But thou, our God, art gracious and true, patient, and ordering all things in mercy.

For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy greatness: and if we sin not, we know that we are counted with thee.

For to know thee is perfect justice: and to know thy justice, and thy power, is the root of immortality.

For the invention of mischievous men hath not deceived us, nor the shadow of a picture, a fruitless labour, a graven figure with divers colours,

The sight whereof enticeth the fool to lust after it, and he loveth the lifeless figure of a dead image.

The lovers of evil things deserve to have no better things to trust in, both they that make them, and they that love them, and they that worship them.

The potter also tempering soft earth, with labour fashioneth every vessel for our service, and of the same clay he maketh both vessels that are for clean uses, and likewise such as serve to the contrary: but what is the use of these vessels, the potter is the judge.

And of the same clay by a vain labour he maketh a god: he who a little before was made of earth himself, and a little after returneth to the same out of which he was taken, when his life, which was lent him, shall be called for again.

But his care is, not that he shall labour, nor that his life is short, but he striveth with the goldsmiths and silversmiths: and he endeavoureth to do like the workers in brass, and counteth it a glory to make vain things.

For his heart is ashes, and his hope vain earth and his life more base than clay:

Forasmuch as he knew not his maker, and him that inspired into him the soul that worketh, and that breathed into him a living spirit.

Yea, and they have counted our life a pastime and the business of life to be gain, and that we must be getting every way, even out of evil.

For that man knoweth that he offendeth above all others, who of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels, and graven gods.

But all the enemies of thy people that hold them in subjection, are foolish, and unhappy, and proud beyond measure:

For they have esteemed all the idols of the heathens for gods, which neither have the use of eyes to see, nor noses to draw breath, nor ears to hear, nor fingers of hands to handle, and as for their feet, they are slow to walk.

For man made them: and he that borroweth his own breath, fashioned them. For no man can make a god like to himself.

For being mortal himself, he formeth a dead thing with his wicked hands. For he is better than they whom he worshippeth, because he indeed hath lived, though he were mortal, but they never.

Moreover, they worship also the vilest creatures: but things without sense, compared to these, are worse than they.

Yea, neither by sight can any man see good of these beasts. But they have fled from the praise of God, and from his blessing.

For these things, and by the like things to these, they were worthily punished, and were destroyed by a multitude of beasts.

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:

To the end, that they indeed desiring food, by means of those things that were shewn and sent among them, might loath even that which was necessary to satisfy their desire. But these, after suffering want for a short time, tasted a new meat.

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.

For when the fierce rage of beasts came upon these, they were destroyed by the bitings of crooked serpents.

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.

For he that turned to it, was not healed by that which he saw, but by thee, the Saviour of all.

And in this thou didst shew to our enemies, that thou art he who deliverest from all evil.

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.

But not even the teeth of venomous serpents overcame thy children: for thy mercy came and healed them.

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.

For it was neither herb, nor mollifying plaster, that healed them, but thy word, O Lord, which healeth all things.

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:

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:

But it is impossible to escape thy hand:

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.

And which was wonderful, in water, which extinguisheth all things, the fire had more force: for the world fighteth for the just.

For at one time the fire was mitigated, that the beasts which were sent against the wicked might not be burnt, but that they might see, and perceive that they were persecuted by the judgment of God.

And at another time the fire, above its own power, burnt in the midst of water, to destroy the fruits of a wicked land.

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.

For thy sustenance shewed thy sweetness to thy children, and serving every man’s will, it was turned to what every man liked.

But snow and ice endured the force of fire, and melted not: that they might know that the fire, burning in the hail, and flashing in the rain, destroyed the fruits of the enemies.

But this same again, that the just might be nourished, did even forget its own strength.

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.

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:

That thy children, O Lord, whom thou lovedst, might know that it is not the growing of fruits that nourisheth men, but thy word preserveth them that believe in thee.

For that which could not be destroyed by fire, being warmed with a little sunbeam, presently melted away:

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.

For the hope of the unthankful shall melt away as the winter’s ice, and shall run off as unprofitable water.

For thy judgments, O Lord, are great, and thy words cannot be expressed: therefore undisciplined souls have erred.

For 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.

