Wisdom 18:14-19:9

Common English Bible

¹⁴ It was then, while everything was wrapped in a gentle silence, and half a night had already passed, ¹⁵ that your all-powerful word had leaped down from heaven, the royal throne. Like a fierce warrior, he had entered the land that was marked for destruction. ¹⁶ He carried with him your unchanging declaration like a sharp sword. He stood up and filled everything with death; he reached the sky while still standing on the ground. ¹⁷ Immediately the visions of their nightmares shook them. Unexpected fears assaulted them. ¹⁸ One here, then another there, fell to the ground half-dead. They shouted out to tell those around them why they were dying. ¹⁹ The dreams that had so bothered them had foretold that this was to happen. And so they perished knowing full well why they were suffering.

²⁰ Those who did what is right were also touched by a test of death when many fell in the desert. But that wrath didn’t last long, ²¹ because a man in whom no blame could be found was already running to join the fight. He took up prayer and the reconciling incense as his weapons. He stood strong against the fury. In doing so, he limited the damage that was done. He showed that he was your servant. ²² He overcame divine anger not by bodily strength or by the power of weapons. He subdued the punisher by the word. He reminded him of the solemn pledges that had been made to our ancestors and of the covenants that had been given to them. ²³ The dead already lay fallen one upon another in heaps when he stood between the punisher and the people and stopped the assault. He cut off the punisher’s access to the living. ²⁴ On his long robe could be seen the whole of the universe. On the four rows of carved stones were the glories of the patriarchs. On the royal crown upon his head was your majesty. ²⁵ The destroyer yielded to all these, because he feared them.

Death and salvation at the Reed Sea

This one experience of wrath was sufficient for them, 19 ¹ but anger without mercy assaulted the ungodly right up to the very end. God knew before they did what was yet to come: how, ² after agreeing to send your people away, and in fact sending them away in haste, their enemies would change their minds and pursue them. ³ And so, even as they still held in their arms those whom they mourned and even as they still raised up their laments at the graves of their dead, another thoughtless plan occurred to them. They decided to pursue those who had fled even after they had agreed to their request to send them away. ⁴ A fate they fully deserved drew them to this inevitable decision and made them forget about all the things that had so recently happened to them. All this took place so that they might complete the one punishment lacking in their sufferings.

⁵ So at the same time as your people began an incredible journey, their enemies found a strange death. ⁶ The whole creation began to take on a new shape in its very nature. It once again submitted to your commands so that your children might be kept unharmed. ⁷ A cloud appeared, casting its shadow over their camp. Dry land appeared where before there had been only water. It presented them an open path through the Red Sea,^[a] a grassy plain where before there had been only violent surf. ⁸ Those who were protected by your hand passed through as a single nation, seeing amazing wonders. ⁹ They were like horses ranging about and like lambs skipping along. They praised you, Lord, for you were rescuing them.