Wisdom

1But indignation without mercy came upon the ungodly to the end;for God also foreknew their future,

2how, having changed their minds to let your people go,and having sped them eagerly on their way, they would change their minds and pursue them.

3For while they were yet in the midst of their mourning,and lamenting at the graves of the dead, they made another foolish decision, and pursued as fugitives those whom they had begged to leave and driven out.

4For the doom which they deserved was drawing them to this end,and it made them forget the things that had happened to them, that they might fill up the punishment which was yet lacking from their torments,

5and that your people might journey on by a marvellous road, but they themselves might find a strange death.

6For the whole creation, each part in its diverse kind, was made new again,complying with your commandments, that your servants might be kept unharmed.

7Then the cloud that overshadowed the camp was seen,and dry land rising up out of what had been water, out of the Red sea an unhindered highway, and a grassy plain out of the violent surge,

8by which they passed over with all their army, these who were covered with your hand, having seen strange marvels.

9For like horses they roamed at large,and they skipped about like lambs, praising you, O Lord, who was their deliverer.

10For they still remembered the things that happened in the time of their sojourning,how instead of bearing cattle, the land brought forth lice, and instead of fish, the river spewed out a multitude of frogs.

11But afterwards, they also saw a new kind of birds,when, led on by desire, they asked for luxurious dainties;

12for, to comfort them, quails came up for them from the sea.

13Punishments came upon the sinners,not without the signs that were given beforehand by the violence of the thunder, for they justly suffered through their own wickednesses, for the hatred which they practised towards guests was grievous indeed.

14For while the others didn’t receive the strangers when they came to them,the Egyptians made slaves of guests who were their benefactors.

15And not only so, but while punishment of some sort will come upon the former,since they received as enemies those who were aliens;

16because these first welcomed with feastings, and then afflicted with dreadful toils, those who had already shared with them in the same rights.

17And moreover they were stricken with loss of sight(even as were those others at the righteous man’s doors), when, being surrounded with yawning darkness, they each looked for the passage through his own door.

18For as the notes of a lute vary the character of the rhythm,even so the elements, changing their order one with another, continuing always in its sound, as may clearly be conjectured from the sight of the things that have happened.

19For creatures of the dry land were turned into creatures of the waters,and creatures that swim moved upon the land.

20Fire kept the mastery of its own power in water,and water forgot its quenching nature.

21On the contrary, flames didn’t consume flesh of perishable creatures that walked amongst them,neither did they melt the crystalline grains of ambrosial food that were melted easily.

22For in all things, O Lord, you magnified your people,and you glorified them and didn’t lightly regard them, standing by their side in every time and place.

1bởi Chúa biết trước những gì chúng sẽ thực hiện :

2thúc ép họ vội vã ra đi, chúng lại đổi ý mà truy nã.

3như truy nã những người tù chạy trốn.

4những hình phạt còn thiếu trong số các cực hình.

5thì chúng lại phải chết một cách thật lạ thường.

6để gìn giữ con cái Ngài bình an.

7và từ nước lũ xuất hiện cánh đồng xanh.

8và chứng kiến bao điềm thiêng dấu lạ.

9là Đấng giải thoát họ.

10đã mửa ra từng bầy ếch nhái làm sao !

11họ liền thấy một loài chim mới.

12Để làm họ thoả lòng, chim cút từ ngoài biển bay lên chỗ họ.

13chúng còn tỏ ra kỳ thị độc ác hơn.

14những khách lạ làm ơn cho mình.

15vì đã xử tệ với người ngoại bang,

16lại cưỡng ép họ phải lao động vất vả.

17phải mò mẫm tìm kiếm cửa ra lối vào.

18Ta thấy rõ điều này khi quan sát những gì đã xảy ra :

19loài bơi dưới nước lại lên trên cạn ;

20nước lại quên đi khả năng dập tắt ;

21trông tựa băng tuyết và rất dễ tan chảy.

22Và mọi nơi mọi thời, Ngài đã không ngừng nâng đỡ họ.