The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Solomon 19
1 But indignation without mercy came
upon the ungodly to the end;
for God also foreknew their future,
2 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.
3 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.
4 For the doom which they deserved was
drawing them to this end, anditmade themforgetthe things that
had happened to them, that they might fill up the punishment
which was yet lacking from their torments,
5 and that your people might journey
on by a marvelous road,
but they themselves might find a
strange death.
6 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.
7 Then the cloud that overshadowed the
camp was seen, and dry land rising up out of what had
been water, out ofthe Red sea an unhindered highway,
and a grassy plain out of the violent surge,
8 by which they passed over with all
their army, these who were covered with your
hand, having seen strange marvels.
9 For like horses they roamed at large,
and they skipped about like lambs,
praising you, O Lord, who was their
deliverer.
10 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.
11 But afterwards,they also saw anew kind
of birds, when, led on by desire, they asked for
luxurious dainties;
12 for, to comfort them, quails came up for
them from the sea.
13 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.
14 For while the others didn’t receive the
strangers when they came to them,
the Egyptians made slaves of guests
who were their benefactors.
15 And not only so, but while punishment
of some sort will come upon the former,
since they received as enemies those
who were aliens;
16 because these first welcomed with
feastings, and then afflicted with dreadful toils,
those who had already shared with
them in the same rights.
17 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.
18 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.
19 For creatures of the dry land were
turned into creatures of the waters,
and creatures that swim moved upon
the land.
20 Fire keptthe mastery ofits own power in
water, and water for got it squenching nature.
21 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.
22 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.