14 For the thoughts of mor- 4 For whofe cause the tal men are miferable, and our earth being drowned with the devices are but uncertain. flood, wifdom again preserv 15 For the corruptible ed it, and directed the course body preffeth down the foul, of the righteous in a piece. and the earthy tabernacle of wood of fmall value. weigheth down the mind that mufeth upon many things. 16 And hardly do we guefs aright at things that are upon earth, and with labour do we find the things that are before us but the things that are in heaven, who hath fearched out? 17 And thy counsel who hath known, except thou give wisdom, and fend thy Holy Spirit from above? 18 For fo the ways of them which lived on the earth were reformed, and men were taught the things that are pleasing unto thee, and were faved through wifdom. CHAP. X. HE preferved the firft SHE formed father of the world, that was created alone, and brought him out of his fall, 5¶ Moreover, the nations in their wicked confpiracy being confounded, the found out the righteous, and preferved him blameless unto God, and kept him strong against his tender compaffion toward his fon. 6 ¶ When the ungodly perifhed, fhe delivered the righteous man, who fled from the fire which fell down upon the five cities. 7 Of whofe wickedness even to this day, the waste land that smoketh is a teftimony, and plants bearing fruit that never come ripeness: and a standing pillar of falt is a monument of an unbelieving foul. to 8 For regarding not wif dom, they gat not only this hurt, that they knew not the things which were good; but also left behind them to the world a memorial of 2 And gave him power to their foolishness; fo that in rule all things. the things wherein they of3 But when the unrigh-fended, they could not fo teous went away from her much as be hid. in his anger, he perifhed alfo in the fury, wherewith he murdered his brother. 9 But wifdom delivered from pain those that attended upon her. 10 ¶ When 17 Rendered to the 10 When the righteous Lord, and withstood dreadfled from his brother's wrath, ful kings in wonders andThe guided him in right paths, figns; fhewed him the kingdom of God, and gave him know-righteous a reward of their ledge of holy things, made labours, guided them in a him rich in his travels, and marvellous way, and was multiplied the fruit of his la- unto them for a cover by day, and a light of stars in the night season: bours. 11 In the covetoufnefs of fuch as oppreffed him, fhe stood by him, and made him rich. 12 She defended him from his enemies, and kept him fafe from thofe that lay in wait, and in a fore conflict fhe gave him the victory; that he might know that godliness is ftronger than all. 13¶ When the righteous was fold, fhe forfook him not, but delivered him from fin: fhe went down with him into the pit, 14 And left him not in bonds, till fhe brought him the scepter of the kingdom, and power against thofe that oppreffed him as for them that had accused him, the fhewed them to be liars, and gave him perpetual glory. 15 She delivered the righteous people and blameless feed from the nation that oppreffed them. 16 She entered into the foul of the fervant of the 18 Brought them through the red fea, and led them through much water. 19 But fhe drowned their enemies, and caft them up out of the bottom of the deep. 20 Therefore the righteous spoiled the ungodly, and praifed thy holy name, O Lord, and magnified with one accord thine hand that fought for them. 21 For wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues of them that cannot speak, eloquent, enemies, and were avenged of their adverfaries. 4 When they were thirsty, they called upon thee, and water was given them out of the flinty rock, and their thirft was quenched out of the hard ftone. 5 For by what things their enemies were punished, by the fame they in their need were benefited. 6 For instead of a fountain of a perpetual running river troubled with foul blood, 12 For a double grief came upon them, and a groaning for the remembrance of things paft, 13 For when they heard by their own punishments the other to be benefited, they had fome feeling of the Lord. 14 For whom they rejected. with fcorn, when he was long before thrown out, at the cafting forth of the infants, him in the end, when they faw what came to pass, they admired. 7 For a manifeft reproof of 15 But for the foolish dethat commandment, where-vices of their wickedness, by the infants were flain, thou gaveft unto them abundance of water, by a means which they hoped not for: wherewith being deceived, they worshipped ferpents void of reafon, and vile beafts, thou didst fend a multitude of unreafonable beafts upon 8 Declaring by that thirft then, how thou hadft punish-them for vengeance; ed their adverfaries. 