8 Those who had thought they could dispel fears and free sick beings from terror became sick themselves with a laughable case of nerves.
9 Even when there was nothing around to frighten them, they were scared by the simple sounds of animals’ movements and hissing serpents.
10 Trembling, they were dying with fright, shutting their eyes even against the empty air, as if they could thus avoid what was scaring them.
11 Wickedness is cowardly, condemned by its own witness. Distressed by conscience, the wicked person thinks everything is worse than it is.
12 Fear betrays our ability to help ourselves by thinking clearly.
13 Expecting the worst, people prefer to remain ignorant of the cause of their torment.
14 The night itself was powerless, rising up from the darkest corners of a hell that didn’t really exist. As they slept the same sleep,