Wisdom of Solomon 17

For great are thy judgments, and cannot be expressed: therefore unnurtured souls have erred.

ΜΕΓΑΛΑΙ γάρ σου αἱ κρίσεις καὶ δυσδιήγητοι· διὰ τοῦτο ἀπαίδευτοι ψυχαὶ ἐπλανήθησαν.

For when unrighteous men thought to oppress the holy nation; they being shut up in their houses, the prisoners of darkness, and fettered with the bonds of a long night, lay there exiled from the eternal providence.

ὑπειληφότες γὰρ καταδυναστεύειν ἔθνος ἅγιον ἄνομοι, δέσμιοι σκότους καὶ μακρᾶς πεδῆται νυκτὸς κατακλεισθέντες ὀρόφοις, φυγάδες τῆς αἰωνίου προνοίας ἔκειντο.

For while they supposed to lie hid in their secret sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly astonished, and troubled with strange apparitions.

λανθάνειν γὰρ νομίζοντες ἐπὶ κρυφαίοις ἁμαρτήμασιν, ἀφεγγεῖ λήθης παρακαλύμματι ἐσκορπίσθησαν, θαμβούμενοι δεινῶς καὶ ἰνδάλμασιν ἐκταρασσόμενοι·

For neither might the corner that held them keep them from fear: but noises as of waters falling down sounded about them, and sad visions appeared unto them with heavy countenances.

οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ κατέχων αὐτοὺς μυχὸς ἀφόβως διεφύλασσεν, ἦχοι δὲ καταράσσοντες αὐτοὺς περιεκόμπουν, καὶ φάσματα ἀμειδήτοις κατηφῆ προσώποις ἐνεφανίζετο.

No power of the fire might give them light: neither could the bright flames of the stars endure to lighten that horrible night.

καὶ πυρὸς μὲν οὐδεμία βία κατίσχυε φωτίζειν, οὔτε ἄστρων ἔκλαμπροι φλόγες καταυγάζειν ὑπέμενον τὴν στυγνὴν ἐκείνην νύκτα.

Only there appeared unto them a fire kindled of itself, very dreadful: for being much terrified, they thought the things which they saw to be worse than the sight they saw not.

διεφαίνετο δ᾿ αὐτοῖς μόνον αὐτομάτη πυρὰ φόβου πλήρης, ἐκδειματούμενοι δὲ τῆς μὴ θεωρουμένης ἐκείνης ὄψεως ἡγοῦντο χείρω τὰ βλεπόμενα.

As for the illusions of art magick, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with disgrace.

μαγικῆς δὲ ἐμπαίγματα κατέκειτο τέχνης, καὶ τῆς ἐπί φρονήσει ἀλαζονείας ἔλεγχος ἐφύβριστος·

For they, that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of fear, worthy to be laughed at.

οἱ γὰρ ὑπισχνούμενοι δείματα καὶ ταραχὰς ἀπελαύνειν ψυχῆς νοσούσης, οὗτοι καταγέλαστον εὐλάβειαν ἐνόσουν.

For though no terrible thing did fear them; yet being scared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of serpents,

καὶ γὰρ εἰ μηδὲν αὐτοὺς ταραχῶδες ἐφόβει, κνωδάλων παρόδοις καὶ ἑρπετῶν συριγμοῖς ἐκσεσοβημένοι,

They died for fear, denying that they saw the air, which could of no side be avoided.

διώλλυντο ἔντρομοι καὶ τὸν μηθαμόθεν φευκτὸν ἀέρα προσιδεῖν ἀρνούμενοι.

For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous things.

δειλὸν γὰρ ἰδίως πονηρία μαρτυρεῖ καταδικαζομένη, ἀεὶ δὲ προσείληφε τὰ χαλεπὰ συνεχομένη τῇ συνειδήσει·

For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth.

οὐθὲν γάρ ἐστι φόβος εἰ μὴ προδοσία τῶν ἀπὸ λογισμοῦ βοηθημάτων.

And the expectation from within, being less, counteth the ignorance more than the cause which bringeth the torment.

ἔνδοθεν δὲ οὖσα ἥττων ἡ προσδοκία, πλείονα λογίζεται τὴν ἄγνοιαν τῆς παρεχούσης τὴν βάσανον αἰτίας.

But they sleeping the same sleep that night, which was indeed intolerable, and which came upon them out of the bottoms of inevitable hell,

οἱ δὲ τὴν ἀδύνατον ὄντως νύκτα καὶ ἐξ ἀδυνάτου ᾅδου μυχῶν ἐπελθοῦσαν, τὸν αὐτὸν ὕπνον κοιμώμενοι,

Were partly vexed with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted, their heart failing them: for a sudden fear, and not looked for, came upon them.

τὰ μὲν τέρασιν ἠλαύνοντο φαντασμάτων, τὰ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς παρελύοντο προδοσίᾳ· αἰφνίδιος γὰρ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀπροσδόκητος φόβος ἐπῆλθεν.

So then whosoever there fell down was straitly kept, shut up in a prison without iron bars,

εἶθ᾿ οὕτως, ὃς δήποτ᾿ οὖν ἦν ἐκεῖ καταπίπτων, ἐφρουρεῖτο εἰς τὴν ἀσίδηρον εἱρκτὴν κατακλεισθείς·

For whether he were husbandman, or shepherd, or a labourer in the field, he was overtaken, and endured that necessity, which could not be avoided: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness.

εἴ τε γὰρ γεωργὸς ἦν τις ἢ ποιμὴν ἢ τῶν κατ᾿ ἐρημίαν ἐργάτης μόχθων, προληφθεὶς τὴν δυσάλυκτον ἔμενεν ἀνάγκην,

Whether it were a whistling wind, or a melodious noise of birds among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running violently,

μιᾷ γὰρ ἁλύσει σκότους πάντες ἐδέθησαν· εἴτε πνεῦμα συρίζον ἢ περὶ ἀμφιλαφεῖς κλάδους ὀρνέων ἦχος εὐμελὴς ἢ ῥυθμὸς ὕδατος πορευομένου βίᾳ ἢ κτύπος ἀπηνὴς καταρριπτομένων πετρῶν,

Or a terrible sound of stones cast down, or a running that could not be seen of skipping beasts, or a roaring voice of most savage wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the hollow mountains; these things made them to swoon for fear.

ἢ σκιρτώντων ζώων δρόμος ἀθεώρητος ἢ ὠρυομένων ἀπηνεστάτων θηρίων φωνὴ ἢ ἀντανακλωμένη ἐκ κοιλοτάτων ὀρέων ἠχώ, παρέλυεν αὐτοὺς ἐκφοβοῦντα.

For the whole world shined with clear light, and none were hindered in their labour:

ὅλος γὰρ ὁ κόσμος λαμπρῷ καταλάμπετο φωτὶ καὶ ἀνεμποδίστοις συνείχετο ἔργοις·

Over them only was spread an heavy night, an image of that darkness which should afterward receive them: but yet were they unto themselves more grievous than the darkness.

μόνοις δὲ ἐκείνοις ἐπετέτατο βαρεῖα νύξ, εἰκὼν τοῦ μέλλοντος αὐτοὺς διαδέχεσθαι σκότους, ἑαυτοῖς δὲ ἦσαν βαρύτεροι σκότους.