Wisdom 19

Wycliffe Bible

19 Forsooth ire without mercy came on wicked men till into the last, that is, till to the drenching (or the drowning) of them; for why God before-knew also the things to coming of them. [To the unpious forsooth and to the last without mercy wrath came upon; forsooth he knew before and the things to come of them.]

² For when they were turned, and had suffered (or allowed), that they should lead out them, and had before-sent them with great busyness, the deeds of repenting (pur)sued them. [For when they were turned, and had suffered, that they should lead them, and with great busyness they had sent them before, there followed forsooth them the deed of penance.]

³ For they having yet mourning betwixt the hands, and they beweeping at the sepulchres of dead men, took to them(selves) another thought of uncunning, (or of unknowing, or of ignorance); and they pursued those Hebrews, as fleers away, which they praying had sent forth. [Yet forsooth among the hands having wailing, and weeping at the monuments of the dead, another thinking of uncunning they took to them; and whom praying they had thrown away, them as fugitives they pursued.]

⁴ For why worthy need led them to this end, and they lost remembering of these things, that had befallen, that punishing should (ful)fill those things, that failed of torments, [Forsooth there led them to that end worthy necessity, and of these things that had fallen, the mind thy lost, that that lacked of torments, punishing should fulfill,]

⁵ and that soothly thy people should pass wonderfully; forsooth that they should find a new death.

⁶ For why each creature serving to thine behests (or to thy commands), was reformed to his kind at the beginning, (so) that thy children should be kept unhurt. [Each creature forsooth to his kind from the beginning was again-figured, serving to thine behests, that thy children should be kept unhurt.]

⁷ For why a cloud beshadowed the castles of them (or their camp), and dry earth appeared in water that was before (or where water was before), and a way without letting (or hindrance) appeared in the Reed Sea (or the Red Sea), and a field burgeoning from (a) full great depth; [For a cloud shadowed the tents of them, and in the water that was before, the earth appeared dry; and in the Red Sea (a) way without letting (or hindrance), and a burgeoning field of full great depth;]

⁸ by which field all the nation passed, that was covered with thine hand; forsooth they saw thy marvels and wonders. [by the which all (the) nation passed, that was covered with thine hand; seeing forsooth thy marvels and wonders.]

⁹ For they as horses devoured meat, that is, took the armours of (the) Egyptians, which they saw dead on the brink of the sea, and as lambs they made full out joy, magnifying thee, Lord, that deliveredest them. [As horses forsooth they gnawed meat, and as lambs they full out joyed, magnifying thee, Lord, for thou deliveredest them.]

¹⁰ For they were mindful yet of those things, that were done in the dwelling of them among (the) Egyptians; how the land brought forth flies, for the nation of beasts, and the flood (or the river) brought forth (a) multitude of paddocks [or frogs] for fishes.

¹¹ Forsooth at the last they saw a new creature of birds, when they were led by covetousness, and asked (for) meats of feast. [At the last forsooth they saw a new creature of birds, when, led by lust, they asked (for) meats of delicious eating.]

¹² For in the speaking to, that is, at the asking of them, of (or for) their desire, a curlew ascended to them from the sea; [In the speech forsooth of the desire, went up to them from the sea a curlew;]

¹³ and dis-eases came on (the) sinners, and not without provings of those things, that were done before by the fierceness of floods. For they suffered justly, by their wickednesses; for they ordained more abominable unhospitality. [and travails to sinners came upon, not without those evidences, that were made by the force of floods. Rightwisely forsooth they suffered, after their shrewdnesses (or depravities); forsooth into abominable hospitality they stood in.]

¹⁴ Soothly some received not unknown comelings; soothly others took good men harboured into thralldom. [Others forsooth unknown comelings received not; others forsooth good guests into servage (or servitude) took.]

¹⁵ And not only they did these things, but soothly also another beholding of them was, that they against their will received strangers. [And not only these things, but another forsooth respect of them was, for maugre theirs, (or in spite of, or against their will), they received strangers.]

¹⁶ Forsooth they that used the same ordinances, tormented with cruelest sorrows them, that received with gladness. [Who forsooth with gladness received them, that had used the same informings, with most cruel sorrows they tormented.]

¹⁷ Forsooth they were smitten with blindness, as they in the gates of the just man, when they were covered with sudden darknesses; each man sought the passing (out) of his (own) door. [Smitten forsooth they be with blindness, as they in the gates of the rightwise, with sudden darknesses, when they be covered; each one sought the passing out of his door.]

¹⁸ Forsooth while elements be turned into themselves, as the sound of manner is changed in (an) organ, and (yet) all things keep their sound; wherefore it may be guessed of that certain sight. [Into themselves forsooth while the elements be turned, as in an organ of quality the sound is changed, and all keep their sound; wherefore of that certain sight it may be estimated.]

¹⁹ Beasts of the field were turned into beasts of water; whatever were swimming things, went in (or on) the land. [Fieldy wild things into watery be turned; whatever were swimming, in (or on) the earth passed.]

²⁰ Fire in water had power above his virtue; and (the) water forgot the kind quenching. [Fire in the water had strength over his virtue; and water forgot his quenching kind.]

²¹ Again-ward flames of corruptible beasts dis-eased not the fleshes of (the) Hebrews going together (with them); neither departed that good meat, that was departed (as) lightly as ice. [Flames again-ward travailed not the flesh of the corruptible beasts going together (with them); nor dissolved it, that lightly was dissolved as ice, good meat.]

²² Forsooth, Lord, thou magnifiedest thy people in all things, and hounouredest; and despisedest not, and helpedest them in each time and in each place. [In all things forsooth thou magnifiedest thy people, Lord, and worshippedest; and despisedest not, in all time and in all place standing nigh to them.]