The Book of Wisdom [The Wisdom of Solomon]
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Anonymous
10:5 Moreover, the nations in their wicked conspiracy being confounded, she found out the righteous, and preserved him blameless unto God, and kept him strong against his tender compassion toward his son.
10:6 When the ungodly perished, she delivered the righteous man, who fled from the fire which fell down upon the five cities.
10:7 Of whose wickedness even to this day the waste land that smoketh is a testimony, and plants bearing fruit that never come to ripeness: and a standing pillar of salt is a monument of an unbelieving soul.
10:8 For regarding not wisdom, they gat not only this hurt, that they knew not the things which were good; but also left behind them to the world a memorial of their foolishness: so that in the things wherein they offended they could not so much as be hid.
10:9 But wisdom delivered from pain those that attended upon her.
10:10 When the righteous fled from his brother’s wrath she guided him in right paths, shewed him the kingdom of God, and gave him knowledge of holy things, made him rich in his travels, and multiplied the fruit of his labours.
10:11 In the covetousness of such as oppressed him she stood by him, and made him rich.
10:12 She defended him from his enemies, and kept him safe from those that lay in wait, and in a sore conflict she gave him the victory; that he might know that goodness is stronger than all.
10:13 When the righteous was sold, she forsook him not, but delivered him from sin: she went down with him into the pit,
10:14 And left him not in bonds, till she brought him the sceptre of the kingdom, and power against those that oppressed him: as for them that had accused him, she shewed them to be liars, and gave him perpetual glory.
10:15 She delivered the righteous people and blameless seed from the nation that oppressed them.
10:16 She entered into the soul of the servant of the Lord, and withstood dreadful kings in wonders and signs;
10:17 Rendered to the righteous a reward of their labours, guided them in a marvellous way, and was unto them for a cover by day, and a light of stars in the night season;
10:18 Brought them through the Red sea, and led them through much water:
10:19 But she drowned their enemies, and cast them up out of the bottom of the deep.
10:20 Therefore the righteous spoiled the ungodly, and praised thy holy name, O Lord, and magnified with one accord thine hand, that fought for them.
10:21 For wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues of them that cannot speak eloquent.
11:1 She prospered their works in the hand of the holy prophet.
11:2 They went through the wilderness that was not inhabited, and pitched tents in places where there lay no way.
11:3 They stood against their enemies, and were avenged of their adversaries.
11:4 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.
11:5 For by what things their enemies were punished, by the same they in their need were benefited.
11:6 For instead of a fountain of a perpetual running river troubled with foul blood,
11:7 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:
11:8 Declaring by that thirst then how thou hadst punished their adversaries.
11:9 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.
11:10 For these thou didst admonish and try, as a father: but the other, as a severe king, thou didst condemn and punish.
11:11 Whether they were absent or present, they were vexed alike.
11:12 For a double grief came upon them, and a groaning for the remembrance of things past.
11:13 For when they heard by their own punishments the other to be benefited, they had some feeling of the Lord.
11:14 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.
11:15 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;
11:16 That they might know, that wherewithal a man sinneth, by the same also shall he be punished.
11:17 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,
11:18 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:
11:19 Whereof not only the harm might dispatch them at once, but also the terrible sight utterly destroy them.
11:20 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.
11:21 For thou canst shew thy great strength at all times when thou wilt; and who may withstand the power of thine arm?
11:22 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.
11:23 But thou hast mercy upon all; for thou canst do all things, and winkest at the sins of men, because they should amend.