| Vers | English: King James Version | Greek OT: LXX [A] Unaccented |
| 1 | For great are thy judgments, and cannot be expressed: therefore unnurtured souls have erred. | μεγαλαι γαρ σου αι κρισεις και δυσδιηγητοι δια τουτο απαιδευτοι ψυχαι επλανηθησαν |
| 2 | 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. | υπειληφοτες γαρ καταδυναστευειν εθνος αγιον ανομοι δεσμιοι σκοτους και μακρας πεδηται νυκτος κατακλεισθεντες οροφοις φυγαδες της αιωνιου προνοιας εκειντο |
| 3 | 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. | λανθανειν γαρ νομιζοντες επι κρυφαιοις αμαρτημασιν αφεγγει ληθης παρακαλυμματι εσκορπισθησαν θαμβουμενοι δεινως και ινδαλμασιν εκταρασσομενοι |
| 4 | 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. | ουδε γαρ ο κατεχων αυτους μυχος αφοβους διεφυλαττεν ηχοι δ' εκταρασσοντες αυτους περιεκομπουν και φασματα αμειδητοις κατηφη προσωποις ενεφανιζετο |
| 5 | No power of the fire might give them light: neither could the bright flames of the stars endure to lighten that horrible night. | και πυρος μεν ουδεμια βια κατισχυεν φωτιζειν ουτε αστρων εκλαμπροι φλογες καταυγαζειν υπεμενον την στυγνην εκεινην νυκτα |
| 6 | 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. | διεφαινετο δ' αυτοις μονον αυτοματη πυρα φοβου πληρης εκδειματουμενοι δε της μη θεωρουμενης εκεινης οψεως ηγουντο χειρω τα βλεπομενα |
| 7 | As for the illusions of art magick, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with disgrace. | μαγικης δε εμπαιγματα κατεκειτο τεχνης και της επι φρονησει αλαζονειας ελεγχος εφυβριστος |
| 8 | For they, that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of fear, worthy to be laughed at. | οι γαρ υπισχνουμενοι δειματα και ταραχας απελαυνειν ψυχης νοσουσης ουτοι καταγελαστον ευλαβειαν ενοσουν |
| 9 | For though no terrible thing did fear them; yet being scared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of serpents, | και γαρ ει μηδεν αυτους ταραχωδες εφοβει κνωδαλων παροδοις και ερπετων συριγμοις εκσεσοβημενοι διωλλυντο εντρομοι και τον μηδαμοθεν φευκτον αερα προσιδειν αρνουμενοι |
| 10 | They died for fear, denying that they saw the air, which could of no side be avoided. | δειλον γαρ ιδιω πονηρια μαρτυρι καταδικαζομενη αει δε προσειληφεν τα χαλεπα συνεχομενη τη συνειδησει |
| 11 | For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous things. | ουθεν γαρ εστιν φοβος ει μη προδοσια των απο λογισμου βοηθηματων |
| 12 | For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth. | ενδοθεν δε ουσα ηττων η προσδοκια πλειονα λογιζεται την αγνοιαν της παρεχουσης την βασανον αιτιας |
| 13 | And the expectation from within, being less, counteth the ignorance more than the cause which bringeth the torment. | οι δε την αδυνατον οντως νυκτα και εξ αδυνατου αδου μυχων επελθουσαν τον αυτον υπνον κοιμωμενοι |
| 14 | But they sleeping the same sleep that night, which was indeed intolerable, and which came upon them out of the bottoms of inevitable hell, | τα μεν τερασιν ηλαυνοντο φαντασματων τα δε της ψυχης παρελυοντο προδοσια αιφνιδιος γαρ αυτοις και απροσδοκητος φοβος επεχυθη |
| 15 | Were partly vexed with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted, their heart failing them: for a sudden fear, and not looked for, came upon them. | ειθ' ουτως ος δη ποτ' ουν ην εκει καταπιπτων εφρουρειτο εις την ασιδηρον ειρκτην κατακλεισθεις |
| 16 | So then whosoever there fell down was straitly kept, shut up in a prison without iron bars, | ει τε γαρ γεωργος ην τις η ποιμην η των κατ' ερημιαν εργατης μοχθων προλημφθεις την δυσαλυκτον εμενεν αναγκην μια γαρ αλυσει σκοτους παντες εδεθησαν |
| 17 | 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. | ει τε πνευμα συριζον η περι αμφιλαφεις κλαδους ορνεων ηχος ευμελης η ρυθμος υδατος πορευομενου βια η κτυπος απηνης καταρριπτομενων πετρων |
| 18 | Whether it were a whistling wind, or a melodious noise of birds among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running violently, | η σκιρτωντων ζωων δρομος αθεωρητος η ωρυομενων απηνεστατων θηριων φωνη η αντανακλωμενη εκ κοιλοτητος ορεων ηχω παρελυεν αυτους εκφοβουντα |
| 19 | 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. | ολος γαρ ο κοσμος λαμπρω κατελαμπετο φωτι και ανεμποδιστοις συνειχετο εργοις |
| 20 | For the whole world shined with clear light, and none were hindered in their labour: | μονοις δε εκεινοις επετετατο βαρεια νυξ εικων του μελλοντος αυτους διαδεχεσθαι σκοτους εαυτοις δε ησαν βαρυτεροι σκοτους |
| 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. |