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1 For these things, and by the like things to
these, they were worthily punished, and were destroyed by a multitude of
beasts.
2 Instead of which punishment, dealing well with
thy people, thou gavest them their desire of
delicious food, of a new taste, preparing for them quails for their meat:
3 To the end that they indeed desiring
food, by means of those things that were shewn and
sent among them, might loathe even that which was necessary to satisfy their
desire. But these, after suffering want for a short time, tasted a new meat.
4 For it was requisite that inevitable
destruction should come upon them that exercised tyranny: but to these it
should only be shewn how their enemies were
destroyed.
5 For when the fierce rage of beasts came
upon these, they were destroyed with the bitings of
crooked serpents.
6 But thy wrath endured not for ever, but they were troubled for a short time for
their correction, having a sign of salvation to put them in remembrance of
the commandment of thy law.
7 For he that turned to it, was not healed by
that which he saw, but by thee the Saviour of all.
8 And in this thou didst shew
to our enemies, that thou art he who deliverest
from all evil.
9 For the bitings
of locusts, and of flies killed them, and there was found no remedy for their
life: because they were worthy to be destroyed by such things.
10 But not even the teeth of venomous serpents
overcame thy children: for thy mercy came and healed them.
11 For they were examined for the remembrance
of thy words, and were quickly healed, lest falling into deep forgetfulness,
they might not be able to use thy help.
12 For it was neither herb, nor mollifying
plaster that healed them, but thy word, O Lord, which healeth
all things.
13 For it is thou, O Lord, that hast power of
life and death, and leadest down to the gates of
death, and bringest back again:
14 A man indeed killeth
through malice, and when the spirit is gone forth, it shall not return,
neither shall he call back the soul that is received:
15 But it is impossible to escape thy hand.
16 For the wicked that denied to know thee, were scourged by the strength of thy arm, being
persecuted by strange waters, and hail, and rain, and consumed by fire.
17 And which was wonderful, in water, which extinguisheth all things, the fire had more force: for
the world fighteth for the just.
18 For at one time, the fire was mitigated,
that the beasts which were sent against the wicked might not be burned, but
that they might see and perceive that they were persecuted by the judgment of
God.
19 And at another time the fire, above its own
power, burned in the midst of water, to destroy the fruits of a wicked land.
20 Instead of which things thou didst feed thy
people with the food of angels, and gavest them
bread from heaven prepared without labour; having
in it all that is delicious, and the sweetness of every taste.
21 For thy sustenance shewed
thy sweetness to thy children, and serving every man's will, it was turned to
what every man liked.
22 But snow and ice endured the force of fire,
and melted not: that they might know that fire burning in the hail and
flashing in the rain destroyed the fruits of the enemies.
23 But this same again, that the just might be
nourished, did even forget its own strength.
24 For the creature serving thee the Creator,
is made fierce against the unjust for their punishment; and abateth its strength for the benefit of them that trust
in thee.
25 Therefore even then it was transformed into all
things, and was obedient to thy grace that nourisheth
all, according to the will of them that desired it of thee.
26 That thy children, O Lord, whom thou lovedst, might know that it is not the growing of fruits
that nourisheth men, but thy word preseveth them that believe in thee:
27 For that which could not be destroyed by
fire, being warmed with a little sunbeam presently melted away:
28 That it might be known to all, that we
ought to prevent the sun to bless thee, and adore thee at the dawning of the
light.
29 For the hope of the unthankful shall melt
away as the winter's ice, and shall run off as unprofitable water.
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1- لذلك كانوا احقاء بان يعاقبوا
بامثال هذه و يعذبوا بجم من الحشرات.
2- اما شعبك فبدلا من ذلك العقاب احسنت اليهم
باعداد السلوى ماكلا غريب الطعم اشبعت به شهوتهم.
3- حتى انه بينما كان اولئك مع جوعهم فاقدي كل
شهوة للطعام من كراهة ما بعثت عليهم كان هؤلاء بعد عوز يسير يتناولون ماكلا غريب
الطعم.
