1 For great are thy Iudgements, and cannot be expressed: therefore vnnourtured soules haue erred.
2 For when vnrighteous men thought to oppresse the holy nation: they being shut vp in their houses, the prisoners of darkenesse, and fettered with the bondes of a long night, lay [there] exiled from the eternall prouidence.
3 For while they supposed to lie hid in their secret sinnes, they were scattered vnder a darke vaile of forgetfulnesse, being horribly astonished, and troubled with (strange) apparitions.
4 For neither might the corner that helde them keepe them from feare: but noises (as of waters) falling downe, sounded about them, and sadde visions appeared vnto them with heauie countenances.
5 No power of the fire might giue them light: neither could the bright flames of the starres endure to lighten that horrible night.
6 Onely there appeared vnto them a fire kindled of it selfe, very dreadfull: for being much terrified, they thought the things which they saw to be worse then the sight they saw not.
7 As for the illusions of arte Magicke, they were put downe, and their vaunting in wisedome was reprooued with disgrace.
8 For they that promised to driue away terrours, and troubles from a sicke soule, were sicke themselues of feare worthy to be laughed at.
9 For though no terrible thing did feare them: yet being skared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of serpents,
10 They died for feare, denying that they saw the ayre, which could of no side be auoided.
11 For wickednesse condemned by her owne witnesse, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, alwayes forecasteth grieuous things.
12 For feare is nothing else, but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth.
13 And the expectation from within being lesse, counteth the ignorance more then the cause which bringeth the torment.
14 But they sleeping the same sleepe that night which was indeed intolerable, and which came vpon them out of the bottomes of ineuitable hell:
15 Were partly vexed with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted, their heart failing them: for a suddaine feare and not looked for, came vpon them.
16 So then, whosoeuer there fell downe, was straitly kept, shut vp in a prison without yron barres.
17 For whether hee were husbandman, or shepheard, or a labourer in the field, he was ouertaken, and endured that necessitie, which could not be auoided: for they were all bound with one chaine of darkenesse.
18 Whether it were a whistling winde, or a melodious noise of birdes among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running violently:
19 Or a terrible sound of stones cast downe, or a running that could not be seene of skipping beasts, or a roaring voice of most sauage wilde beasts, or a rebounding Eccho from the hollow mountaines: these things made them to swoone for feare.
20 For the whole world shined with cleare light, and none were hindered in their labour.
21 Ouer them onely was spread an heauie night, an image of that darkenesse which should afterwards receiue them: but yet were they vnto themselues more grieuous then the darkenesse.
Chap 18
1 Neuerthelesse, thy Saints had a very great light, whose voice they hearing and not seeing their shape, because they also had not suffered the same things, they counted them happy.
2 But for that they did not hurt them now, of whom they had beene wronged before, they thanked them, and besought them pardon, for that they had beene enemies.
3 In stead whereof thou gauest them a burning pillar of fire, both to be a guide of the vnknowen iourney, and an harmelesse Sunne to entertaine them honourably.
4 For they were worthy to be depriued of light, and imprisoned in darknesse, who had kept thy sonnes shut vp, by whom the vncorrupt light of the law was to be giuen vnto the world.
5 And when they had determined to slay the babes of the Saints, one child being cast forth, and saued: to reproue them, thou tookest away the multitude of their children, and destroyedst them altogether in a mightie water.
6 Of that night were our fathers certified afore, that assuredly knowing vnto what oathes they had giuen credence, they might afterwards bee of good cheere.
7 So of thy people was accepted both the saluation of the righteous, and destruction of the enemies.
8 For wherewith thou didst punish our aduersaries, by the same thou didst glorifie vs whom thou hadst called.
9 For the righteous children of good men did sacrifice secretly, and with one consent made a holy lawe, that the Saints should bee alike partakers of the same good and euill, the fathers now singing out the songs of praise.
10 But on the other side there sounded an ill-according crie of the enemies, and a lamentable noise was caried abroad for children that were bewailed.
11 The master and the seruaunt were punished after one maner, and like as the king, so suffered the common person.
12 So they altogether had innumerable dead with one kind of death, neither were the liuing sufficient to burie them: for in one moment the noblest ofspring of them was destroyed.
13 For whereas they would not beleeue any thing by reason of the enchantments, vpon the destruction of the first borne, they acknowledged this people to be the sonnes of God.
14 For while all things were in quiet silence, and that night was in the midst of her swift course,
15 Thine almighty word leapt downe from heauen, out of thy royall throne, as a fierce man of warre into the midst of a land of destruction,
16 And brought thine vnfained commandement as a sharpe sword, and standing vp filled all things with death, and it touched the heauen, but it stood vpon the earth.
17 Then suddenly visions of horrible dreames troubled them sore, and terrours came vpon them vnlooked for.
18 And one throwen here, another there halfe dead, shewed the cause of his death.
19 For the dreames that troubled them, did foreshew this, lest they should perish, and not know why they were afflicted.
20 Yea, the tasting of death touched the righteous also, and there was a destruction of the multitude in the wildernes: but the wrath endured not long.
21 For then the blamelesse man made haste, and stood foorth to defend them, and bringing the shield of his proper ministerie, euen prayer and the propitiation of incense, set himselfe against the wrath, and so brought the calamity to an end, declaring that hee was thy seruant.
22 So hee ouercame the destroyer, not with strength of body, nor force of armes, but with a word subdued he him that punished, alleaging the oathes and couenants made with the fathers.
23 For when the dead were now fallen downe by heaps one vpon another, standing betweene, he staied the wrath, and parted the way to the liuing.
24 For in the long garment was the whole world, & in the foure rowes of the stones was the glory of the fathers grauen, and thy maiestie vpon the diademe of his head.
25 Vnto these the destroyer gaue place, and was afraid of them: for it was enough that they onely tasted of the wrath.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).