9 For when they were tried, albeit but in mercy chaftifed, they knew how the ungodly were judged in wrath, and tormented, thirfting in another manner than the juft. 10 For thefe thou didst admonish and try as a father: but the other, as a fevere king, thou didst condemn and punith. II Whether they were abfent or prefent, they were vexed alike. 16 That they might know that wherewithal a man sinneth, by the fame alfo fhall he be punished. 17 For thy almighty hand that made the world of matter without form, wanted not means to fend among them a multitude of bears, or fierce lions, 18 Or unknown wild beafts, full of rage, newly created, breathing out either a fiery vapour, or filthy fcents of fcattered finoke, or fhoot ing ing horrible sparkles out of their eyes; 19 Whereof not only the harm might difpatch them at once, but also the terrible fight utterly deftroy them. 20 Yea, and without these might they have fallen down with one blaft, being perfecuted of vengeance, and fcattered abroad through the breath of thy power: but thou haft ordered all things in measure, and number, and weight. 21 For thou canft fhew thy great ftrength at all times when thou wilt; and who may withstand the power of thine arm? 22 For the whole world before thee is as a little grain of the balance, yea, as a drop F CHAP. XII. OR thine incorruptible Spirit is in all things. 2 Therefore chaftenest thou them by little and, little that offend, and warneft them by putting them in remembrance wherein they have offended, that, leaving their wickednefs, they may believe on thee, O Lord. 3 For it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our fathers, both thofe old inhabitants of thy holy land, 4 Whom thou hatedst for doing moft odious works of of the morning dew that fal-witchcrafts, and wicked faleth down upon the earth. crifices; 23 But thou haft mercy upon all; for thou canft do all things, and winkeft at the fins of men: because they 'fhould amend. 5 And also those mercilefs murderers of children, and devourers of man's flesh, and the feafts of blood; 6 With their priests out of the midst of their idolatrous crew, and the parents that killed with their own 24 For thou loveft all the things that are, and abhorreft nothing which thou hast made: for never would-hands, fouls deftitute of help: eft thou have made any thing, if thou hadst hated it. 25 And how could any thing have endured, if it had not been thy will? or been 7 That the land which thou esteemedst above all others, might receive a worthy colony of God's children. 8 Nevertheless, even those thou thou fparedft as men, and ment is not unright. 14 Neither fhall king or didft fend wafps, forerunners of thine hoft, to deftroy tyrant be able to fet his face them by little and little. against thee, for any whom 9 Not that thou waft un-thou haft punished. able to bring the ungodly' 15 Forfomuch then as thou under the hand of the right-art righteous thyfelf, thou eous in battle, or to destroy ordereft all things righteousthem at once with cruelly: thinking it not agreebeafts, or with one rough able with thy power to conword: demn him that hath not deferved to be punished. ro But executing thy judgments upon them by 16 For thy power is the little and little, thou gavest beginning of righteousness, them place of repentance, and because thou art the not being ignorant that they Lord of all, it maketh thee were a naughty generation, to be gracious unto all. and that their malice was bred in them, and that their cogitation would never be changed. II For it was a' curfed feed from the beginning; neither didft thou, for fear of any man, give them pardon for those things wherein they finned. 17 For when men will not believe that thou art of a full power, thou fhewest thy ftrength, and among them that know it, thou makeft their boldness manifest. 18 But thou, mastering thy power, judgeft with equity, and ordereft us with 12 For who fhall fay, great favour: for thou mayWhat haft thou done, or eft ufe power when thou who fhall withstand thy judg-wilt. haft thou taught thy people, that the juft man fhould be merciful, and haft made thy children to be of a good hope, that thou gavest repentance for fins. ment ? or who fhall accufe 19 But by fuch works. thee for the nations that perish, whom thou haft made? or who fhall come to ftand against thee to be revenged for the unrighteous men? 13 For neither is there God but thou, that car- 20 For if thou didst pueft for all, to whom thou nifh the enemies of thy chilmightest shew that thy judg-dren, and the condemned to any death |