Wisdom of Solomon · Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Wisdom of Solomon 11 Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
DRB Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 She prospered their works in the hands of the holy prophet.
1 Wisdom prospered their works in the hand of a holy prophet.
2 They went through wildernesses that were not inhabited, and in desert places they pitched their tents.
2 They traveled through a desert without inhabitant, and they pitched their tents in trackless regions.
3 They stood against their enemies, and revenged themselves of their adversaries.
3 They withstood enemies and repelled foes.
4 They 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.
4 They thirsted, and they called upon you, and water was given to them out of the flinty rock, and healing of their thirst out of the hard stone.
5 For by what things their enemies were punished, when their drink failed them, while the children of Israel abounded therewith and rejoiced:
5 For by what things their foes were punished, by these they in their need were benefited.
6 By the same things they in their need were benefited.
6 When enemies were troubled with clotted blood instead of a river’s ever-flowing fountain,
7 For instead of a fountain of an ever running river, thou gavest human blood to the unjust.
7 to rebuke the decree for the slaying of babies, you gave them abundant water beyond all hope,
8 And whilst they were diminished for a manifest reproof of their murdering the infants, thou gavest to thine abundant water unlooked for:
8 having shown by the thirst which they had suffered how you punished the adversaries.
9 Shewing by the thirst that was then, how thou didst exalt thine, and didst kill their adversaries.
9 For when they were tried, although chastened in mercy, they learned how the ungodly were tormented, being judged with wrath.
10 For when they were tried, and chastised with mercy, they knew how the wicked were judged with wrath and tormented.
10 For you tested these as a father admonishing them; but you searched out those as a stern king condemning them.
11 For thou didst admonish and try them as a father: but the others, as a severe king, thou didst examine and condemn.
11 Yes and whether they were far off or near, they were equally distressed;
12 For whether absent or present, they were tormented alike.
12 for a double grief seized them, and a groaning at the memory of things past.
13 For a double affliction came upon them, and a groaning for the remembrance of things past.
13 For when they heard that through their own punishments the others benefited, they recognized the Lord.
14 For 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.
14 For him who long before was thrown out and exposed they stopped mocking. In the end of what happened, they marveled, having thirsted in another manner than the righteous.
15 For 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.
15 But in return for the senseless imaginings of their unrighteousness, wherein they were led astray to worship irrational reptiles and wretched vermin, you sent upon them a multitude of irrational creatures to punish them,
16 But 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.
16 that they might learn that by what things a man sins, by these he is punished.
17 That they might know that by what things a man sinneth, by the same also he is tormented.
17 For your all-powerful hand that created the world out of formless matter didn’t lack means to send upon them a multitude of bears, fierce lions,
18 For 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,
18 or newly-created and unknown wild beasts, full of rage, either breathing out a blast of fiery breath, or belching out smoke, or flashing dreadful sparks from their eyes;
19 Or 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:
19 which had power not only to consume them by their violence, but to destroy them even by the terror of their sight.
20 Whereof not only the hurt might be able to destroy them, but also the very sight might kill them through fear.
20 Yes and without these they might have fallen by a single breath, being pursued by Justice, and scattered abroad by the breath of your power; but you arranged all things by measure, number, and weight.
21 Yea 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.
21 For to be greatly strong is yours at all times. Who could withstand the might of your arm?
22 For great power always belonged to thee alone: and who shall resist the strength of thy arm?
22 Because the whole world before you is as a grain in a balance, and as a drop of dew that comes down upon the earth in the morning.
23 For 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:
23 But you have mercy on all men, because you have power to do all things, and you overlook the sins of men to the end that they may repent.
24 But thou hast mercy upon all, because thou canst do all things, and overlookest the sins of men for the sake of repentance.
24 For you love all things that are, and abhor none of the things which you made; For you never would have formed anything if you hated it.
25 For 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.
25 How would anything have endured unless you had willed it? Or that which was not called by you, how would it have been preserved?
26 And how could any thing endure, if thou wouldst not? or be preserved, if not called by thee.
26 But you spare all things, because they are yours, O Sovereign Lord, you who love the living.
27 But thou sparest all: because they are thine, O Lord, who lovest souls.
27 Not in this translation
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… yet it is foolish to doubt but that he may verily be better than he who can measure the heavens, and number the stars, and weigh the elements, but is forgetful of Thee, "who hast set in order all things in number, weight, and measure." Chapter V — Of Manichæus Pertinaciously Teaching False Doctrines, and Proudly Arrogating…
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
Neither has it been without reason numbered among God's praises, "Thou hast ordered all things in number, and measure, and weight." Chapter 31 — Of the Seventh Day, in Which Completeness and Repose are Celebrated But, on the seventh day (i.e., the same day repeated seven times, which number is also a perfect one, though for another reason), the rest …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… they have nothing to do with the knowledge of God; for Plato, their great authority, represents God as framing the world on numerical principles: and in our books also it is said to God, "Thou hast ordered all things in number, and measure, and weight." The prophet also says," Who bringeth out their host by number." And the Saviour says …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)