Sapientia 12

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 O quam bonus et suavis est, Domine, spiritus tuus in omnibus !	1 for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
2 Ideoque eos qui exerrant partibus corripis, et de quibus peccant admones et alloqueris, ut relicta malitia credant in te, Domine.	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 Illos enim antiquos inhabitatores terræ sanctæ tuæ, quos exhorruisti,	3 For truly, the ancient inhabitants of your holy land,
4 quoniam odibilia opera tibi faciebant per medicamina et sacrificia injusta,	4 whom you hated for deeds most odious-- Works of witchcraft and impious sacrifices;
5 et filiorum suorum necatores sine misericordia, et comestores viscerum hominum, et devoratores sanguinis a medio sacramento tuo,	5 a cannibal feast of human flesh and of blood, from the midst of. . .-- These merciless murderers of children,
6 et auctores parentes animarum inauxiliatarum, perdere voluisti per manus parentum nostrorum :	6 and parents who took with their own hands defenseless lives, You willed to destroy by the hands of our fathers,
7 ut dignam perciperent peregrinationem puerorum Dei, quæ tibi omnium carior est terra.	7 that the land that is dearest of all to you might receive a worthy colony of God's children.
8 Sed et his tamquam hominibus pepercisti, et misisti antecessores exercitus tui vespas, ut illos paulatim exterminarent.	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 Non quia impotens eras in bello subjicere impios justis, aut bestiis sævis, aut verbo duro simul exterminare :	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 sed partibus judicans, dabas locum pœnitentiæ, non ignorans quoniam nequam est natio eorum, et naturalis malitia ipsorum, et quoniam non poterat mutari cogitatio illorum in perpetuum.	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 Semen enim erat maledictum ab initio ; nec timens aliquem, veniam dabas peccatis illorum.	11 for they were a race accursed from the beginning. Neither out of fear for anyone did you grant amnesty for their sins.
12 Quis enim dicet tibi : Quid fecisti ? aut quis stabit contra judicium tuum ? aut quis in conspectu tuo veniet vindex iniquorum hominum ? aut quis tibi imputabit, si perierint nationes quas tu fecisti ?	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 Non enim est alius deus quam tu, cui cura est de omnibus, ut ostendas quoniam non injuste judicas judicium.	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 Neque rex, neque tyrannus in conspectu tuo inquirent de his quos perdidisti.	14 Nor can any king or prince confront you on behalf of those you have punished.
15 Cum ergo sis justus, juste omnia disponis ; ipsum quoque qui non debet puniri, condemnare, exterum æstimas a tua virtute.	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 Virtus enim tua justitiæ initium est, et ob hoc quod Dominus es, omnibus te parcere facis.	16 For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.
17 Virtutem enim ostendis tu, qui non crederis esse in virtute consummatus, et horum qui te nesciunt audaciam traducis.	17 For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.
18 Tu autem dominator virtutis, cum tranquillitate judicas, et cum magna reverentia disponis nos : subest enim tibi, cum volueris posse.	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 Docuisti autem populum tuum per talia opera, quoniam oportet justum esse et humanum ; et bonæ spei fecisti filios tuos, quoniam judicans das locum in peccatis pœnitentiæ.	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 Si enim inimicos servorum tuorum, et debitos morti, cum tanta cruciasti attentione, dans tempus et locum per quæ possent mutari a malitia :	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 cum quanta diligentia judicasti filios tuos, quorum parentibus juramenta et conventiones dedisti bonarum promissionum !	21 With what exactitude you judged your sons, to whose fathers you gave the sworn covenants of goodly promises!
22 Cum ergo das nobis disciplinam, inimicos nostros multipliciter flagellas, ut bonitatem tuam cogitemus judicantes, et cum de nobis judicatur, speremus misericordiam tuam.	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 Unde et illis qui in vita sua insensate et injuste vixerunt, per hæc quæ coluerunt dedisti summa tormenta.	23 Hence those unjust also, who lived a life of folly, you tormented through their own abominations.
24 Etenim in erroris via diutius erraverunt, deos æstimantes hæc quæ in animalibus sunt supervacua, infantium insensatorum more viventes.	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 Propter hoc tamquam pueris insensatis judicium in derisum dedisti.	25 Therefore as though upon unreasoning children, you sent your judgment on them as a mockery;
26 Qui autem ludibriis et increpationibus non sunt correcti, dignum Dei judicium experti sunt.	26 But they who took no heed of punishment which was but child's play were to experience a condemnation worthy of God.
27 In quibus enim patientes indignabantur per hæc quos putabant deos, in ipsis cum exterminarentur videntes, illum quem olim negabant se nosse, verum Deum agnoverunt ; propter quod et finis condemnationis eorum venit super illos.	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.