Wisdom 12

DOUAI-RHEIMS	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 O how good and sweet is thy spirit, O Lord, in all things!	1 O how good and gracious, Lord, is your spirit in all things!
2 And therefore thou chastisest them that err, by little and little: and admonishest them, and speakest to them, concerning the things wherein they offend: that leaving their wickedness, they may believe in thee, O Lord.	2 Therefore, those who wander afield, you correct, and, as to those who sin, you counsel them and admonish them, so that, having abandoned malice, they may believe in you, O Lord.
3 For those ancient inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst abhor,	3 For those ancient inhabitants of your holy land, who you abhorred,
4 Because they did works hateful to thee by their sorceries, and wicked sacrifices,	4 because they were doing works hateful to you, through unjust medicines and sacrifices,
5 And those merciless murderers of their own children, and eaters of men's bowels, and devourers of blood from the midst of thy consecration,	5 and the merciless murderers of their own sons, and the eaters of human entrails, and the devourers of blood apart from your community sacrament,
6 And those parents sacrificing with their own hands helpless souls, it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our parents,	6 and the sellers performing the ceremonies of helpless souls, you willed to destroy by the hands of our parents,
7 That the land which of all is most dear to thee might receive a worthy colony of the children of God.	7 so that they might worthily secure the sojourn of the children of God, in the land which is most beloved by you.
8 Yet even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps, forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.	8 Yet, so that you were lenient even to these men, you sent wasps, forerunners of your army, so that you might destroy them little by little,
9 Not that thou wast unable to bring the wicked under the just by war, or by cruel beasts, or with one rough word to destroy them at once:	9 not because you were unable to subdue the impious under the just by war or by cruel beasts, or with a harsh word to exterminate them at once,
10 But executing thy judgments by degrees thou gavest them place of repentance, not being ignorant that they were a wicked generation, and their malice natural, and that their thought could never be changed.	10 but, in judging by degrees, you were giving them a place of repentance, not unaware that their nation is wicked, and their malice is inherent, and that their thinking could never be changed.
11 For it was a cursed seed from the beginning: neither didst thou for fear of any one give pardon to their sins.	11 For this offspring was accursed from the beginning. Neither did you, fearing anyone, give favor to their sins.
12 For who shall say to thee: What hast thou done? or who shall withstand thy judgment? or who shall come before thee to be a revenger of wicked men? or who shall accuse thee, if the nations perish, which thou hast made?	12 For who will say to you, “What have you done?” Or who will stand against your judgment? Or who will come before you as a defender of unfair men? Or who will accuse you, if the nations perish, which you have made?
13 For there is no other God but thou, who hast care of all, that thou shouldst shew that thou dost not give judgment unjustly.	13 For neither is there any other God but you, who has care of all, to whom you would show that you did not give judgment unjustly.
14 Neither shall king, nor tyrant in thy sight inquire about them whom thou hast destroyed.	14 Neither will king or tyrant inquire before you about those whom you destroyed.
15 For so much then as thou art just, thou orderest all things justly: thinking it not agreeable to thy power, to condemn him who deserveth not to be punished.	15 Therefore, since you are just, you order all things justly, considering it foreign to your virtue to condemn him who does not deserve to be punished.
16 For thy power is the beginning of justice: and because thou art Lord of all, thou makest thyself gracious to all.	16 For your power is the beginning of justice, and, because you are Lord of all, you make yourself to be lenient to all.
17 For thou shewest thy power, when men will not believe thee to be absolute in power, and thou convincest the boldness of them that know thee not.	17 For you reveal power to those who do not believe you to be perfect in power, and you expose the arrogance of those who do not know you.
18 But thou being master of power, judgest with tranquillity; and with great favour disposest of us: for thy power is at hand when thou wilt.	18 Yet, you are the master of power, since you judge with tranquility, and since you administer us with great reverence; for it is close to you to be used whenever you will.
19 But thou hast taught thy people by such works, that they must be just and humane, and hast made thy children to be of a good hope: because in judging thou givest place for repentance for sins.	19 But you have taught your people, through such works, that they must be just and humane, and you have made your sons to be of good hope, because in judging you provide a place for repentance from sins.
20 For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy servants, and that deserved to die, with so great deliberation, giving them time and place whereby they might be changed from their wickedness:	20 For even if the enemies of your servants were deserving of death, you afflicted them with great attentiveness, providing a time and a place whereby they would be able to be changed from malice;
21 With what circumspection hast thou judged thy own children, to whose parents thou hast sworn and made covenants of good promises?	21 with what diligence, then, have you judged your sons, whose parents you have given oaths and covenants in good faith!
22 Therefore whereas thou chastisest us, thou scourgest our enemies very many ways, to the end that when we judge we may think on thy goodness: and when we are judged, we may hope for thy mercy.	22 Therefore, while you give us discipline, you give our enemies a multiplicity of scourges, so that in judging we may think on your goodness, and when we are judged, we may hope for mercy.
23 Wherefore thou hast also greatly tormented them who in their life have lived foolishly and unjustly, by the same things which they worshipped.	23 Therefore, also to these, who have lived their lived their life irrationally and unjustly, through these things that they worshiped, you gave the greatest torments.
24 For they went astray for a long time in the ways of error, holding those things for gods which are the most worthless among beasts, living after the manner of children without understanding.	24 And, indeed, they wandered for a long time in the way of error, valuing those things as gods, which are worthless even among animals, living in foolish irrational behavior.
25 Therefore thou hast sent a judgment upon them as senseless children to mock them.	25 Because of this, you have given a judgment in derision, as if from foolish children.
26 But they that were not amended by mockeries and reprehensions, experienced the worthy judgment of God.	26 But those who have not been corrected by mockery and chiding, have experienced a judgment worthy of God.
27 For seeing with indignation that they suffered by those very things which they took for gods, when they were destroyed by the same, they acknowledged him the true God, whom in time past they denied that they knew: for which cause the end also of their condemnation came upon them.	27 For among those who were indignant at their sufferings, which came through those things that they reputed to be gods, when they saw that they would be destroyed by these same things, those who formerly refused knowledge of him, now acknowledged the true God, and, because of this, the end of their condemnation came upon them.