The Book of Wisdom or The Wisdom of Solomon 16

1For this cause were these men worthily punished through creatures like those which they worship, 2Instead of which punishment, you, bestowing benefits on your people, Food of rare taste, to Gr. strange. satisfy the desire of their appetite; 3To the end that your enemies, desiring food, Gr. those. creatures sent among them your people, having for a short space suffered lack, food of rare taste. Gr. strange. 4For it was needful that upon those should come inexorable lack in their tyrannous dealing, 5For even when terrible raging of wild beasts came upon your people, Gr. them. 6But for admonition were they troubled for a short space, 7For he that turned toward it was not saved because of that which was seen, 8Yes, and in this did you persuade our enemies, 9For them verily the bites of locusts and flies did kill, as these; 10But your sons not the very teeth of venomous dragons overcame, 11For they were bitten, to put them in remembrance of your oracles; Gr. pricked unable to be Some authorities read bereft of help from your beneficence. roused by your beneficence: Gr. distracted, or, drawn away. The meaning is somewhat obscure. 12For of a truth it was neither herb nor mollifying plaister that cured them, 13For you have authority over life and death, 14But though a man may kill by his wickedness, Or, malice Hades has received. 15But your hand it is not possible to escape; 16For ungodly men, refusing to know you, were scourged in the strength of your arm, Or, denying that they knew you 17For, what was most marvelous of all, 18For at one time the flame lost its fierceness, these themselves as they looked might see that they were chased through the judgement of God: Some authorities read know. 19And at another time even in the midst of water it burns above the power of fire, fruits of an unrighteous land. Gr. products 20Instead whereof you gave your people angels’ food to eat, for their use did you provide for them from heaven without their toil, Bread having the virtue of every pleasant savor, 21For your Some authorities read the substance thereof. nature manifested your sweetness toward Or, creation Gr. substance. your children; that bread, ministering to the desire of the eater, 22But snow and ice endured fire, and melted not, men might know that fire was destroying the fruits of the enemies, 23And that this Some authorities omit that. element again, in order that righteous men may be nourished, 24For the creation, ministering to you its maker, 25Therefore at that time also, converting itself into all forms, made supplication; Or, had need 26That your sons, whom you loved, O Lord, might learn growth of Gr. generations. the earth’s fruits that nourishes a man, 27For that which was not marred by fire, 28That it might be known that we must rise before the sun to give you thanks, 29For the hope of the unthankful will melt as the winter’s hoar frost,