And while they thought to lie hid in their obscure sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfullness, being horribly afraid, and troubled with exceeding great astonishment.

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.

And no power of fire could give them light, neither could the bright flames of the stars enlighten that horrible night.

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:

And the delusions of their magic art were put down, and their boasting of wisdom was reproachfully rebuked.

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.

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.

For whereas wickedness is fearful, it beareth witness of its condemnation: for a troubled conscience always forecasteth grievous things.

For fear is nothing else but a yielding up of the succours from thought.

And while there is less expectation from within, the greater doth it count the ignorance of that cause which bringeth the torment.

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,

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.

Moreover, if any of them had fallen down, he was kept shut up in prison without irons.

For if any one were a husbandman, or a shepherd, or a labourer in the field, and was suddenly overtaken, he endured a necessity from which he could not fly.

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,

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.

For the whole world was enlightened, with a clear light, and none were hindered in their labours.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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 altogether in a mighty water.

For that night was known before by our fathers, that assuredly knowing what oaths they had trusted to, they might be of better courage.

So thy people received the salvation of the just, and destruction of the unjust.

For as thou didst punish the adversaries so thou didst also encourage and glorify us.

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.

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.

And the servant suffered the same punishment as the master, and a common man suffered in like manner as the king.

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.

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.

For while all things were in quiet silence, and the night was in the midst of her course,

Thy Almighty word leaped down from heaven from thy royal throne, as a fierce conqueror into the midst of the land of destruction,

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.

Then suddenly visions of evil dreams troubled them, and fears unlooked for came upon them.

And one thrown here, another there, half dead, shewed the cause of his death.

For the visions that troubled them foreshewed these things, lest they should perish, and not know why they suffered these evils.

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;

For a blameless man made haste to pry 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.

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 oath and covenant made with the fathers.

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.

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.

And to these the destroyer gave place, and was afraid of them: for the proof only of wrath was enough.

But as to the wicked, even to the end there came upon them wrath without mercy. For he knew before also what they would do:

For when they had given them leave to depart and had sent them away with great care, they repented and pursued after them.

For whilst they were yet mourning, and lamenting at the graves of the dead, they took up another foolish device: and pursued them as fugitives whom they had pressed to be gone:

For a necessity, of which they were worthy, brought them to this end: and they lost the remembrance of those things which had happened, that their punishment might fill up what was wanting to their torments:

And that thy people might wonderfully pass through, but they might find a new death.

For every creature, according to its kind was fashioned again as from the beginning, obeying thy commandments, that thy children might be kept without hurt.

For a cloud overshadowed their camps and where water was before, dry land appeared, and in the Red Sea a way without hindrance, and out of the great deep a springing field:

Through which all the nation passed which was protected with thy hand, seeing thy miracles and wonders.

For they fed on their food like horses, and they skipped like lambs, praising thee, O Lord, who hadst delivered them.

For they were yet mindful of those things which had been done in the time of their sojourning, how the ground brought forth flies instead of cattle, and how the river cast up a multitude of frogs instead of fishes.

And at length they saw a new generation of birds, when being led by their appetite, they asked for delicate meats.

For to satisfy their desire, the quail came up to them from the sea: and punishments came upon the sinners, not without foregoing signs by the force of thunders: for they suffered justly according to their own wickedness.

For they exercised a more detestable inhospitality than any: others indeed received not strangers unknown to them, but these brought their guests into bondage that had deserved well of them.

And not only so, but in another respect also they were worse: for the others against their will received the strangers.

But these grievously afflicted them whom they had received with joy, and who lived under the same laws.

But they were struck with blindness: as those others were at the doors of the just man, when they were covered with sudden darkness, and every one sought the passage of his own door.

For while the elements are changed in themselves, as in an instrument the sound of the quality is changed, yet all keep their sound: which may clearly be perceived by the very sight.

For the things of the land were turned into things of the water: and the things that before swam in the water passed upon the land.

The fire had power in water above its own virtue, and the water forgot its quenching nature.

On the other side, the flames wasted not the flesh of corruptible animals walking therein, neither did they melt that good food, which was apt to melt as ice. For in all things thou didst magnify thy people, O Lord, and didst honour them, and didst not despise them, but didst assist them at all times, and in every place.