Wisdom 12

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 O how good and sweet is thy spirit, O Lord, in all things!	1 for your imperishable spirit is 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 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!
3 For those ancient inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst abhor,	3 For truly, the ancient inhabitants of your holy land,
4 Because they did works hateful to thee by their sorceries, and wicked sacrifices,	4 whom you hated for deeds most odious-- Works of witchcraft and impious 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 a cannibal feast of human flesh and of blood, from the midst of. . .-- These merciless murderers of children,
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 parents who took with their own hands defenseless lives, You willed to destroy by the hands of our fathers,
7 That the land which of all is most dear to thee might receive a worthy colony of the children of God.	7 that the land that is dearest of all to you might receive a worthy colony of God's children.
8 Yet even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps, forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.	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.
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 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;
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 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;
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 they were a race accursed from the beginning. Neither out of fear for anyone did you grant amnesty for 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 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?
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 god besides you who have the care of all, that you need show you have not unjustly condemned;
14 Neither shall king, nor tyrant in thy sight inquire about them whom thou hast destroyed.	14 Nor can any king or prince confront you on behalf of those you have punished.
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 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.
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 might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you 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 show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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,
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 exactitude you judged your sons, to whose fathers you gave the sworn covenants of goodly promises!
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 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.
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 Hence those unjust also, who lived a life of folly, you tormented through their own abominations.
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 For they went far astray in the paths of error, taking for gods the worthless and disgusting among beasts, deceived like senseless infants.
25 Therefore thou hast sent a judgment upon them as senseless children to mock them.	25 Therefore as though upon unreasoning children, you sent your judgment on them as a mockery;
26 But they that were not amended by mockeries and reprehensions, experienced the worthy judgment of God.	26 But they who took no heed of punishment which was but child's play were to experience a condemnation 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 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.