Wis 17

1 For great are your judgments, and can’t be expressed: therefore unnurtured souls have erred. 2 For when unrighteous men thought to oppress the holy nation; they being shut up in theirhouses, the prisoners of darkness, and fettered with the bonds of a long night, laythere exiled from the eternal providence. 3 For while they supposed to lie hid in their secret sins, they were scattered under a darkveil of forgetfulness, being horribly astonished, and troubled withstrange apparitions. 4 For neither might the corner that held them keep them from fear: but noisesas of waters falling down sounded about them, and sad visions appeared to them with heavy countenances. 5 No power of the fire might give them light: neither could the bright flames of the starsendure to lighten that horrible night. 6 Only there appeared to them a fire kindled of itself, very dreadful: for being much terrified,they thought the things which they saw to be worse than the sight they saw not. 7 As for the illusions of are magick, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom wasreproved with disgrace. 8 For they, that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a sick soul, were sickthemselves of fear, worthy to be laughed at. 9 For though no terrible thing did fear them; yet being scared with beasts that passed by,and hissing of serpents, 10 They died for fear, denying that they saw the air, which could of no side be avoided. 11 For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed withconscience, always forecasts grievous things. 12 For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the help which reason offers. 13 And the expectation from within, being less, counts the ignorance more than the causewhich brings the torment. 14 But they sleeping the same sleep that night, which was indeed intolerable, and whichcame upon them out of the bottoms of inevitable hell, 15 Were partly vexed with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted, their heart failingthem: for a sudden fear, and not looked for, came upon them. 16 So then whoever there fell down was straitly kept, shut up in a prison without iron bars, 17 For whether he were husbandman, or shepherd, or a labourer in the field, he was overtaken,and endured that necessity, which could not be avoided: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness. 18 Whether it were a whistling wind, or a melodious noise of birds among the spreading branches,or a pleasing fall of water running violently, 19 Or a terrible sound of stones cast down, or a running that could not be seen of skippingbeasts, or a roaring voice of most savage wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the hollow mountains;these things made them to swoon for fear. 20 For the whole world shined with clear light, and none were hindered in their labor: 21 Over them only was spread an heavy night, an image of that darkness which should afterwardreceive them: but yet were they to themselves more grievous than the darkness.