1
Εὐωδώσε τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἐν χειρὶ προφήτου ἁγίου.
She prospered their works in the hand of the holy prophet.
2
Διώδευσαν ἔρημον ἀοίκητον, καὶ ἐν ἀβάτοις ἔπηξαν σκηνάς.
They went through the wilderness that was not inhabited, And pitched tents in places where there lay no way.
3
Ἀντέστησαν πολεμίοις, καὶ ἠμύναντο ἐχθρούς.
They stood against their enemies, and were avenged of their adversaries.
4
Ἐδίψησαν καὶ ἐπεκαλέσαντό σε, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἐκ πέτρας ἀκροτόμου ὕδωρ, καὶ ἴαμα δίψης ἐκ λίθου σκληροῦ.
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
Διʼ ὧν γὰρ ἐκολάσθησαν οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν, διὰ τούτων αὐτοὶ ἀποροῦντες εὐεργετήθησαν.
For by what things their enemies were punished, By the same they in their need were benefited.
6
Ἀντὶ μὲν πηγῆς ἀεννάου ποταμοῦ αἵματι λυθρώδει ταραχθέντες
For instead of a fountain of a perpetual running river Troubled with foul blood,
7
εἰς ἔλεγχον νηπιοκτόνου διατάγματος, ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς δαψιλὲς ὕδωρ ἀνελπίστως·
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
δείξας διὰ τοῦ τότε δίψους πῶς τοὺς ὑπεναντίους ἐκόλασας.
Declaring by that thirst then how Thou hadst punished their adversaries.
9
Ὅτε γὰρ ἐπειράσθησαν, καίπερ ἐν ἐλέει παιδευόμενοι, ἔγνωσαν πῶς ἐν ὀργῇ κρινόμενοι ἀσεβεῖς ἐβασανίζοντο.
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
Τούτους μὲν γὰρ ὡς πατὴρ νουθεντῶν ἐδοκίμασας, ἐκείνους δὲ ὡς ἀπότομος βασιλεὺς καταδικάζων ἐξήτασας.
For these thou didst admonish and try, as a father: But the others, as a severe king, thou didst condemn and punish.
11
Καὶ ἀπόντες δὲ καὶ παρόντες ὁμοίως ἐτρύχοντο.
Whether they were absent or present, they were vexed alike.
12
Διπλῆ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἔλαβε λύπη, καὶ στεναγμὸς μνημῶν τῶν παρελθουσῶν.
For a double grief came upon them, And a groaning for the remembrance of things past.
13
Ὅτε γὰρ ἤκουσαν διὰ τῶν ἰδίων κολάσεων εὐεργετουμένους αὐτοὺς, ᾔσθοντο τοῦ Κυρίου.
For when they heard by their own punishments the other to be benefited, They had some feeling of the Lord.
14
Τὸν γὰρ ἐν ἐκθέσει πάλαι ῥιφέντα ἀπεῖπον χλευάζοντες, ἐπὶ τέλει τῶν ἐκβάσεων ἐθαύμασαν, οὐχ ὅμοια δικαίοις διψήσαντες.
For whom they rejected 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
Ἀντὶ δὲ λογισμῶν ἀσυνέτων ἀδικίας αὐτῶν, ἐν οἷς πλανηθέντες ἐθρήσκευον ἄλογα ἑρπετὰ καὶ κνώδαλα εὐτελῆ, ἐπαπέστειλας αὐτοῖς πλῆθος ἀλόγων ζώων εἰς ἐκδίκησιν,
But for the foolish devices of their wickedness, Wherewith being deceived they worshiped serpents void of reason, and vile beasts, Thou didst send a multitude of unreasonable beasts upon them for vengeance:
16
ἵνα γνῶσιν ὅτι διʼ ὧν τις ἁμαρτάνει, διὰ τούτων κολάζεται.
That they might know, that wherewithal a man sinneth, by the same shall he be punished.
17
Οὐ γὰρ ἠπόρει ἡ παντοδύναμός σου χεὶρ κτίσασα τὸν κόσμον ἐξ ἀμόρφου ὕλης, ἐπιπέμψαι αὐτοῖς πλῆθος ἄρκων, ἢ θρασεῖς λέοντας,
For thy Almighty hand, That made the world of matter without form, Wanted not means to send among them a multitude of bears, or fierce lions,
18
ἢ νεοκτίστους θυμοῦ πλήρεις θῆρας ἀγνώστους, ἤτοι πυρπνόον φυσῶντας ἆσθμα, ἢ βρόμους λικμωμένους καπνοῦ, ἢ δεινοὺς ἀπʼ ὀμμάτων σπινθῆρας ἀστράπτοντας·
Or unknown wild beasts, full of rage, newly created, Breathing out either a fiery vapor, Or filthy scents of scattered smoke, Or shooting horrible sparkles out of their eyes:
19
ὧν οὐ μόνον ἡ βλάβη ἠδύνατο συνεκτρίψαι αὐτοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ὄψις ἐκφοβήσασα διολέσαι.
Whereof not only the harm might dispatch them at once, But also the terrible sight utterly destroy them.
20
Καὶ χωρὶς δὲ τούτων, ἑνὶ πνεύματι πεσεῖν ἐδύναντο ὑπὸ τῆς δίκης διωχθέντες, καὶ λικμηθέντες ὑπὸ πνεύματος δυνάμεώς σου· ἀλλὰ πάντα μέτρῳ καὶ ἀριθμῷ καὶ σταθμῷ διέταξας.
Yea, and without these might they have fallen down with one blast, Being persecuted of vengeance, And scattered abroad through the breath of thy power: But thou hast ordered all things in measure and number and weight.
21
Τὸ γὰρ μεγάλως ἰσχύειν πάρεστί σοι πάντοτε, καὶ κράτει βραχίονός σου τις ἀντιστήσεται;
For thou canst show thy great strength at all times when thou wilt; And who may withstand the power of thine arm?
22
Ὅτι ὡς ῥοπὴ ἐκ πλαστίγγων ὅλος ὁ κόσμος ἐναντίον σου, καὶ ὡς ῥανὶς δρόσον ὀρθρινὴ κατελθοῦσα ἐπὶ γῆν.
For the whole world before thee is as a little grain of the balance, Yea, as a drop of the morning dew that falleth down upon the earth.
23
Ἐλεεῖς δὲ πάντας, ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι, καὶ παρορᾷς ἁμαρτήματα ἀνθρώπων εἰς μετάνοιαν.
But thou hast mercy upon all; for thou canst do all things, And winkest at the sins of men, because they should amend.
24
Ἀγαπᾷς γὰρ τὰ ὄντα πάντα, καὶ οὐδὲν βδελύσσῃ ὧν ἐποίησας, οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν μισῶν τι κατεσκεύασας.
For thou lovest all the things that are, And abhorrest nothing which thou hast made: For never wouldest thou have made anything, if thou hadst hated it.
25
Πῶς δὲ ἔμεινεν ἄν τι εἰ μὴ σὺ ἐθέλησας; ἢ τὸ μὴ κληθὲν ὑπὸ σοῦ διετηρήθη;
And how could anything have endured, if it had not been thy will? Or been preserved, if not called by thee?
26
Φείδῃ δὲ πάντων, ὅτι σά ἐστι, δέσποτα φιλόψυχε.
But thou sparest all: for they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of souls.