1 For thy judgements, o Lord, are great, & thy words inexplicable, for this cause the souls lacking discipline have erred.
1 For thy judgments, O Lord, are great, and thy words cannot be expressed: therefore undisciplined souls have erred.
2 For whilst the wicked are persuaded that they can rule over the holy nation: fettered with the bands of darkness and long night, shut up under roofs, they have lien fugitives from the everlasting providence.
2 ¹For while the wicked thought to be able to have dominion over the holy nation, they themselves being fettered with the bonds of darkness, and a long night, shut up in their houses, lay there exiled from the eternal providence.
3 And whilst they think that they lie hid in obscure sins, they were dispersed by the dark covert of oblivion, being horribly afraid and disturbed with exceeding admiration.
3 And while they thought to lie hid in their obscure sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly afraid, and troubled with exceeding great astonishment.
4 For neither did the den that contained them, keep them without fear: because the sound coming down troubled them, and sorrowful visions appearing to them, put them in fear.
4 For neither did the den that held them, keep them from fear: for noises coming down troubled them, and sad visions appearing to them, affrighted them.
5 And no force certes of the fire could give them light, neither could the clear flames of the stars lighten that horrible night.
5 And no power of fire could give them light, neither could the bright flames of the stars enlighten that horrible night.
6 But there appeared to them sudden fire full of fear: and being strucken with the fear of that face, which was not seen, they esteemed the things that were seen to be worse.
6 But there appeared to them a sudden fire, very dreadful: and being struck with the fear of that face, which was not seen, they thought the things which they saw to be worse:
7 and there were added derisions of the magical art, and contumelious rebuke of the glory of their wisdom.
7 ²And the delusions of their magic art were put down, and their boasting of wisdom was reproachfully rebuked.
8 For they which promised that they would expel fears and perturbations from the languishing soul, these with derision languished full of fear.
8 For they who promised to drive away fears and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of a fear worthy to be laughed at.
9 For although none of the monsters disturbed them: being moved with the passing by of beasts, and hissing of serpents, they perished trembling: and denying that they saw the air which by no means any man could avoid.
9 For though no terrible thing disturbed them: yet being scared with the passing by of beasts, and hissing of serpents, they died for fear and denying that they saw the air, which could by no means be avoided.
10 For whereas wickedness is fearful, it giveth testimony of condemnation: for a troubled conscience doth always presume cruel things.
10 For whereas wickedness is fearful, it beareth witness of its condemnation: for a troubled conscience always forecasteth grievous things.
11 For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the aids of cogitation.
11 For fear is nothing else but a yielding up of the succors from thought.
12 And whilst inwardly there is less expectation, the greater doth he count the ignorance of that cause which maketh the torment.
12 And while there is less expectation from within, the greater doth it count the ignorance of that cause which bringeth the torment.
13 But they that during the night indeed impotent, and coming upon them from the lowest and highest hell, slept the same sleep,
13 But they that during that night, in which nothing could be done, and which came upon them from the lowest and deepest hell, slept the same sleep,
14 were sometime molested with the fear of monsters, sometime failed by passing away of the soul: for sudden fear and unlooked for came upon them.
14 Were sometimes molested with the fear of monsters, sometimes fainted away, their soul failing them: for a sudden and unlooked for fear was come upon them.
15 Moreover if any of them had fallen down, he was kept shut up in prison without iron.
15 Moreover, if any of them had fallen down, he was kept shut up in prison without irons.
16 For if one were a husbandman, or if a shepherd, or worker of the labours in the field were suddenly taken, he sustained necessity inevitable.
16 For if anyone were a husbandman, or a shepherd, or a laborer in the field, and was suddenly overtaken, he endured a necessity from which he could not fly.
17 For with one chain of darkness they were all tied together. Whether it were the hissing wind, or among the thick boughs of trees the sweet sound of birds, or the force of water running downward exceedingly,
17 For they were all bound together with one chain of darkness. Whether it were a whistling wind, or the melodious voice of birds, among the spreading branches of trees, or a fall of water running down with violence,
18 or the mighty sound of rocks tumbled headlong, or the running of playing beasts, that were not seen, or the mighty noise of roaring beasts, or an Echo resounding from the highest mountains: they made them swoon for fear.
18 Or the mighty noise of stones tumbling down, or the running that could not be seen of beasts playing together, or the roaring voice of wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the highest mountains: these things made them to swoon for fear.
19 For all the world was illuminated with a clear light, & none was hindered in their works.
19 For the whole world was enlightened, with a clear light, and none were hindered in their labors.
20 But over them only was laid an heavy night, the image of darkness, which was to come upon them. They therefore were unto themselves more heavy than the darkness.
20 But over them only was spread a heavy night, an image of that darkness which was to come upon them. But they were to themselves more grievous than the darkness.