2. Septuagint, Wisdom of Solomon, 10.15-10.21, 11.3, 11.6, 11.9-11.10, 11.15, 12.24, 13.10, 13.14, 15.18-15.19, 16.2-16.3, 16.12, 16.14, 16.18, 16.20-16.21, 16.24, 16.26, 16.28, 18.5-18.6, 18.13-18.19, 18.22-18.23, 19.1, 19.6, 19.8, 19.13-19.16, 19.22 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)
| 10.15. A holy people and blameless race wisdom delivered from a nation of oppressors. 10.16. She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord,and withstood dread kings with wonders and signs. 10.17. She gave holy men the reward of their labors;she guided them along a marvelous way,and became a shelter to them by day,and a starry flame through the night. 10.18. She brought them over the Red Sea,and led them through deep waters; 10.19. but she drowned their enemies,and cast them up from the depth of the sea. 10.20. Therefore the righteous plundered the ungodly;they sang hymns, O Lord, to thy holy name,and praised with one accord thy defending hand 10.21. because wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb,and made the tongues of babes speak clearly. 11.3. They withstood their enemies and fought off their foes. 11.6. Instead of the fountain of an ever-flowing river,stirred up and defiled with blood 11.9. For when they were tried, though they were being disciplined in mercy,they learned how the ungodly were tormented when judged in wrath. 11.10. For thou didst test them as a father does in warning,but thou didst examine the ungodly as a stern king does in condemnation. 11.15. In return for their foolish and wicked thoughts,which led them astray to worship irrational serpents and worthless animals,thou didst send upon them a multitude of irrational creatures to punish them 12.24. For they went far astray on the paths of error,accepting as gods those animals which even their enemies despised;they were deceived like foolish babes. 13.10. But miserable, with their hopes set on dead things, are the men who give the name "gods" to the works of mens hands,gold and silver fashioned with skill,and likenesses of animals,or a useless stone, the work of an ancient hand. 13.14. or makes it like some worthless animal,giving it a coat of red paint and coloring its surface red and covering every blemish in it with paint; 15.18. The enemies of thy people worship even the most hateful animals,which are worse than all others, when judged by their lack of intelligence; 15.19. and even as animals they are not so beautiful in appearance that one would desire them,but they have escaped both the praise of God and his blessing. 16.2. Instead of this punishment thou didst show kindness to thy people,and thou didst prepare quails to eat,a delicacy to satisfy the desire of appetite; 16.3. in order that those men, when they desired food,might lose the least remt of appetite because of the odious creatures sent to them,while thy people, after suffering want a short time,might partake of delicacies. 16.12. For neither herb nor poultice cured them,but it was thy word, O Lord, which heals all men. 16.14. A man in his wickedness kills another,but he cannot bring back the departed spirit,nor set free the imprisoned soul. 16.18. At one time the flame was restrained,so that it might not consume the creatures sent against the ungodly,but that seeing this they might know that they were being pursued by the judgment of God; 16.20. Instead of these things thou didst give thy people food of angels,and without their toil thou didst supply them from heaven with bread ready to eat,providing every pleasure and suited to every taste. 16.21. For thy sustece manifested thy sweetness toward thy children;and the bread, ministering to the desire of the one who took it,was changed to suit every ones liking. 16.24. For creation, serving thee who hast made it,exerts itself to punish the unrighteous,and in kindness relaxes on behalf of those who trust in thee. 16.26. so that thy sons, whom thou didst love, O Lord, might learn that it is not the production of crops that feeds man,but that thy word preserves those who trust in thee. 16.28. to make it known that one must rise before the sun to give thee thanks,and must pray to thee at the dawning of the light; 18.5. When they had resolved to kill the babes of thy holy ones,and one child had been exposed and rescued,thou didst in punishment take away a multitude of their children;and thou didst destroy them all together by a mighty flood. 18.6. That night was made known beforehand to our fathers,so that they might rejoice in sure knowledge of the oaths in which they trusted. 18.13. For though they had disbelieved everything because of their magic arts,yet, when their first-born were destroyed,they acknowledged thy people to be Gods son. 18.14. For while gentle silence enveloped all things,and night in its swift course was now half gone 18.15. thy all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne,into the midst of the land that was doomed,a stern warrior 18.16. carrying the sharp sword of thy authentic command, and stood and filled all things with death,and touched heaven while standing on the earth. 18.17. Then at once apparitions in dreadful dreams greatly troubled them,and unexpected fears assailed them; 18.18. and one here and another there, hurled down half dead,made known why they were dying; 18.19. for the dreams which disturbed them forewarned them of this,so that they might not perish without knowing why they suffered. 18.22. He conquered the wrath not by strength of body,and not by force of arms,but by his word he subdued the punisher,appealing to the oaths and covets given to our fathers. 18.23. For when the dead had already fallen on one another in heaps,he intervened and held back the wrath,and cut off its way to the living. 19.1. But the ungodly were assailed to the end by pitiless anger,for God knew in advance even their future actions 19.6. For the whole creation in its nature was fashioned anew,complying with thy commands,that thy children might be kept unharmed. 19.8. where those protected by thy hand passed through as one nation,after gazing on marvelous wonders. 19.13. The punishments did not come upon the sinners without prior signs in the violence of thunder,for they justly suffered because of their wicked acts;for they practiced a more bitter hatred of strangers. 19.14. Others had refused to receive strangers when they came to them,but these made slaves of guests who were their benefactors. 19.15. And not only so, but punishment of some sort will come upon the former for their hostile reception of the aliens; 19.16. but the latter, after receiving them with festal celebrations,afflicted with terrible sufferings those who had already shared the same rights. 19.22. For in everything, O Lord, thou hast exalted and glorified thy people;and thou hast not neglected to help them at all times and in all places. |
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4. Philo of Alexandria, On The Life of Moses, 1.36 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
| 1.36. The men, therefore, who had left their homes and come into Egypt, as if they were to dwell in that land as in a second country in perfect security, the king of the country reduced to slavery, and, as if he had taken them prisoners by the laws of war, or had bought them from masters in whose house they had been bred, he oppressed them and treated them as slaves, though they were not only free men, but also strangers, and suppliants, and sojourners, having no respect for nor any awe of God, who presides over the rights of free men, and of strangers, and of suppliants, and of hospitality, and who beholds all such actions as his. |
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