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Saturday, January 18, 2025

Light shines and new harmony in nature (chapters 18 - 19): NRSV Updated edition

21st Century translation from the NRSV

New Revised Standard Version, updated Edition

published by the NCCC - USA, 2021

from Wisdom of Solomon (Apocrypha) =

poetry / vision of eternity

Chapter 18: 1 - 4

But for your Holy ones there was 

very great light.  Their enemies

heard their voices but did not see

their forms and counted them happy

for not having suffered and were

thankful that your Holy ones,

though previously wronged, were

doing them no injury, and they

begged their pardon for having

been at variance with them.

Therefore you provided a flaming

pillar of fire as a guide for your

people's unknown journey and a 

harmless sun for their glorious

wandering.   For their enemies 

deserved to be deprived of light

and imprisoned in darkness, those

who had kept your children

imprisoned, through whom the 

imperishable light of the law

was to be given to the world. . .

Chapter 19: 18 - 22

For the elements changed places

with one another, as on a harp

the notes vary the nature of the

rhythm while each note remains

the same.  This may be clearly 

inferred from the sight of what

took place.  For land animals were

transformed into water creatures,

and creatures that swim moved over

to the land.  Fire even in water

retained its normal power,  and

water forgot its fire-quenching

nature.  Flames, on the contrary,

failed to consume the flesh of

perishable creatures that walked

among them,  nor did they melt the

crystalline, quick-melting kind of

heavenly food.  For in everything,

O Lord, you have exalted and

glorified your people, and you

have not neglected to help them

at all times and in all places!

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