Chapter 11

¹ She prospered their works in the hand of the holy prophet.

ΕΥΩΔΩΣΕ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἐν χειρὶ προφήτου ἁγίου.

² They went through the wilderness that was not inhabited,

διώδευσαν ἔρημον ἀοίκητον καὶ ἐν ἀβάτοις ἔπηξαν σκηνάς·

³ They stood against their enemies, and were avenged of their adversaries.

ἀντέστησαν πολεμίοις καὶ ἠμύναντο ἐχθρούς.

⁴ When they were thirsty, they called upon thee,

ἐδίψησαν καὶ ἐπεκαλέσαντό σε, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἐκ πέτρας ἀκροτόμου ὕδωρ καὶ ἴαμα δίψης ἐκ λίθου σκληροῦ.

⁵ For by what things their enemies were punished,

δι᾿ ὧν γὰρ ἐκολάσθησαν οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν, διὰ τούτων αὐτοὶ ἀποροῦντες εὐεργετήθησαν.

⁶ For instead of a fountain of a perpetual running river

ἀντὶ μὲν πηγῆς ἀεννάου ποταμοῦ αἵματι λυθρώδει ταραχθέντος

⁷ For a manifest reproof of that commandment, whereby the infants were slain,

εἰς ἔλεγχον νηπιοκτόνου διατάγματος, ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς δαψιλὲς ὕδωρ ἀνελπίστως,

⁸ Declaring by that thirst then how

δείξας διὰ τοῦ τότε δίψους πῶς τοὺς ὑπεναντίους ἐκόλασας.

⁹ For when they were tried, albeit but in mercy chastised,

ὅτε γὰρ ἐπειράσθησαν, καί περ ἐν ἐλέει παιδευόμενοι, ἔγνωσαν πῶς ἐν ὀργῇ κρινόμενοι ἀσεβεῖς ἐβασανίζοντο·

¹⁰ For these thou didst admonish and try, as a father:

τούτους μὲν γὰρ ὡς πατὴρ νουθετῶν ἐδοκίμασας, ἐκείνους δὲ ὡς ἀπότομος βασιλεὺς καταδικάζων ἐξήτασας.

¹¹ Whether they were absent or present, they were vexed alike.

καὶ ἀπόντες δὲ καὶ παρόντες ὁμοίως ἐτρύχοντο·

¹² For a double grief came upon them,

διπλῆ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἔλαβε λύπη· καὶ στεναγμὸς μνημῶν τῶν παρελθόντων.

¹³ For when they heard by their own punishments the other to be benefited,

ὅτε γὰρ ἤκουσαν διὰ τῶν ἰδίων κολάσεων εὐεργετουμένους αὐτούς, ᾔσθοντο τοῦ Κυρίου·

¹⁴ For whom they rejected with scorn, when he was long before thrown out at the casting forth [of the infants],

ὃν γὰρ ἐν ἐκθέσει πάλαι ριφέντα ἀπεῖπον χλευάζοντες, ἐπὶ τέλει τῶν ἐκβάσεων ἐθαύμασαν, οὐχ ὅμοια δικαίοις διψήσαντες.

¹⁵ But for the foolish devices of their wickedness,

ἀντὶ δὲ λογισμῶν ἀσυνέτων ἀδικίας αὐτῶν, ἐν οἷς πλανηθέντες ἐθρήσκευον ἄλογα ἑρπετὰ καὶ κνώδαλα εὐτελῆ, ἐπαπέστειλας αὐτοῖς πλῆθος ἀλόγων ζώων εἰς ἐκδίκησιν,

¹⁶ That they might know, that wherewithal a man sinneth, by the same shall he be punished.

ἵνα γνῶσιν ὅτι δι᾿ ὧν τις ἁμαρτάνει, διὰ τούτων κολάζεται.

¹⁷ For thy Almighty hand,

οὐ γὰρ ἠπόρει ἡ παντοδύναμός σου χεὶρ καὶ κτίσασα τὸν κόσμον ἐξ ἀμόρφου ὕλης ἐπιπέμψαι αὐτοῖς πλῆθος ἄρκων ἢ θρασεῖς λέοντας

¹⁸ Or unknown wild beasts, full of rage, newly created,

ἢ νεοκτίστους θυμοῦ πλήρεις θῆρας ἀγνώστους ἤτοι πυρπνόον φυσῶντας ἆσθμα ἢ βρόμους λικμωμένους καπνοῦ ἢ δεινοὺς ἀπ᾿ ὀμμάτων σπινθῆρας ἀστράπτοντας,

¹⁹ Whereof not only the harm might dispatch them at once,

ὧν οὐ μόνον ἡ βλάβη ἠδύνατο συνεκτρῖψαι αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ὄψις ἐκφοβήσασα διολέσαι.

²⁰ Yea, and without these might they have fallen down with one blast,

καὶ χωρὶς δὲ τούτων, ἑνὶ πνεύματι πεσεῖν ἐδύναντο ὑπὸ τῆς δίκης διωχθέντες καὶ λικμηθέντες ὑπὸ πνεύματος δυνάμεώς σου· ἀλλὰ πάντα μέτρῳ καὶ ἀριθμῷ καὶ σταθμῷ διέταξας.

²¹ For thou canst show thy great strength at all times when thou wilt;

τὸ γὰρ μεγάλως ἰσχύειν πάρεστί σοι πάντοτε, καὶ κράτει βραχίονός σου τίς ἀντιστήσεται;

²² For the whole world before thee is as a little grain of the balance,

ὅτι ὡς ροπὴ ἐκ πλαστίγγων ὅλος ὁ κόσμος ἐναντίον σου καὶ ὡς ρανὶς δρόσου ὀρθρινὴ κατελθοῦσα ἐπὶ γῆν.

²³ But thou hast mercy upon all; for thou canst do all things,

ἐλεεῖς δὲ πάντας, ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι, καὶ παρορᾷς ἁμαρτήματα ἀνθρώπων εἰς μετάνοιαν.

²⁴ For thou lovest all the things that are,

ἀγαπᾷς γὰρ τὰ ὄντα πάντα καὶ οὐδὲν βδελύσσῃ, ὧν ἐποίησας· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν μισῶν τι κατεσκεύασας.

²⁵ And how could anything have endured, if it had not been thy will?

πῶς δὲ ἔμεινεν ἄν τι, εἰ μὴ σὺ ἠθέλησας ἢ τὸ μὴ κληθὲν ὑπὸ σοῦ διετηρήθη;

²⁶ But thou sparest all: for they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of souls.

φείδῃ δὲ πάντων, ὅτι σά ἐστι, δέσποτα φιλόψυχε.