Wisdom 16

Wycliffe Bible

16 For these things, and things like these, they suffered torments worthily, and they were destroyed by (a) multitude of beasts. [For these, and like things to these, worthily they suffered torments, and by (a) multitude of beasts they be destroyed.]

² For which torments thou disposedest well thy people, to which thou gavest covetousness of their delighting a new savour, making ready meat to (or for) them a curlew, that is, a multitude of curlews. [For which torments thou disposedest well thy people, by which thou gave coveting of their delight a new savour, preparing curlew meat to them.]

³ That soothly they coveting meat, were turned away, yea, from needful coveting, for those things that were showed, and sent to them; but these men made poor in short time, tasted new meat. [That they forsooth coveting meat, for those things that to them be showed, and sent, also from needful coveting they should be turned away; these forsooth needy made in short, tasted new meat.]

⁴ For soothly it behooved perishing to come on them without excusing, using tyranny; but to show only to these Hebrews, how their enemies were destroyed. [Forsooth it behooved to them, haunting tyranny, death to come on without excusation; to them forsooth only to show, how the enemies of them were destroyed.]

⁵ Forsooth when the fierce ire of beasts came on them, they were destroyed by the bitings of wayward serpents. But, Lord, thine ire dwelled not without end; [Forsooth when to them came on the cruel wrath of beasts, by the bitings of shrewd (or depraved) shadow adders they were destroyed. But not into evermore thy wrath abode still;]

⁶ but they were troubled in short time (un)to (their) amending [or correction], and had a sign of health (or of deliverance), to (the) remembering of the commandment of thy law.

⁷ For he that was converted, was healed not by that that he saw, but by thee, (the) Saviour of all men. [Who forsooth is turned, not by that that he saw, he was healed, but by thee, (the) saviour of all.]

⁸ Forsooth in this thou showedest to our enemies, that thou it art, that deliverest from all evil. [In that forsooth thou showedest to our enemies, for thou art, that deliverest from all evil.]

⁹ Forsooth the bitings of locusts and of flies killed them, and health of (or for) their life was not found; for they were worthy to be destroyed of (or by) such things. [Them forsooth the bitings of flies and of locusts slew, and there is not found health to the soul of them; for worthy they were of such things to be destroyed.]

¹⁰ But neither the teeth of dragons, neither of venomous beasts overcame thy children; for why thy mercy came, and healed them. [Thy sons forsooth, neither the teeth of dragons, nor of venomous things over-came; forsooth thy mercy coming to, healed them.]

¹¹ For they were tormented in mind of (or by) thy words, that is, that they should be mindful of thy behests, and they were healed swiftly; lest they falling into deep forgetting of God, (they) might not use thine help. [In the mind forsooth of thy words they were destroyed, and swiftly they were saved; lest into high forgetting falling, they might not use thine help.]

¹² For neither herb, neither plaster healed them; but, Lord, thy word, that healeth all things. [Forsooth neither herb, nor plaster healed them; but thy word, Lord, that healeth all things.]

¹³ Lord, thou art, that hast (the) power of life and of death; and leadest forth to the gates of death, and leadest (up) again. [Thou art, Lord, that of life and death hast power; and bringest down to the gates of death, and again-bringest.]

¹⁴ But soothly a man slayeth his soul by malice; and when the spirit is gone out, it shall not (re)turn again, neither the body shall again-call the soul, which is received; [A man forsooth slayeth by malice his soul; and when the spirit goeth out, he shall not turn again, nor the soul, that is received, shall again-call;]

¹⁵ but it is impossible to escape thine hand.

¹⁶ For why wicked men, denying to know thee, were tormented by the strength of thine arm; they suffered persecution by new waters, and hails, and rains, and were wasted by fire. [Unpious men forsooth, denying to have known thee, by the strength of thine arm be scourged; with new waters, and hails, and rains, they suffered persecution, and by fire be wasted.]

¹⁷ For why that was wonderful, the fire had more might in the water, that quencheth all things; for why the world was (a)venger of (or for) just [or rightwise] men.

¹⁸ For why sometime the fire was mild [or tamed], lest the beasts should be burnt, that were sent to (or sent against) wicked [or unpious] men; but that they seeing should know, that they suffer persecution by the doom of God.

¹⁹ And sometime the fire burnt on high on each side in the water, above the virtue (or the power) of fire, to destroy the wicked nation of the land.

²⁰ For which things thou nourishedest thy people with (the) meat of angels, and thou gavest from heaven bread made ready to (or for) them, without travail; having all delighting in itself, and the sweetness of all savour. [For the which with the meat of angels thou nourishedest thy people, and thou gave to them bread made ready from heaven, without travail; having all delighting in itself, and sweetness of all savour.]

²¹ For thou showedest thy chattel, and thy sweetness, which thou hast, to sons; and the bread serving to the will of each man, was turned to that, that each man would (or desired). [Forsooth thy substance, and thy sweetness, that into sons thou hast, thou showedest; and serving to the will of each one, to what each would, it was converted.]

²² Forsooth snow and ice suffered the might of (the) fire, and melted not; (so) that they should know, that fire burning, in hail and rain lightning, destroyed the fruits of (the) enemies. [Snow forsooth and ice suffered the strength of fire, and flowed not; that they should know, for burning fire, lightning in hail and rain, destroyed the fruits of the enemies.]

²³ Soothly again this was wonderful, also (the) fire forgot his (own) virtue, (so) that (the) just men should be nourished. [That forsooth again, that the rightwise man should be nourished, the fire also forgot his virtue.]

²⁴ For why the creature serving to thee the Maker, waxeth white into torment against unjust men [or burneth out into torment against unrightwise men], and is made lighter [or softer] to do well, for them that trust in thee.

²⁵ For this thing and all things transfigured then, that is, changed from the property of their kind, served to thy grace, nourisher of all things, to the will of them, that be desired of (or by) thee;

²⁶ (so) that, Lord, thy sons should know, which thou lovedest, that not the fruits of birth, that is, not only (the) fruits coming forth of (or from) (the) earth, feed men, but thy word keepeth them, that believe in thee. [that thy sons, whom thou lovedest, Lord, should know, for not the fruit of birth fed men, but thy word kept them, that in the believed.]

²⁷ For why that that might not be destroyed of (or by) (the) fire, that is, manna, melted anon (or at once) as it was made hot of (or by) a little beam of the sun; [That forsooth that of fire might not be destroyed, anon of a little beam of sun chaffed, flowed;]

²⁸ (so) that it were known to all men, that it behooveth to come before the sun to thy blessing, and to worship thee at the rising of the light. [that it were known to all, for it behooveth to come before the sun to thy blessing, and at the springing of light to honour thee.]

²⁹ Forsooth the hope of an unkind man shall melt away as (the) ice of winter, and shall perish as superfluous water. [Forsooth the hope of the unkind as cold ice shall flow, and disperse as water over-void.]