Page 828 - bible

822 Book of Wisdom

thee at the dawning of the light. denying that they saw the air, which could by
29 For the hope of the unthankful shall melt no means be avoided.
away as the winter’s ice, and shall run off as 10 For whereas wickedness is fearful, it
unprofitable water. beareth witness of its condemnation: for a
troubled conscience always forecasteth grievous
things.
Chapter 17 11 For fear is nothing else but a yielding up
of the succours from thought.
For thy judgments, O Lord, are great, and thy
12 And while there is less expectation from
words cannot be expressed: therefore undisci- within, the greater doth it count the ignorance
plined souls have erred.
of that cause which bringeth the torment.
2 For while the wicked thought to be able to
13 But they that during that night, in which
have dominion over the holy nation, they them- nothing could be done, and which came upon
selves being fettered with the bonds of darkness,
them from the lowest and deepest hell, slept the
and a long night, shut up in their houses, lay same sleep,
there exiled from the eternal providence. 14 Were sometimes molested with the fear of
3 And while they thought to lie hid in their monsters, sometimes fainted away, their soul fail-
obscure sins, they were scattered under a dark ing them: for a sudden and unlooked for fear was
veil of forgetfullness, being horribly afraid, and come upon them.
troubled with exceeding great astonishment. 15 Moreover, if any of them had fallen down,
4 For neither did the den that held them, keep he was kept shut up in prison without irons.
them from fear: for noises coming down trou- 16 For if any one were a husbandman, or a
bled them, and sad visions appearing to them, shepherd, or a labourer in the field, and was
affrighted them. suddenly overtaken, he endured a necessity from
5 And no power of fire could give them light, which he could not fly.
neither could the bright flames of the stars en- 17 For they were all bound together with one
lighten that horrible night. chain of darkness. Whether it were a whistling
6 But there appeared to them a sudden fire, wind, or the melodious voice of birds, among the
very dreadful: and being struck with the fear of spreading branches of trees, or a fall of water
that face, which was not seen, they thought the running down with violence,
things which they saw to be worse: 18 Or the mighty noise of stones tumbling
7 And the delusions of their magic art were down, or the running that could not be seen of
put down, and their boasting of wisdom was re- beasts playing together, or the roaring voice of
proachfully rebuked. wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the high-
8 For they who promised to drive away fears est mountains: these things made them to swoon
and troubles from a sick soul, were sick them- for fear.
selves of a fear worthy to be laughed at. 19 For the whole world was enlightened, with
9 For though no terrible thing disturbed them: a clear light, and none were hindered in their
yet being scared with the passing by of beasts, labours.
and hissing of serpents, they died for fear and 20 But over them only was spread a heavy