Wisdom 12

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 for your imperishable spirit is in all things!	1 For thy immortal spirit is in all things.
2 Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them, and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!	2 Therefore thou dost correct little by little those who trespass, and dost remind and warn them of the things wherein they sin, that they may be freed from wickedness and put their trust in thee, O Lord.
3 For truly, the ancient inhabitants of your holy land,	3 Those who dwelt of old in thy holy land
4 whom you hated for deeds most odious-- Works of witchcraft and impious sacrifices;	4 thou didst hate for their detestable practices, their works of sorcery and unholy rites,
5 a cannibal feast of human flesh and of blood, from the midst of. . .-- These merciless murderers of children,	5 their merciless slaughter of children, and their sacrificial feasting on human flesh and blood. These initiates from the midst of a heathen cult,
6 and parents who took with their own hands defenseless lives, You willed to destroy by the hands of our fathers,	6 these parents who murder helpless lives, thou didst will to destroy by the hands of our fathers,
7 that the land that is dearest of all to you might receive a worthy colony of God's children.	7 that the land most precious of all to thee might receive a worthy colony of the servants of God.
8 But even these, as they were men, you spared, and sent wasps as forerunners of your army that they might exterminate them by degrees.	8 But even these thou didst spare, since they were but men, and didst send wasps as forerunners of thy army, to destroy them little by little,
9 Not that you were without power to have the wicked vanquished in battle by the just, or wiped out at once by terrible beasts or by one decisive word;	9 though thou wast not unable to give the ungodly into the hands of the righteous in battle, or to destroy them at one blow by dread wild beasts or thy stern word.
10 But condemning them bit by bit, you gave them space for repentance. You were not unaware that their race was wicked and their malice ingrained, And that their dispositions would never change;	10 But judging them little by little thou gavest them a chance to repent, though thou wast not unaware that their origin was evil and their wickedness inborn, and that their way of thinking would never change.
11 for they were a race accursed from the beginning. Neither out of fear for anyone did you grant amnesty for their sins.	11 For they were an accursed race from the beginning, and it was not through fear of any one that thou didst leave them unpunished for their sins.
12 For who can say to you, "What have you done?" or who can oppose your decree? Or when peoples perish, who can challenge you, their maker; or who can come into your presence as vindicator of unjust men?	12 For who will say, "What hast thou done?" Or will resist thy judgment? Who will accuse thee for the destruction of nations which thou didst make? Or who will come before thee to plead as an advocate for unrighteous men?
13 For neither is there any god besides you who have the care of all, that you need show you have not unjustly condemned;	13 For neither is there any god besides thee, whose care is for all men, to whom thou shouldst prove that thou hast not judged unjustly;
14 Nor can any king or prince confront you on behalf of those you have punished.	14 nor can any king or monarch confront thee about those whom thou hast punished.
15 But as you are just, you govern all things justly; you regard it as unworthy of your power to punish one who has incurred no blame.	15 Thou art righteous and rulest all things righteously, deeming it alien to thy power to condemn him who does not deserve to be punished.
16 For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.	16 For thy strength is the source of righteousness, and thy sovereignty over all causes thee to spare all.
17 For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.	17 For thou dost show thy strength when men doubt the completeness of thy power, and dost rebuke any insolence among those who know it.
18 But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you.	18 Thou who art sovereign in strength dost judge with mildness, and with great forbearance thou dost govern us; for thou hast power to act whenever thou dost choose.
19 And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; And you gave your sons good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.	19 Through such works thou has taught thy people that the righteous man must be kind, and thou hast filled thy sons with good hope, because thou givest repentance for sins.
20 For these were enemies of your servants, doomed to death; yet, while you punished them with such solicitude and pleading, granting time and opportunity to abandon wickedness,	20 For if thou didst punish with such great care and indulgence the enemies of thy servants and those deserving of death, granting them time and opportunity to give up their wickedness,
21 With what exactitude you judged your sons, to whose fathers you gave the sworn covenants of goodly promises!	21 with what strictness thou hast judged thy sons, to whose fathers thou gavest oaths and covenants full of good promises!
22 Us, therefore, you chastise and our enemies with a thousand blows you punish, that we may think earnestly of your goodness when we judge, and, when being judged, may look for mercy.	22 So while chastening us thou scourgest our enemies ten thousand times more, so that we may meditate upon thy goodness when we judge, and when we are judged we may expect mercy.
23 Hence those unjust also, who lived a life of folly, you tormented through their own abominations.	23 Therefore those who in folly of life lived unrighteously thou didst torment through their own abominations.
24 For they went far astray in the paths of error, taking for gods the worthless and disgusting among beasts, deceived like senseless infants.	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.
25 Therefore as though upon unreasoning children, you sent your judgment on them as a mockery;	25 Therefore, as to thoughtless children, thou didst send thy judgment to mock them.
26 But they who took no heed of punishment which was but child's play were to experience a condemnation worthy of God.	26 But those who have not heeded the warning of light rebukes will experience the deserved judgment of God.
27 For in the things through which they suffered distress, since they were tortured by the very things they deemed gods, They saw and recognized the true God whom before they had refused to know; with this, their final condemnation came upon them.	27 For when in their suffering they became incensed at those creatures which they had thought to be gods, being punished by means of them, they saw and recognized as the true God him whom they had before refused to know. Therefore the utmost condemnation came upon them.