The Book of Wisdom or The Wisdom of Solomon 19

1But upon the ungodly there came to the end indignation without mercy; God foreknew, 2How that, having changed their minds to let your people go, 3For while they were yet in the midst of their mourning, 4For the doom which they deserved was drawing them Or, their desert by necessity was to this end, Some authorities read to this at last. 5And that your people might journey on by a marvelous road, Some authorities read make trial of. themselves might find a strange death. 6For the whole creation, each part in its several kind, was fashioned again anew, your several commandments, servants might be guarded free from hurt. Or, children 7Then the cloud that shadowed the camp was seen, 8By which they passed over with all their army, Or, Through 9For like horses they roamed at large, 10For they still remembered the things that came to pass in the time of their sojourning, bearing Or, birth of cattle cattle the land brought forth Gr. living creatures. lice, Or, sandflies fish the river cast up a multitude of frogs. Gr. creatures of the waters. 11But afterwards they saw also a new race of birds, Or, production Gr. generation. 12For, to solace them, there came up for them quails from the sea. 13And upon the sinners came the punishments beforehand by the force of the thunders; Some authorities omit beforehand. grievous indeed was the hatred which they practised toward guests. Or, yet more grievous was 14For whereas the The Greek text of this and the following verse is perhaps corrupt. men of Sodom received not the strangers when they came among Gr. them who knew them not. them; The Egyptians made slaves of guests who were their benefactors. Gr. These. 15And not only so, but God will visit Or, visit them... sort: since the men of Sodom received... aliens the men of Sodom after another sort, Gr. them. 16Whereas these first welcomed with feastings, then afflicted with dreadful toils, with them in the same rights. 17And moreover they were stricken with loss of sight others at the righteous man’s doors), 18For as the notes of a lute vary the character of the rhythm, did the elements, changing their order one with another, the same, each in its several sound; divined from the sight of the things that are come to pass. Gr. conjectured. 19For creatures of the dry land were turned into creatures of the waters, now upon the earth: 20Fire kept the mastery of its own power in the midst of water, 21Contrariwise, flames wasted not the flesh of perishable creatures that walked among them; melted they the The Greek authorities read could be melted. The Latin seems to have preserved the original Greek text. ice-like grains of ambrosial food, that were Gr. ice-like kind. of nature apt to melt. 22For in all things, O Lord, you did magnify your people,