Wisdom of Solomon 11:15-20

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

¹⁵ In return for their foolish and wicked thoughts,
which led them astray to worship irrational serpents and worthless animals,
you sent upon them a multitude of irrational creatures to punish them,^(A)
16 so that they might learn that one is punished by the very things by which one sins.^(B)
17 For your all-powerful hand,
which created the world out of formless matter,
did not lack the means to send upon them a multitude of bears or bold lions^(C)
18 or newly created unknown beasts full of rage
or such as breathe out fiery breath
or belch forth a thick pall of smoke
or flash terrible sparks from their eyes;^(D)
19 not only could the harm they did destroy people,^[a]
but the mere sight of them could kill by fright.
²⁰ Even apart from these, people^[b] could fall at a single breath
when pursued by justice
and scattered by the breath of your power.
But you have arranged all things by measure and number and weight.^(E)