The Wisdom of Solomon

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- Kapitel 19 -

Why God showed no mercy to the Egyptians. His favour to the Israelites. All creatures obey God’s orders for the service of the good, and the punishment of the wicked.

But the impious, all the way to the very end, were overcome by anger without mercy. Indeed, he knew beforehand even their future.

Yet, seeing that they might have repented, so that they would be led by him and be sent forth with great concern, the just sought the impious, while regretting their deeds.(a)

For, while the just were still holding grief in their hands and weeping at the tombs of the dead, these others took upon themselves another senseless thought, and they cast out the legislators and pursued them as if they were fugitives.(b)

For a fitting necessity was leading them to this end, and they were losing the remembrance of those things which had happened, so that what was lacking in the sufferings of the conflict might be completed by the punishment,

and so that your people, indeed, might wonderfully pass through, but these others might find a new death.

For every creature according to its kind was fashioned again as from the beginning, diligently serving your teachings, so that your children would be preserved unharmed.

For a cloud overshadowed their camp, and where water was before, dry land appeared, and in the Red Sea, a way without hindrance, and out of the great deep, a level field sprung up,

through which the whole nation passed, protected by your hand, seeing your miracles and wonders.

For they consumed food like horses, and they leapt about like lambs, praising you, O Lord, who had freed them.

For they were still mindful of those things which had happened during the time of their sojourn, how, instead of cattle, the earth brought forth flies, and instead of fish, the river cast up a multitude of frogs.

And, lastly, they saw a new kind of bird, when, being led by their desire, they demanded a feast of meat.

For, to console their loss, the quail came up to them from the sea, and yet troubles overcame the sinners, though they were not without the evidence of what had happened before by the power of lightning, for they suffered justly according to their own wickedness.(c)

And indeed, they set up a more detestable inhospitality. Certainly, some have refused to receive unknown foreigners, but these others were drafting good guests into servitude,

and not only foreigners, but also those who had been under their care, because they were reluctantly sheltering the outsiders.(d)

Yet whoever had sheltered them with gladness, by making use of the very same justice, they afflicted with the most severe sorrow.(e)

Yet they were struck with blindness, like someone brought before the gates of justice, so that they were suddenly covered with darkness, and each one was left searching for the threshold of his front door.

For the elements in themselves are in the process of being changed, just as when the sound of a musical instrument is being altered in quality, yet each one keeps its own sound, from where it is considered to be and according to its fixed appearance.(f)

For the countryside was transformed by water, and things which were swimming, crossed over the land.

Fire prevailed in the midst of water, beyond its own power, and the water forgot its quenching nature.

On the other hand, the flames did not trouble the bodies of the mortal animals walking around, nor did they melt that good food, which is as easily melted as ice. For in all things, O Lord, you magnified your people, and honored them, and did not despise them, but at every time and in every place, you assisted them.(g)

Fußnoten

(a)19:2 This translation uses the words “just” and “impious” in place of pronouns, in order to preserve and clarify the meaning of the text. The just realize that the impious may have repented, so that they would now be led by God. Therefore, the just seek the impious, even while regretting the sins of the impious.(Conte)

(b)19:3 The word rogantes means to ask or to petition. But, in this context, “quos rogantes” (or rogator) refers to those who petition the laws, i.e., those who submit bills to the legislature. Instead of repenting and being forgiven, and while the just are weeping at such great loss of life, the impious senselessly decide to pursue the legislators as if they were fugitives.(Conte)

(c)19:12 Some editions of the Vulgate have fluminum instead of fulminum, referring to a river instead of to lightning. But lightning was part of the afflictions brought upon the Egyptians, and older editions of the Vulgate have it as fulminum.(Conte)

(d)19:14 They not only drafted foreigners (or newcomers) into servitude (or slavery), but even those who were among their number and who had been under their care, because the latter had been giving shelter and assistance to the former.(Conte)

(e)19:15 The phrase “qui eisdem usi erant iustitiis” could mean that they relied on the same immutable and eternal moral law as the basis for their actions, or it could mean that they made use of the human laws and judicial process available to them in order to help the foreigners.(Conte)

(f)19:17 Elements are changed, etc:The meaning is, that whatever changes God wrought in the elements by miracles in favour of his people, they still kept their harmony by obeying his will.(Challoner)

(g)19:20 That good food:The manna.(Challoner)

Why God showed no mercy to the Egyptians. His favour to the Israelites. All creatures obey God’s orders for the service of the good, and the punishment of the wicked.

But indignation without mercy came upon the ungodly to the end; for God also foreknew their future,

how, having changed their minds to let your people go, and having sped them eagerly on their way, they would change their minds and pursue them.

For while they were yet in the midst of their mourning, and lamenting at the graves of the dead, they made another foolish decision, and pursued as fugitives those whom they had begged to leave and driven out.

For the doom which they deserved was drawing them to this end, and it made them forget the things that had happened to them, that they might fill up the punishment which was yet lacking from their torments,

and that your people might journey on by a marvelous road, but they themselves might find a strange death.

For the whole creation, each part in its diverse kind, was made new again, complying with your commandments, that your servants might be kept unharmed.

Then the cloud that overshadowed the camp was seen, and dry land rising up out of what had been water, out of the Red sea an unhindered highway, and a grassy plain out of the violent surge,

by which they passed over with all their army, these who were covered with your hand, having seen strange marvels.

For like horses they roamed at large, and they skipped about like lambs, praising you, O Lord, who was their deliverer.

For they still remembered the things that happened in the time of their sojourning, how instead of bearing cattle, the land brought forth lice, and instead of fish, the river spewed out a multitude of frogs.

But afterwards, they also saw a new kind of birds, when, led on by desire, they asked for luxurious dainties;

for, to comfort them, quails came up for them from the sea.

Punishments came upon the sinners, not without the signs that were given beforehand by the violence of the thunder, for they justly suffered through their own wickednesses, for the hatred which they practiced toward guests was grievous indeed.

For while the others didn’t receive the strangers when they came to them, the Egyptians made slaves of guests who were their benefactors.

And not only so, but while punishment of some sort will come upon the former, since they received as enemies those who were aliens;

because these first welcomed with feastings, and then afflicted with dreadful toils, those who had already shared with them in the same rights.

And moreover they were stricken with loss of sight (even as were those others at the righteous man’s doors), when, being surrounded with yawning darkness, they each looked for the passage through his own door.

For as the notes of a lute vary the character of the rhythm, even so the elements, changing their order one with another, continuing always in its sound, as may clearly be conjectured from the sight of the things that have happened.

For creatures of the dry land were turned into creatures of the waters, and creatures that swim moved upon the land.

Fire kept the mastery of its own power in water, and water forgot its quenching nature.

On the contrary, flames didn’t consume flesh of perishable creatures that walked among them, neither did they melt the crystalline grains of ambrosial food that were melted easily.

For in all things, O Lord, you magnified your people, and you glorified them and didn’t lightly regard them, standing by their side in every time and place.