Wisdom Of Solomon 11
1 She prospered their works in the
hand of the holy prophet. 2 They went
through the wilderness that was not inhabited, and pitched tents in places
where there lay no way. 3 They stood
against their enemies, and were avenged of their adversaries.
4 When they were thirsty, they called
upon thee, and water was given them out of the flinty rock, and their thirst
was quenched out of the hard stone.
5 For by what things their enemies
were punished, by the same they in their need were benefited.
6 For instead of a fountain of a
perpetual running river troubled with foul blood,
7 for a manifest reproof of that
commandment, whereby the infants were slain, thou gavest unto them abundance
of water by a means which they hoped not for:
8 declaring by that thirst then how
thou hadst punished their adversaries.
9 For when they were tried, albeit but
in mercy chastised, they knew how the ungodly were judged in wrath and
tormented, thirsting in another manner than the just.
10 For these thou didst admonish and
try, as a father: but the others, as a severe king, thou didst condemn and
punish. 11 Whether they were absent
or present, they were vexed alike.
12 For a double grief came upon them,
and a groaning for the remembrance of things past.
13 For when they heard by their own
punishments the other to be benefited, they had some feeling of the Lord.
14 For whom they rejected with scorn,
when he was long before thrown out at the casting forth
of the infants, him in the end, when they saw what
came to pass, they admired.
15 But for the foolish devices of
their wickedness, wherewith being deceived they worshipped serpents void of
reason, and vile beasts, thou didst send a multitude of unreasonable beasts
upon them for vengeance: 16 that they
might know, that wherewithal a man sinneth, by the same shall he be punished.
17 For thy Almighty hand, that made
the world of matter without form, wanted not means to send among them a
multitude of bears, or fierce lions,
18 or unknown wild beasts, full of
rage, newly created, breathing out either a fiery vapour, or filthy scents of
scattered smoke, or shooting horrible sparkles out of their eyes:
19 whereof not only the harm might
dispatch them at once, but also the terrible sight utterly destroy them.
20 Yea, and without these might they
have fallen down with one blast, being persecuted of vengeance, and scattered
abroad through the breath of thy power: but thou hast ordered all things in
measure and number and weight. 21 For
thou canst shew thy great strength at all times when thou wilt; and who may
withstand the power of thine arm?
22 For the whole world before thee is
as a little grain of the balance, yea, as a drop of the morning dew that
falleth down upon the earth.
23 But thou hast mercy upon all; for
thou canst do all things, and winkest at the sins of men, because they should
amend. 24 For thou lovest all the
things that are, and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made: for never
wouldest thou have made any thing, if thou hadst hated it.
25 And how could any thing have
endured, if it had not been thy will? or been preserved, if not called by
thee? 26 But thou sparest all: for
they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of souls.