Wisdom 18
18
1But for #ch. 10.15.thy holy ones #See Ex. 10.23.there was great light;
And the Egyptians, hearing their voice but seeing not their form,
Counted it a happy thing that they too had suffered,
2 #
Ex. 11.8 & 12.33,36. Yet for that they do not hurt them now, though wronged by them before, they are thankful;
And because they had been at variance with them, they made supplication to them.
3Whereas #See Ex. 13.21.thou didst provide for thy people a burning pillar of fire,
To be a guide for their unknown journey,
And withal a #18.3 Gr. unharmful.kindly sun for their #18.3 Or aspiringproud exile.
4For well did #18.4 Gr. they.the Egyptians deserve to be deprived of light and #ch. 17.17.imprisoned by darkness,
They who had kept #Cp. Ex. 6.5.in close ward thy sons,
# Cp. John 4.22 & Rom. 3.2. Through whom the incorruptible #Cp. Ps. 119.105.light of the law was to be given #Cp. Is. 2.3 & Mic. 4.1,2.to #18.4 Or future time Gr. the age.the race of men.
5After #ch. 11.7. Ex. 1.16,22.they had taken counsel to slay the babes of #ch. 10.15.the holy ones,
And #ch. 11.14. Ex. 2.3,5.when a single child had been cast forth and saved #18.5 Or to be to them a rebuketo convict them of their sin,
# Cp. Ex. 12.29. Thou tookest away from them their multitude of children,
And #ch. 10.19. See Ex. 14.27.destroyedst all their host together in a mighty flood.
6 #
Ex. 11.4. Of that night were our fathers made aware beforehand,
That, having sure knowledge, they might be cheered by #Cp. Ex. 13.5 & 32.13 & 33.1.the oaths which they had trusted:
7 # Cp. Ex. 14.13. So by thy people was expected salvation of the righteous and destruction of the enemies;
8For as thou didst take vengeance on the adversaries,
# 18.8 Gr. By this. By the same means, calling us unto thyself, thou didst glorify us.
9 # See Ex. 12.21-28. For holy children #18.9 Or of blessing Gr. of good men, or, of good things.of good men offered sacrifice in secret,
And with one consent they took upon themselves the covenant of the #18.9 Gr. law of divineness.divine law,
That #18.9 Some authorities read the saints would partake . . . perils; already leading the fathers' songs of praise.they would partake alike in the same good things and the same perils;
# Cp. 2 Chr. 30.21. The fathers already leading the sacred songs of praise.
10But there sounded back in discord #See Ex. 12.30.the cry of the enemies,
# 18.10 Some authorities read And was piteously borne abroad in lamentation for children. And a piteous voice of lamentation for children was borne abroad.
11 # See Ex. 12.29. And servant along with master punished with a like just doom,
And commoner suffering the same as king,
12Yea, all the people together, under one form of death,
Had with them corpses without number;
For the living were not sufficient even #Cp. Num. 33.4.to bury them,
Since at a single #18.12 Gr. turn of the scale.stroke #Cp. Ps. 105.36.their #18.12 Or more cherishednobler offspring was consumed.
13For while they were disbelieving all things #ch. 17.7. See Ex. 7.11.by reason of the enchantments,
Upon the destruction of the firstborn they confessed the people to be #Ex. 4.22. Hos. 11.1.God's son.
14For while peaceful silence enwrapped all things,
And night in her own swiftness was #Ex. 12.29.in mid course,
15 # Cp. Ps. 147.15. Thine all-powerful word leaped from heaven out of #18.15 Or thy the royal #18.15 Gr. thrones.throne,
# Cp. Ex. 15.3. A stern warrior, into the midst of the #18.15 Or destroyingdoomed land,
16Bearing #Cp. Heb. 4.12 & Rev. 1.16.as a sharp sword thine unfeigned commandment;
And standing it filled all things with death;
And #Cp. 1 Chr. 21.16 & Rev. 10.2,5.while it touched the heaven it trode upon the earth.
17Then forthwith #ch. 17.3,4. Cp. Ecclus. 40.6.apparitions in dreams terribly troubled them,
And fears came upon them unlooked for:
18And each, one thrown here half dead, another there,
Made manifest wherefore he was dying:
19For the dreams, perturbing them, did foreshew this,
That they might not perish without knowing why they were afflicted.
20But it #18.20 Gr. touched.befell the righteous also #ver. 25.to make trial of death,
And #Num. 16.45,49.a multitude were stricken in the wilderness:
Howbeit the wrath endured not for long.
21 #
Num. 16.47. For a blameless man hasted to be their champion:
Bringing the weapon of his own ministry,
Even prayer and the propitiation of incense,
He withstood the indignation, and set an end to the calamity,
Shewing that #Cp. Num. 16.5 & Ps. 99.6.he was thy servant.
22And he overcame the #18.22 The word rendered angerdiffers only by the transposition of two letters from the reading of the Greek text, which here yields no sense.anger,
Not by strength of body, not by efficacy of weapons;
But #18.22 Or to a word did he subjectby word did he subdue #18.22 Gr. him who was punishing.the minister of punishment,
# Cp. Ecclus. 36.8. See Ex. 32.13. By bringing to remembrance oaths and covenants made with the fathers.
23For when the dead were already fallen in heaps one upon another,
# See Num. 16.48. Standing between he stopped the advancing wrath,
And #18.23 Gr. cleft asunder.cut off the way to the living.
24For upon his #Cp. Ecclus. 45.7,8 & 50.11. See Ex. 28.2.long highpriestly robe was the whole world,
And the glories of the fathers were upon the graving of #Ex. 28.17. Ecclus. 45.11.the four rows of #18.24 Gr. stone.precious stones,
And thy majesty was upon #Ecclus. 45.12. Cp. Bar. 5.2. See Ex. 28.36-38.the diadem of his head.
25To these #Cp. Heb. 11.28.the destroyer gave place, and these #18.25 Some authorities read he feared. the people feared;
For it was enough only #ver. 20.to make trial of the wrath.
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Wisdom 18: RV1895
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historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society