown way; and thou gavest the sun, without hurting of good harbour.
4 Forsooth they were worthy to want [or to lack] light, and to suffer the prison of darknesses, which held [or kept] thy sons enclosed; by which sons[or by whom] the uncorrupt light of (the) law began to be given to the world.
5 When they thought to slay the young children of (the) just men [or the infants of (the) rightwise men]; and when one son was put forth, and delivered, (to reprove them) thou tookest away the multitude of (their) sons, that is, of the first engendered of Egypt, for the leading over of them, and thou lostest (or destroyedest) them (al)together in strong water.
6 Forsooth that night was known before of (or by) our fathers, that they witting verily to which [or what] oaths they believed, should be more patient [or more steadfast].
7 Forsooth health (or the deliverance) of just [or rightwise] men was received verily of thy people, and also destroy-ing of unjust [or unrightwise] men.
8 For as thou hurtedest our adversaries, so thou excitedest also us, and magnifiedest us.
9 For why (the) just [or the right-wise] children of good men made sac-rifice privily, and disposed the law of rightfulness [or of rightwiseness] into according; they disposed just [or right-wise] men to receive goods and evils in like manner, and sung [or singing] praisings to the Father of all men.
10 But (the) unseemly voice of (the) enemies sounded, and weepful wail-ing of beweepers of young children [or weepful wailing of bewept young children] was heard.
11 Forsooth the servant was torment-ed by like pain with the lord; and a man of the people suffered things like the king.
12 Therefore in like manner all men by one name of death had dead men unnumberable, for neither quick (or living) men sufficed to bury (those dead); for why the nation of them, that was clearer than (the) others, was des-troyed in one moment. [Then (in) like manner all with one name of death had unnumberable dead men, nor the quick forsooth sufficed to bury; for (in) one moment the nation of them, that was more clear, is destroyed.]
13 Forsooth of all (the) Egyptians(the) men not believing for benefices, prom-ised them(selves) then to be God’s people, when the destroying of the first engendered things was first. [Of all forsooth they not believing for the benefits, then when first was the death of the first (be)gotten, they promised themselves the people of God to be.]
14 Forsooth when all things held restful silence, and the night had the middle way in his course, [When for-sooth quiet silence contained all things, and the night in his course had the mean way,]
15 Lord, thy word almighty coming swiftly from heaven, came from the king’s seats (or throne); [thine almighty word, Lord, going out from heaven, from the king’s seats (or seat) came;]
16 a sharp sword bearing thy commandment not feigned, came forth, overcomer into the middle of the land of destroying; and it stood, and filled all things with death, and it stood in (or on the) earth, and stretched forth till to heaven.
17 Then anon the sights of evil dreams disturbed (or troubled) them, and dreads not hoped (for) came above (or upon them).
18 And another man cast forth half quick [or alive] into another place, showed for what cause of death he died.
19 For why (the) sights that disturbed (or troubled) them, before-warned (of) these things, (so) that they should perish not unwittingly [or unknowing-ly], why they suffered evils.
20 Forsooth (the) temptation of death, that is, punishment by death, touched then also just [or rightwise] men, and moving (al)together of (the) multitude was made in (the) desert; but thine ire dwelled not long, [or and there is made of the multitude a stirring in (the) wilderness; but not long abode still thy wrath].
21 For a man without (com)plaint [or without blame] hast(en)ed to beseech [or to pray] for (the) peoples, and he brought forth prayer the shield of his service, and he alleged (or he offered up) prayer by incense, and against-stood ire [or withstood to the wrath]; and he setted [or put] an end to the need, and showed that he was thy servant.
22 Forsooth he overcame companies, not by virtue of body, neither by armour, (or arms, or weapons) of power; but he remembered the oaths, and the testament(s) of (the) fathers (or the covenants made with the fathers), and by word he made him(self) subject, that travailed himself.
23 For when dead men fell down by heaps, each on (the) other, he stood betwixt [or between]dead men and living, or the dead and the quick (or the living), and cut away the fierce-ness of burning, and parted that way, that led to quick (or living) men.
24 For why all the world, by signify-ing either figure, was in the cloth (or the cloak) lasting to the heels, which he had; and the great things of (the) fathers were engraved in four orders of stones; and, Lord, thy magnificence was written in (or on) the diadem of his head. [Forsooth in the clothing of the priest(’s) cape, that he had, was all the roundness of (the) earth’s; and the great things of (the) fathers were graven in four orders of stones; and thy great doing in (or on) the diadem of his head was written.]
25 Forsooth he that destroyed, gave stead to these things, and dreaded these things, for why the temptation alone was sufficient to ire. [To these forsooth he gave stead, that destroyed, and these things he full out dreaded; forsooth there was alone sufficient tempting of wrath.]

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