1 But for your holy ones there was great light;
Andthe Egyptians,hearing their voice but seeing not their form,
Counted it a happy thing that they too had suffered,
2 Yet for that they do not hurt themnow,though wrongedby thembefore, they are thankful;
And because they had been at variancewith them,they made supplicationto them.
3 Whereas you did providefor your peoplea burning pillar of fire,
To be a guide fortheirunknown journey,
And withal akindly sun fortheirproud exile.
4 For well didthe Egyptians deserve to be deprived of light and imprisoned by darkness,
They who had kept in close ward your sons,
Through whom the incorruptible light of the law was to be given tothe race of men.
5 After they had taken counsel to kill the babes of the holy ones,
And when a single child had been cast forth and savedto convictthem of their sin,
You took away from them their multitude of children,
And destroyed alltheir hosttogether in a mighty flood.
6 Of that night were our fathers made aware beforehand,
That, having sure knowledge, they might be cheered by the oaths which they had trusted:
7 Soby your people was expected salvation of the righteous and destruction of the enemies;
8 For as you did take vengeance on the adversaries,
By the same means, calling us to yourself, you did glorify us.
9 For holy childrenof good men offered sacrifice in secret,
And with one consent they took upon themselves the covenant of thedivine law,
Thatthey would partake alike in the same good things and the same perils;
The fathers already leading the sacred songs of praise.
10 But there sounded back in discord the cry of the enemies,
And a piteous voice of lamentation for children was borne abroad.
11 And servant along with master punished with a like just doom,
And commoner suffering the same as king,
12 Yes, allthe peopletogether, under one form of death,
Hadwith themcorpses without number;
For the living were not sufficient even to bury them,
Since at a singlestroke theirnobler offspring was consumed.
13 For while they were disbelieving all things by reason of the enchantments,
Upon the destruction of the firstborn they confessed the people to be God’s son.
14 For while peaceful silence enwrapped all things,
And night in her own swiftness was in mid course,
15 Your all-powerful word leaped from heaven out oftheroyalthrone,
A stern warrior, into the midst of thedoomed land,
16 Bearing as a sharp sword your unfeigned commandment;
And standing it filled all things with death;
And while it touched the heaven it trode upon the earth.
17 Then forthwith apparitions in dreams terribly troubled them,
And fears came upon them unlooked for.
18 Andeach,one thrown here half dead, another there,
Made manifest wherefore he was dying:
19 For the dreams, perturbing them, did foreshew this,
That they might not perish without knowing why they were afflicted.
20 But itbefell the righteous also to make trial of death,
And a multitude were stricken in the wilderness:
Howbeit the wrath endured not for long.
21 For a blameless man hasted to be their champion:
Bringing the weapon of his own ministry,
Evenprayer and the propitiation of incense,
He withstood the indignation, and set an end to the calamity,
Shewing that he was your servant.
22 And he overcame theanger,
Not by strength of body, not by efficacy of weapons;
Butby word did he subduethe minister of punishment,
By bringing to remembrance oaths and covenants made with the fathers.
23 For when the dead were already fallen in heaps one upon another,
Standing between he stopped theadvancingwrath,
Andcut off the way to the living.
24 For uponhislonghigh-priestlyrobe was the whole world,
And the glories of the fatherswereupon the graving of the four rows ofprecious stones,
And your majestywasupon the diadem of his head.
25 To these the destroyer gave place, and thesethe peoplefeared;
For it was enough only to make trial of the wrath.