God's wisdom and mercy in his proceedings with the Chanaanites.
12:1. O how good and sweet is thy Spirit, O Lord, in all things!
12:2. 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.
12:3. For those ancient inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst
abhor,
12:4. Because they did works hateful to thee by their sorceries, and
wicked sacrifices,
12:5. And those merciless murderers of their own children, and eaters of
men's bowels, and devourers of blood from the midst of thy consecration,
From the midst of thy consecration... Literally, sacrament. That is, the
land sacred to thee, in which thy temple was to be established, and
man's redemption to be wrought.
12:6. And those parents sacrificing with their own hands helpless souls,
it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our parents,
12:7. That the land which of all is most dear to thee, might receive a
worthy colony of the children of God.
12:8. Yet even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps
forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.
12:9. 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:
12:10. 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.
12:11. For it was a cursed seed from the beginning: neither didst thou
for fear of any one give pardon to their sins.
12:12. 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?
12:13. For there is no other God but thou, who hast care of all, that
thou shouldst shew that thou dost not give judgment unjustly.
12:14. Neither shall king, nor tyrant, in thy sight inquire about them
whom thou hast destroyed.
12:15. For so much then, as thou art just, thou orderest all things
justly: thinking it not agreeable to the power, to condemn him who
deserveth not to be punished.
12:16. For thy power is the beginning of justice: and because thou art
Lord of all, thou makest thyself gracious to all.
12:17. 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.
12:18. 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.
12:19. 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.
12:20. 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:
12:21. With what circumspection hast thou judged thy own children, to
whose parents thou hast sworn, and made covenants of good promises?
12:22. 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.
12:23. Wherefore thou hast also greatly tormented them, who, in their
life, have lived foolishly and unjustly, by the same things which they
worshipped.
12:24. 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.
12:25. Therefore thou hast sent a judgment upon them, as senseless
children, to mock them.
12:26. But they that were not amended by mockeries and reprehensions,
experienced the worthy judgment of God.
12:27. 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.