Wisdom of Solomon · Revised Version with Apocrypha
Wisdom of Solomon 17 Revised Version with Apocrypha
1 For great are thy judgements, and hard to interpret; Therefore souls undisciplined went astray.
1 For your judgments are great, and hard to interpret; therefore undisciplined souls went astray.
2 For when lawless men had supposed that they held a holy nation in their power, They, [themselves, ] prisoners of darkness, and bound in the fetters of a long night, Close kept beneath their roofs, Lay exiled from the eternal providence.
2 For when lawless men had supposed that they held a holy nation in their power, they, prisoners of darkness, and bound in the fetters of a long night, kept close beneath their roofs, lay exiled from the eternal providence.
3 For while they thought that they were unseen in [their ] secret sins, They were sundered one from another by a dark curtain of forgetfulness, Stricken with terrible awe, and sore troubled by spectral forms.
3 For while they thought that they were unseen in their secret sins, they were divided from one another by a dark curtain of forgetfulness, stricken with terrible awe, and very troubled by apparitions.
4 For neither did the dark recesses that held them guard them from fears, But sounds rushing down rang around them, And phantoms appeared, cheerless with unsmiling faces.
4 For neither did the dark recesses that held them guard them from fears, but terrifying sounds rang around them, and dismal phantoms appeared with unsmiling faces.
5 And no force of fire prevailed to give [them ] light, Neither were the brightest flames of the stars strong enough to illumine that gloomy night:
5 And no power of fire prevailed to give light, neither were the brightest flames of the stars strong enough to illuminate that gloomy night;
6 But only there appeared to them the glimmering of a fire self-kindled, full of fear; And in terror they deemed the things which they saw To be worse than that sight, on which they could not gaze.
6 but only the glimmering of a self-kindled fire appeared to them, full of fear. In terror, they considered the things which they saw to be worse than that sight, on which they could not gaze.
7 And they lay [helpless, ] made the sport of magic art, And a shameful rebuke of their vaunts of understanding:
7 The mockeries of their magic arts were powerless, now, and a shameful rebuke of their boasted understanding:
8 For they that promised to drive away terrors and troublings from a sick soul, These were [themselves ] sick with a ludicrous fearfulness:
8 For those who promised to drive away terrors and disorders from a sick soul, these were sick with a ludicrous fearfulness.
9 For even if no troublous thing affrighted them, Yet, scared with the creepings of vermin and hissings of serpents,
9 For even if no troubling thing frighted them, yet, scared with the creeping of vermin and hissing of serpents,
10 they perished for very trembling, Refusing even to look on the air, which could on no side be escaped.
10 they perished trembling in fear, refusing even to look at the air, which could not be escaped on any side.
11 For wickedness, condemned by a witness within, is a coward thing, And, being pressed hard by conscience, always forecasteth the worst [lot: ]
11 For wickedness, condemned by a witness within, is a coward thing, and, being pressed hard by conscience, always has added forecasts of the worst.
12 For fear is nothing else but a surrender of the succours which reason offereth;
12 For fear is nothing else but a surrender of the help which reason offers;
13 And from within [the heart ] the expectation [of them ] being less Maketh of greater account the ignorance of the cause that bringeth the torment.
13 and from within, the expectation of being less prefers ignorance of the cause that brings the torment.
14 But they, all through the night which was powerless indeed, And which came upon them out of the recesses of powerless Hades, [All ] sleeping the same sleep,
14 But they, all through the night which was powerless indeed, and which came upon them out of the recesses of powerless Hades, sleeping the same sleep,
15 Now were haunted by monstrous apparitions, And now were paralysed by their soul’s surrendering; For fear sudden and unlooked for came upon them.
15 now were haunted by monstrous apparitions, and now were paralyzed by their soul’s surrendering; for sudden and unexpected fear came upon them.
16 So then [every man, ] whosoever it might be, sinking down in his place, Was kept in ward shut up in that prison which was barred not with iron:
16 So then whoever it might be, sinking down in his place, was kept captive, shut up in that prison which was not barred with iron;
17 For whether he were a husbandman, or a shepherd, Or a labourer whose toils were in the wilderness, He was overtaken, and endured that inevitable necessity, For with one chain of darkness were they all bound.
17 for whether he was a farmer, or a shepherd, or a laborer whose toils were in the wilderness, he was overtaken, and endured that inescapable sentence; for they were all bound with one chain of darkness.
18 Whether there were a whistling wind, Or a melodious noise of birds among the spreading branches, Or a measured fall of water running violently,
18 Whether there was a whistling wind, or a melodious sound of birds among the spreading branches, or a measured fall of water running violently,
19 Or a harsh crashing of rocks hurled down, Or the swift course of animals bounding along unseen, Or the voice of wild beasts harshly roaring, Or an echo rebounding from the hollows of the mountains, [All these things ] paralysed them with terror.
19 or a harsh crashing of rocks hurled down, or the swift course of animals bounding along unseen, or the voice of wild beasts harshly roaring, or an echo rebounding from the hollows of the mountains, all these things paralyzed them with terror.
20 For the whole world [beside ] was enlightened with clear light, And was occupied with unhindered works;
20 For the whole world was illuminated with clear light, and was occupied with unhindered works,
21 While over them alone was spread a heavy night, An image of the darkness that should afterward receive them; But yet heavier than darkness were they unto themselves.
21 while over them alone was spread a heavy night, an image of the darkness that should afterward receive them; but to themselves, they were heavier than darkness.