ways of them which lived on the earth were reformed, and men were taught the things that are pleasing
unto thee, and were saved through wisdom.
Wis.10
[1] She preserved the first formed father of the world, that was created alone, and brought him out of
his fall,
[2] And gave him power to rule all things.
[3] But when the unrighteous went away from her in his
anger, he perished also in the fury wherewith he murdered his brother.
[4] For whose cause the earth
being drowned with the flood, wisdom again preserved it, and directed the course of the righteous in a
piece of wood of small value.
[5] Moreover, the nations in their wicked conspiracy being confounded, she
found out the righteous, and preserved him blameless unto God, and kept him strong against his tender
compassion toward his son.
[6] When the ungodly perished, she delivered the righteous man, who fled
from the fire which fell down upon the five cities.
[7] Of whose wickedness even to this day the waste
land that smoketh is a testimony, and plants bearing fruit that never come to ripeness: and a standing
pillar of salt is a monument of an unbelieving soul.
[8] For regarding not wisdom, 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 their foolishness: so that in the things wherein they offended they could not so much as be hid.
[9] Rut
wisdom delivered from pain those that attended upon her.
[10] When the righteous fled from his brother's
wrath she guided him in right paths, shewed him the kingdom of God, and gave him knowledge of holy
things, made him rich in his travels, and multiplied the fruit of his labours.
[11] In the covetousness of
such as oppressed him she stood by him, and made him rich.
[12] She defended him from his enemies,
and kept him safe from those that lay in wait, and in a sore conflict she gave him the victory; that he
might know that goodness is stronger than all.
[13] When the righteous was sold, she forsook him not,
but delivered him from sin: she went down with him into the pit,
[14] And left him not in bonds, till she
brought him the sceptre of the kingdom, and power against those that oppressed him: as for them that
had accused him, she shewed them to be liars, and gave him perpetual glory.
[15] She delivered the
righteous people and blameless seed from the nation that oppressed them.
[16] She entered into the
soul of the servant of the Lord, and withstood dreadful kings in wonders and signs;
[17] Rendered to the
righteous a reward of their labours, guided them in a marvellous way, and was unto them for a cover
by day, and a light of stars in the night season;
[18] Brought them through the Red sea, and led them
through much water:
[19] But she drowned their enemies, and cast them up out of the bottom of the
deep.
[20] Therefore the righteous spoiled the ungodly, and praised 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.
Wis.11
[1] She prospered their works in the hand of the holy prophet.
[2] They went through the wilderness that
was not inhabited, and pitched tents in places where there lay no way.
[3] They stood against their enemies,
and were avenged of their adversaries.
[4] When they were thirsty, they called upon thee, and water was
given them out of the flinty rock, and their thirst was quenched out of the hard stone.
[5] For by what
things their enemies were punished, by the same they in their need were benefited.
[6] For instead of
of a perpetual running river troubled with foul blood,
[7] For a manifest reproof of that commandment,
whereby the infants were slain, thou gavest unto them abundance of water by a means which they hoped
not for:
[8] Declaring by that thirst then how thou hadst punished their adversaries.
[9] For when they
were tried albeit but in mercy chastised, they knew how the ungodly were judged in wrath and tormented,
thirsting in another manner than the just.
[10] For these thou didst admonish and try, as a father: but the
other, as a severe king, thou didst condemn and punish.
[11] Whether they were absent or present, they
were vexed alike.
[12] For a double grief came upon them, and a groaning for the remembrance of things
past.
[13] For when they heard by their own punishments the other to be benefited, they had some feeling
of the Lord.
[14] For whom they respected with scorn, when he was long before thrown out at the casting
forth of the infants, him in the end, when they saw what came to pass, they admired.
[15] But for the
foolish devices of their wickedness, wherewith being deceived they worshipped serpents void of reason,
and vile beasts, thou didst send a multitude of unreasonable beasts upon them for vengeance;
[16] That