Wisdom 18

Wycliffe Bible

18 But full great light there was to thine holy servants, and soothly (the) enemies heard the voice of them, but they saw not the figure, either shape; and for also they suffered not by the same things, they magnified thee. [To thy saints forsooth was most light, and the voice forsooth of these the enemies heard, but the figure they saw not; and for not and they by the same things had suffered, they magnified thee.]

² And for they were hurt before, they did thankings to thee, for they were not hurt; and that (a) difference should be betwixt them and (the) Egyptians, they asked thee, God. [And for before hurt they were, for they were not hurt, graces they did to thee; and that there were difference, thee, God, they asked.]

³ For which thing they had a burning pillar of fire, the leader of (the) unknown way; and thou gavest the sun, without hurting of good harbour.

⁴ Forsooth they were worthy to want [or to lack] light, and to suffer the prison of darknesses, which held [or kept] thy sons enclosed; by which sons [or by whom] the uncorrupt light of (the) law began to be given to the world.

⁵ When they thought to slay the young children of (the) just men; and when one son was put forth, and delivered, (to reprove them), thou tookest away the multitude of (their) sons, that is, of the first (en)gendered of Egypt, for the leading over of them, and thou lostest, (or destroyedest), them (al)together in strong water. [When they thought to slay the infants of rightwise men; and one son laid out, and delivered, and into the overleading of them, thou took away the multitude of sons, and together them thou spoiledest in strong water.]

⁶ Forsooth that night was known before of (or by) our fathers, that they witting verily to which oaths they believed, should be more patient. [That forsooth night is known before of (or by) our fathers, that verily witting by what oaths they believed, they should be more steadfast.]

⁷ Forsooth health (or the deliverance) of just men was received verily of thy people, and also destroying of unjust men. [Forsooth there is taken of thy people health, forsooth of rightwise men; of unrightwise men forsooth destroying.]

⁸ For as thou hurtedest our adversaries, so thou excitedest also us, and magnifiedest us. [Forsooth as thou hurtedest our adversaries, so and us stirring, thou magnifiedest.]

⁹ For why (the) just children of good men made sacrifice privily, and disposed the law of rightfulness into according; they disposed just men to receive goods and evils in like manner, and sung praisings to the Father of all men. [Hiddenly forsooth the rightwise children of good men sacrificed, and the law of rightwiseness they disposed to accord; (in) like manner rightwise men goods and evils to receive, noble praisings to the father of all singing.]

¹⁰ But (the) unseemly voice of (the) enemies sounded, and weepful wailing of beweepers of young children was heard. [Forsooth the uncovenable voice of enemies sounded, and weepful wailing of bewept young children was heard.]

¹¹ Forsooth the servant was tormented by like pain with the lord; and a man of the people suffered things like the king.

¹² Therefore in like manner all men by one name of death had dead men unnumberable, for neither quick (or living) men sufficed to bury (those dead); for why the nation of them, that was clearer than (the) others, was destroyed in one moment. [Then (in) like manner all with one name of death had unnumberable dead men, nor the quick forsooth sufficed to bury; for (in) one moment the nation of them, that was more clear, is destroyed.]

¹³ Forsooth of all (the) Egyptians men not believing for benefices, promised them(selves) then to be God’s people, when the destroying of the first (en)gendered things was first. [Of all forsooth they not believing for the benefits, then when first was the death of the first (be)gotten, they promised themselves the people of God to be.]

¹⁴ Forsooth when all things held restful silence, and the night had the middle way in his course, [When forsooth quiet silence contained all things, and the night in his course had the mean way,]

¹⁵ Lord, thy word almighty coming swiftly from heaven, came from the king’s seats (or throne); [thine almighty word, Lord, going out from heaven, from the king’s seats (or seat) came;]

¹⁶ a sharp sword bearing thy commandment not feigned, came forth, overcomer into the middle of the land of destroying; and it stood, and filled all things with death, and it stood in (or on) (the) earth, and stretched forth till to heaven. [an hard overcomer it is, into the middle land of death; leap forth a sharp sword bearing into thy likened empire; and standing fulfilled all things with death, and unto heaven attained, standing in (or on) the earth.]

¹⁷ Then anon the sights of evil dreams disturbed them, and dreads not hoped (for) came above. (Then at once the sights of evil dreams troubled them, and fears not hoped for came upon them.) [Then anon the sight of evil swevens disturbed them, and dreads on-came unhoped (for).]

¹⁸ And another man cast forth half quick into another place, showed for what cause of death he died. [And another elsewhere cast forth half alive, for what cause of death he died, he showed.]

¹⁹ For why sights that disturbed (or troubled) them, before-warned (of) these things, (so) that they should perish not unwittingly, why they suffered evils. [Forsooth the visions that disturbed them, these things before-warned, that they should not perish uncunning, why they suffered evils.]

²⁰ Forsooth (the) temptation of death, that is, punishment by death, touched then also just men, and moving (al)together of (the) multitude was made in (the) desert; but thine ire dwelled not long. [Then forsooth touched and rightwise men the temptation of death, and there is made of the multitude a stirring in (the) wilderness; but not long abode still thy wrath.]

²¹ For a man without (com)plaint hast(en)ed to beseech for (the) peoples, and he brought forth prayer the shield of his service, and he alleged (or he offered up) prayer by incense, and against-stood ire; and he setted an end to the need, and showed that he was thy servant. [A man forsooth going without blame to pray for (the) peoples, bringing forth of his service the shield of an orison, and by incense praying alleging, withstood to the wrath, and end put to the need, showing for thy servant he is,]

²² Forsooth he overcame companies, not by virtue of body, neither by armour, (or arms, or weapons) of power; but he remembered the oaths, and the testament(s) of (the) fathers (or the covenants made with the fathers), and by word he made him(self) subject, that travailed himself. [Forsooth he overcame companies, not in virtue of body, nor in armour of power; but in word him that over-travailed him, he undercast, or he overcast, remembering the oaths of (or made with) (the) fathers, and testament(s) (or covenants).]

²³ For when dead men fell down by heaps, each on (the) other, he stood betwixt dead men and living, or the dead and the quick (or the dead and the living), and cut away the fierceness of burning, and parted that way, that led to quick (or living) men. [When forsooth now heap-meal they had fallen dead, either upon other, he stood between, and cut away the force, and divided that way, that to the men alive led.]

²⁴ For why all the world was in the cloth (or the cloak) lasting to the heels, which he had; and the great things of (the) fathers were (en)graven in four orders of stones; and, Lord, thy magnificence was written in (or on) the diadem of his head. [Forsooth in the clothing of the priest(‘s) cape, that he had, was all the roundness of (the) earth’s; and the great things of (the) fathers were graven in four orders of stones; and thy great doing in (or on) the diadem of his head was written.]

²⁵ Forsooth he that destroyed, gave stead to these things, and dreaded these things, for why the temptation alone was sufficient to ire. [To these forsooth he gave stead, that destroyed, and these things he full out dreaded; forsooth there was alone sufficient tempting of wrath.]