Wisdom of Solomon XVI

This excerpt is taken from The Apocrypha An American Translation by: Edgar J. Goodspeed. Vintage Books (A Division of Random House) New York. C. 1959. 1938.

16 Therefore, they were punished as they deserved, by
similar animals,
And tormented with a multitude of vermin.
2 And instead of this punishment, you benefited your people,
And to satisfy the desire of their appetite, you prepared
something with a strange taste--
3 So that those others, when they desired food,
Because of the hideousness of the things sent among them,
Should lose even the smallest appetite,
While they, after being in want for a little while,
Should partake of something with a strange taste.
4 For it was necessary that an unescapable want should come 
upon those others for their tyrannical behavior,
But these should only be shown how their enemies were tormented.
5 For when the terrible fury of wild animals came upon 
them,
And they were perishing by the bites of wriggling snakes,
Your wrath did not continue to the uttermost,
6 But they were harassed for a little while to admonish them,
For they had a token of preservation to remind them of the 
commandment of your law;
7 For the one who turned toward it was saved not because of 
what he saw,
But because of you, preserver of all.
8 And by this you persuaded our enemies
That you are the one who saves from every evil.
9 For they were killed by the bites of locusts and flies,
and no cure was found for their life,
For they deserved to be punished by such means.
10 But not even the teeth of venomous serpents could 
overcome your sons,
11 For it was to remind them of your oracles that they were 
stung,
and they were quickly delivered,
to keep them from falling into deep forgetfulness
And becoming sundered from your kindness.
12 For it was no plant or plaster that cured them,
But your word, Lord, that heals all men.
13 For you have power over life and death, 
And you take men down to the gates of Hades and bring
them up again.
14 A man may kill in his wickedness,
But the spirit once it is gone out he cannot bring back,
Nor can he release the imprisoned soul.  
15 But it is impossible to escape your hand,
16 For ungodly men, refusing to know you,
Were flogged with the strength of your arm,
Pursued by unusual rains and hailstorms and relentless 
showers,
And utterly consumed by fire.
17 For, strangest of all, on the water, which quenches every 
thing,
The fire had the greater effect,
For the universe is the champion of the upright;
18 For now the flame was quieted,
So that it should not burn up the animals sent against the ungodly, 
But that they, when they saw it, might recognize that they
were pursued by the judgment of God;
19 And again it blazed up in the midst of the water, with 
more than fiery power,
to destroy the products of an unrighteous land.
20 Instead of these you gave your people angels' food,
And untiringly supplied them with bread from heaven,
ready to eat,
Strong in all enjoyment and suited to every taste;
21 For your support manifested your sweetness toward your children, 
And the bread, responding to desire of the man that 
took it, 
Was changed to what each one desired.
22 But snow and ice endured fire without melting,
So that they should know that fire was destroying the crops 
of their enemies,
Blazing in the hail,
and flashing in the rain;
23 And that this again, in order that upright men might be fed,
Had forgotten its power.
24 For creation, serving you who made it, 
Strains against the unrighteous, to punish them,
But relaxes on behalf of those who trust in you, to benefit 
them.
25 Therefore even then, assuming all forms, 
It served your all-sustaining bounty,
In response to the desire of those who were in need,
26 So that your sons, whom you have loved, Lord, might 
learn
That is is not the production of the crops that supports 
man,
But that it is your word that preserves those who believe in 
you.
27 For what the fire could not destroy
Melted away when it was simply warmed by a fleeting
sunbeam,
28 So that is might be known that we must rise before the 
sun to give you thanks,
And appeal to you at the rising of the light.
29 For the unthankful man's hope will melt like the wintry 
hoarfrost,
And run off like useless water.