4- فانه كان ينبغي لاولئك المقتسرين ان تنزل
بهم فاقة لا مناص منها و لهؤلاء ان يروا كيف يعذب اعداؤهم لا غير.
5- و لما اقتحم هؤلاء حنق الوحوش
الهائل و اهلكهم لدغ الحيات الخبيثة.
6- لم يستمر غضبك الى المنتهى بل انما اقلقوا
الى حين انذارا لهم و نصبت لهم علامة للخلاص تذكرهم وصية شريعتك.
7- فكان الملتفت اليها يخلص لا بذلك المنظور
بل بك يا مخلص الجميع.
8- و بذلك اثبت لاعدائنا انك انت المنقذ من كل
سوء.
9- لان اولئك قتلهم لسع الجراد و الذباب و لم
يوجد لنفوسهم شفاء اذ هم اهل لان يعاقبوا بمثل ذلك.
10- اما بنوك فلم تقو عليهم انياب التنانين
السامة لان رحمتك اقبلت و شفتهم.
11- و انما نخسوا ليتذكروا اقوالك ثم خلصوا
سريعا لئلا يسقطوا في نسيان عميق فيحرموا احسانك.
12- و ما شفاهم نبت و لا مرهم بل كلمتك يا رب
التي تشفي الجميع.
13- لان لك سلطان الحياة و الموت فتحدر الى
ابواب الجحيم و تصعد.
14- اما الانسان فيقتل بخبثه لكنه لا يعيد
الروح الذي قد خرج و لا يسترجع النفس المقبوضة.
15- انه ليس احد يستطيع ان يهرب من يدك.
16- فانك قد جلدت بقوة ذراعك المنافقين الذين
جحدوا معرفتك و اطلقت في اثرهم سيولا و بردا و امطارا غريبة و نارا اكلة.
17- و اغرب شيء ان النار كانت في الماء الذي
يطفئ كل شيء تزداد حدة لان عناصر العالم تقاتل عن الصديقين.
18- و كان اللهيب تارة يسكن لئلا
يحرق ما ارسل على المنافقين من الحيوان و لكي يبصروا فيعلموا ان قضاء الله على
اعقابهم.
19- و تارة يخرج عن طبع النار فيتاجج في الماء
لكي يستاصل انبتة الارض الاثيمة.
20- اما شعبك فبدلا من ذلك اطعمتهم طعام
الملائكة و ارسلت لهم من السماء خبزا معدا لا تعب فيه يتضمن كل لذة و يلائم كل
ذوق.
21- لان جوهرك ابدى عذوبتك لبنيك فكان يخدم
شهوة المتناول و يتحول الى ما شاء كل واحد.
22- و كان الثلج و الجليد يثبتان
في النار و لا يذوبان لكي يعلم كيف اكلت ثمار الاعداء نار تلتهب في البرد و تبرق
في المطر.
23- اما عند هؤلاء فقد تناست القوة التي لها
لكي يغتذي القديسون.
24- اذ الخليقة الخادمة لك انت صانعها تتشدد
لتعاقب المجرمين و تتراخى لتحسن الى المتوكلين عليك.
25- لذلك كانت حينئذ تتحول الى كل شيء لتخدم
نعمتك الغاذية الجميع على ما يشاء كل محتاج.
26- لكي يعلم بنوك الذين احببتهم ايها الرب ان
ليس ما تخرج الارض من الثمار هو يغذو الانسان لكن كلمتك هي التي تحفظ المؤمنين
بك.
27- اذ ما لم تكن النار تحله كانت شعاعة يسيرة
من الشمس تحميه فيذوب.
28- حتى يعلم انه يجب ان نسبق الشمس الى شكرك
و نحضر امامك عند شروق النور.
29- لان رجاء من لا شكر له يذوب كجليد شتوي و
يذهب كماء لا منفعة فيه
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