The Wisdom of Solomon

Chapter-12

Wisdom 12:1 O how good and gracious, Lord, is your spirit in all things!

 

Wisdom 12:2 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.

 

Wisdom 12:3 For those ancient inhabitants of your holy land, who you abhorred,

 

Wisdom 12:4 because they were doing works hateful to you, through unjust medicines and sacrifices,

 

Wisdom 12:5 and the merciless murderers of their own sons, and the eaters of human entrails, and the devourers of blood apart from your community sacrament,

 

Wisdom 12:6 and the sellers performing the ceremonies of helpless souls, you willed to destroy by the hands of our parents,

 

Wisdom 12:7 so that they might worthily secure the sojourn of the children of God, in the land which is most beloved by you.

 

Wisdom 12:8 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,

 

Wisdom 12:9 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,

 

Wisdom 12:10 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.

 

Wisdom 12:11 For this offspring was accursed from the beginning. Neither did you, fearing anyone, give favor to their sins.

 

Wisdom 12:12 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?

 

Wisdom 12:13 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.

 

Wisdom 12:14 Neither will king or tyrant inquire before you about those whom you destroyed.

 

Wisdom 12:15 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.

 

Wisdom 12:16 For your power is the beginning of justice, and, because you are Lord of all, you make yourself to be lenient to all.

 

Wisdom 12:17 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.

 

Wisdom 12:18 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.

 

Wisdom 12:19 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.

 

Wisdom 12:20 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;

 

Wisdom 12:21 with what diligence, then, have you judged your sons, whose parents you have given oaths and covenants in good faith!

 

Wisdom 12:22 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.

 

Wisdom 12:23 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.

 

Wisdom 12:24 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.

 

Wisdom 12:25 Because of this, you have given a judgment in derision, as if from foolish children.

 

Wisdom 12:26 But those who have not been corrected by mockery and chiding, have experienced a judgment worthy of God.

 

Wisdom 12:27 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.