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1 But thy saints had a very great light, and
they heard their voice indeed, but did not see their shape. And because they
also did not suffer the same things, they glorified thee:
2 And they that before had been wronged, gave
thanks, because they were not hurt now: and asked this gift, that there might
be a difference.
3 Therefore they received a burning pillar of fire
for a guide of the way which they knew not, and thou gavest
them a harmless sun of a good entertainment.
4 The others indeed were worthy to be
deprived of light, and imprisoned in darkness, who kept thy children shut up,
by whom the pure light of the law was to be given to the world.
5 And whereas they thought to kill the babes
of the just, one child being cast forth, and saved, to reprove them, thou tookest away a multitude of their children, and destroyedst them all together in a mighty water.
6 For that night was known before by our
fathers, that assuredly knowing what oaths they had trusted to, they might be
of better courage.
7 So thy people received the salvation of
the just, and destruction of the unjust.
8 For as thou didst punish the adversaries:
so thou didst also encourage and glorify us.
9 For the just children of good men were
offering sacrifice secretly, and they unanimously ordered a law of justice:
that the just should receive both good and evil alike, singing now the
praises of the fathers.
10 But on the other side there sounded an ill
according cry of the enemies, and a lamentable mourning was heard for the
children that were bewailed.
11 And the servant suffered the same
punishment as the master, and a common man suffered in like manner as the
king.
12 So all alike had innumerable dead, with
one kind of death. Neither were the living
sufficient to bury them; for in one moment the noblest offspring of them was
destroyed.
13 For whereas they would not believe any thing before by reason of the enchantments, then
first upon the destruction of the firstborn, they acknowledged the people to
be of God.
14 For while all things were in quiet
silence, and the night was in the midst of her course,
15 Thy almighty word leapt down from heaven
from thy royal throne, as a fierce conqueror into the midst of the land of
destruction.
16 With a sharp sword carrying thy unfeigned
commandment, and he stood and filled all things with death, and standing on
the earth reached even to heaven.
17 Then suddenly visions of evil dreams
troubled them, and fears unlooked for came upon them.
18 And one thrown here, another there, half
dead, shewed the cause of his death.
19 For the visions that troubled them foreshewed these things, lest they should perish and not
know why they suffered these evils.
20 But the just also were afterwards touched
by an assault of death, and there was a disturbance of the multitude in the
wilderness: but thy wrath did not long continue.
21 For a blameless man made haste to pray for
the people, bringing forth the shield of his ministry, prayer, and by incense
making supplication, withstood the wrath, and put an end to the calamity, shewing that he was thy servant.
22 And he overcame the disturbance, not by
strength of body nor with force of arms, but with a word he subdued him that
punished them, alleging the oaths and covenant made with the fathers.
23 For when they were now fallen down dead by
heaps one upon another, he stood between and stayed the assault, and cut off
the way to the living.
24 For in the priestly robe which he wore, was
the whole world: and in the four rows of the stones the glory of the fathers
was graven, and thy majesty was written upon the diadem of his head.
25 And to these the destroyer gave place, and
was afraid of them: for the proof only of wrath was enough.
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1- اما قديسوك فكان عندهم نور
عظيم و كان اولئك يسمعون اصواتهم بغير ان يبصروا اشخاصهم و يغبطونهم على انهم لا
يقاسون مثل حالهم.
2- و يشكرونهم على انهم لا يؤذون الذين قد
ظلموهم و يستغفرونهم من معاداتهم لهم.
3- و بازاء ذلك جعلت لهؤلاء عمود نار دليلا في
طريق لم يعرفوه شمسا لتلك الضيافة الكريمة لا اذى بها.
4- اما اولئك فكان جديرا بهم ان يفقدوا النور
و يحبسوا في الظلمة لانهم حبسوا بنيك الذين بهم سيمنح الدهر نور شريعتك الغير
الفاني.
5- و لما ائتمروا ان يقتلوا اطفال القديسين و
عرض واحد منهم لذلك ثم خلص عاقبتهم انت باهلاك جمهور اولادهم ثم دمرتهم جميعا في
الماء الغامر.
6- و تلك الليلة قد اخبر بها اباؤنا من قبل
لكي تطيب نفوسهم لعلمهم اليقين ما الاقسام التي يثقون بها.
7- ففاز شعبك بخلاص الصديقين و هلاك الاعداء.
8- فان الذي عاقبت به المقاومين هو الذي
جذبتنا به اليك و مجدتنا.
9- فان القديسين بني الصالحين كانوا يذبحون
خفية و يوجبون على انفسهم شريعة الله هذه ان يشترك القديسون في السراء و الضراء
على السواء و كانوا يرنمون بتسابيح الاباء.
10- و قد رفع الاعداء جلبة اصواتهم بالبكاء و
النحيب على اطفالهم.
11- و كان قضاء واحد على العبد و المولى و
ضربة واحدة نالت الشعب و الملك.
12- و كان لكلهم اجمعين اموات لا يحصون قد
ماتوا ميتة واحدة حتى ان الاحياء لم يكفوا لدفن الموتى اذ في لحظة ابيد نسلهم
الاعز.
13- و بعد ان ابوا بسبب السحر ان
يؤمنوا بشيء اعترفوا عند هلاك الابكار بان الشعب هو ابن لله.
14- و حين شمل كل شيء هدوء السكوت و انتصف
مسير الليل.
15- هجمت كلمتك القديرة من السماء من العروش
الملكية على ارض الخراب بمنزلة مبارز عنيف.
16- و سيف صارم يمضي قضاءك المحتوم فوقف و ملا
كل مكان قتلى و كان راسه في السماء و قدماه على الارض.
17- حينئذ بلبلتهم بغتة اخيلة الاحلام بلبلة
شديدة و غشيتهم اهوال مفاجئة.
18- و كان كل واحد عند صرعه بين حي و ميت يعلن
لاي سبب يموت.
19- لان الاحلام التي اقلقتهم انباتهم بذلك
لئلا يهلكوا و هم يجهلون مجلبة هلاكهم.
20- و الصديقون ايضا مستهم محنة الموت و وقعت
الضربة على جم منهم في البرية لكن الغضب لم يلبث طويلا.
21- لان رجلا لا عيب فيه بادر لحمايتهم فبرز
بسلاح خدمته الذي هو الصلاة و التكفير بالبخور و قاوم الغضب و ازال النازلة
فتبين انه خادمك.
22- فانتصر على الجمع لا بقوة الجسد و لا
باعمال السلاح و لكنه بالكلام كف المعاقب مذكرا الاقسام و العهود للاباء.
23- فانه اذ كان القتلى يتساقطون جماعات وقف
في الوسط فحسم السخط و قطع المسلك الى الاحياء.
24- لانه كان على ثوبه السابغ العالم كله و
اسماء الاباء المجيدة منقوشة في اربعة اسطر من الحجارة الكريمة و عظمتك على تاج
راسه.
25- فهذه خضع المهلك لها و هابها و كان مجرد
اختبار الغضب قد كفى
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