Vers | English: Douay-Rheims | English: King James Version |
1 | For thy judgments, O Lord, are great, and thy words cannot be expressed: therefore undisciplined souls have erred. | For great are thy judgments, and cannot be expressed: therefore unnurtured souls have erred. |
2 | 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. | For when unrighteous men thought to oppress the holy nation; they being shut up in their houses, the prisoners of darkness, and fettered with the bonds of a long night, lay [there] exiled from the eternal providence. |
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. | For while they supposed to lie hid in their secret sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly astonished, and troubled with [strange] apparitions. |
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. | For neither might the corner that held them keep them from fear: but noises [as of waters] falling down sounded about them, and sad visions appeared unto them with heavy countenances. |
5 | And no power of fire could give them light, neither could the bright flames of the stars enlighten that horrible night. | No power of the fire might give them light: neither could the bright flames of the stars endure to lighten that horrible night. |
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: | Only there appeared unto them a fire kindled of itself, very dreadful: for being much terrified, they thought the things which they saw to be worse than the sight they saw not. |
7 | And the delusions of their magic art were put down, and their boasting of wisdom was reproachfully rebuked. | As for the illusions of art magick, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with disgrace. |
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. | For they, that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of fear, worthy to be laughed at. |
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. | For though no terrible thing did fear them; yet being scared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of serpents, |
10 | For whereas wickedness is fearful, it beareth witness of its condemnation: for a troubled conscience always forecasteth grievous things. | They died for fear, denying that they saw the air, which could of no side be avoided. |
11 | For fear is nothing else but a yielding up of the succours from thought. | For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous things. |
12 | And while there is less expectation from within, the greater doth it count the ignorance of that cause which bringeth the torment. | For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth. |
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. | And the expectation from within, being less, counteth the ignorance more than the cause which bringeth the torment. |
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. | But they sleeping the same sleep that night, which was indeed intolerable, and which came upon them out of the bottoms of inevitable hell, |
15 | Moreover if any of them had fallen down, he was kept shut up in prison without irons. | Were partly vexed with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted, their heart failing them: for a sudden fear, and not looked for, came upon them. |
16 | 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. | So then whosoever there fell down was straitly kept, shut up in a prison without iron bars, |
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, | For whether he were husbandman, or shepherd, or a labourer in the field, he was overtaken, and endured that necessity, which could not be avoided: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness. |
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 | Whether it were a whistling wind, or a melodious noise of birds among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running violently, |
19 | For the whole world was enlightened with a clear light, and none were hindered in their labours. | Or a terrible sound of stones cast down, or a running that could not be seen of skipping beasts, or a roaring voice of most savage wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the hollow mountains; these things made them to swoon for fear. |
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. | For the whole world shined with clear light, and none were hindered in their labour: |
21 | Over them only was spread an heavy night, an image of that darkness which should afterward receive them: but yet were they unto themselves more grievous than the darkness. |