1 Wisdom prospered their works by the hand of a holy prophet.
2 They traveled through an uninhabited desert and pitched their tents in impassable places.
3 They held their ground in wars and defended themselves against their enemies.
4 They thirsted and called upon You, And water was given them from a flinty rock, and a quenching of thirst from a hard stone;
5 For through the things by which their enemies were punished, They themselves when in need Had kindness shown to them.
6 In place of a spring of an ever-flowing river, Troubled and defiled with blood,
7 In rebuke of the decree to slay the infants You gave them abundant water unexpectedly,
8 Showing through their thirst at that time how You punished their enemies.
9 For when they were tested, Though they were disciplined in mercy, They learned how the ungodly were tormented when judged in wrath.
10 For You tested them, admonishing them like a father, But You examined the ungodly Like a severe king passing sentence.
11 Whether present or absent, They were likewise consumed,
12 For twofold grief possessed them And a groaning over the memory of all that happened.
13 For when they heard that through their own punishments the holy people had kindness shown to them, They understood it was the Lord's doing.
14 For they marveled at the outcome of the man they had cast out mockingly and exposed long before, For they did not thirst for godliness as do the righteous.
15 In return for the wrongdoing of their senseless reasoning, in which they were led astray And worshiped irrational serpents and worthless animals, You sent upon them a multitude of animals in vengeance,
16 So they might learn that one is punished By the things by which he sins.
17 For Your all-powerful hand, Which created the world out of unformed matter, Did not lack the resource to send upon them a multitude of bears or bold lions,
18 Or newly created unknown beasts full of anger, Either snorting a breath of fire Or scattering like chaff a thick cloud of smoke, Or flashing terrible sparks from their eyes.
19 Not only could their damage utterly destroy men, But their mere outward appearance could terrify and kill them.
20 Even without these, men could fall in a single breath When they are pursued by justice and scattered like chaff by the breath of Your power; But You have ordered all things by measure, number, and weight. The God Who Loves Mankind
21 For great power is always present with You, And who can oppose the might of Your arm?
22 Because the entire world before You is like a small additional weight on scales, And like a drop of dew early in the morning that falls on the ground.
23 But You are merciful to all, for You can do all things; And You overlook the sins of men to bring them to repentance.
24 For You love all the things that exist, And You detest nothing of the things You made; For You would not even make any thing You hated.
25 How could any thing continue to exist unless You willed it? Or how could any thing be preserved Unless it was called into existence by You?
26 You spare all things, because they are Yours, O Master who love human beings.