> [[wisdom-11|← Previous]] | [[wisdom-00|TOC]] | [[wisdom-13|Next →]] --- # Wisdom, Chapter 12 ## Chapter 12 2 Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, ^wisdom-12-2 warn them, and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, Lord! 3 For truly, the ancient inhabitants of your holy land, ^wisdom-12-3 4 whom you hated for deeds most odious— ^wisdom-12-4 works of sorcery and impious sacrifices; 5 These merciless murderers of children, ^wisdom-12-5 devourers of human flesh, and initiates engaged in a blood ritual, 6 and parents who took with their own hands defenseless lives, ^wisdom-12-6 You willed to destroy by the hands of our ancestors, 7 that the land that is dearest of all to you ^wisdom-12-7 might receive a worthy colony of God’s servants. 8 But even these you spared, since they were but mortals ^wisdom-12-8 and sent wasps as forerunners of your army that they might exterminate them by degrees. 9 Not that you were without power to have the wicked vanquished in battle by the righteous, ^wisdom-12-9 or wiped out at once by terrible beasts or by one decisive word; 10 But condemning them by degrees, you gave them space for repentance. ^wisdom-12-10 You were not unaware that their origins were wicked and their malice ingrained, And that their dispositions would never change; 11 for they were a people accursed from the beginning. ^wisdom-12-11 Neither out of fear for anyone did you grant release from their sins. 12 For who can say to you, “What have you done?” ^wisdom-12-12 or who can oppose your decree? Or when peoples perish, who can challenge you, their maker; or who can come into your presence to vindicate the unrighteous? 13 For neither is there any god besides you who have the care of all, ^wisdom-12-13 that you need show you have not unjustly condemned; 14 Nor can any king or prince confront you on behalf of those you have punished. ^wisdom-12-14 15 But as you are righteous, you govern all things righteously; ^wisdom-12-15 you regard it as unworthy of your power to punish one who has incurred no blame. 16 For your might is the source of righteousness; ^wisdom-12-16 your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. 17 For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; ^wisdom-12-17 and in those who know you, you rebuke insolence. 18 But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, ^wisdom-12-18 and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you. 19 You taught your people, by these deeds, ^wisdom-12-19 that those who are righteous must be kind; And you gave your children reason to hope that you would allow them to repent for their sins. 20 For these were enemies of your servants, doomed to death; ^wisdom-12-20 yet, while you punished them with such solicitude and indulgence, granting time and opportunity to abandon wickedness, 21 With what exactitude you judged your children, ^wisdom-12-21 to whose ancestors you gave the sworn covenants of goodly promises! 22 Therefore to give us a lesson you punish our enemies with measured deliberation ^wisdom-12-22 so that we may think earnestly of your goodness when we judge, and, when being judged, we may look for mercy. ### Second Example Resumed 23 Hence those unrighteous who lived a life of folly, ^wisdom-12-23 you tormented through their own abominations. 24 For they went far astray in the paths of error, ^wisdom-12-24 taking for gods the worthless and disgusting among beasts, being deceived like senseless infants. 25 Therefore as though upon unreasoning children, ^wisdom-12-25 you sent your judgment on them as a mockery; 26 But they who took no heed of a punishment which was but child’s play ^wisdom-12-26 were to experience a condemnation worthy of God. 27 For by the things through which they suffered distress, ^wisdom-12-27 being tortured by the very things they deemed gods, They saw and recognized the true God whom formerly they had refused to know; with this, their final condemnation came upon them. \* (12:5) The horrible crimes here attributed to the Canaanites (cf. also [14:23]) were not unheard of in the ancient world. \* (12:17) The brunt of divine anger and justice is borne by those who know God but defy divine authority and might. Cf. [1:2]; [15:2], but also [12:27]; [18:13]. \* (12:27) Condemnation: the death of Egyptian firstborn and the destruction of their army in the sea. a. (12:1) ([[wisdom-01|Wis 1]]:7]. b. (12:3] – [6) [Wis 14:23]; [Dt 18:9] – [12]; ([[psalm-05|Ps 5]]:6]; [106:28], [34] – [39]; [Jer 19:4] – [5]; [[ezekiel-16|Ez 16]]:3, [20] – [21], [36]. c. (12:6) [Nm 33:52]. d. (12:7) [Dt 11:12]. e. (12:8) ([[exodus-23|Ex 23]]:28] – [30]; [Dt 7:17] – [24]. f. (12:9) [Wis 11:18]; [18:15]; [Nm 16:21]. g. (12:10) [Wis 11:23]; [Ps 55:20]; [[sirach-16|Sir 16]]:9. h. (12:11) [Gn 9:25]. i. (12:12) [2 Sm 16:10]; [Eccl 8:4]; [Sir 46:19]; [Is 45:9]; [Dn 4:32]; [Rom 9:19] – [21]. j. (12:13) ([[wisdom-06|Wis 6]]:7]; [Dt 3:24]; [32:39]; [Is 44:6], [8]. k. (12:14) [Jer 49:19]; [50:44]. l. (12:15) [[genesis-18|Gen 18]]:23 – [32]; [Dt 32:4]. m. (12:16) ([[wisdom-02|Wis 2]]:11]; [11:26]; [Ps 103:19]. n. (12:17) [Wis 15:2] – [3]; ([[exodus-09|Ex 9]]:16]. o. (12:19] – [20) [Wis 11:23]; [[sirach-17|Sir 17]]:24. p. (12:21) [Wis 18:22]; [Gn 50:24]; [Dt 7:6] – [14]; [Ps 105:8] – [11]. q. (12:23) [Wis 11:16]; [16:1]. r. (12:24) [Dt 11:28]; [Jer 5:28]; ([[romans-01|Rom 1]]:23]. s. (12:25) [Jer 4:22]. t. (12:27) [Wis 16:16]; ([[exodus-14|Ex 14]]:4], [28]. --- _New American Bible, revised edition_ (2010, 1991, 1986, 1970) Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. > [[wisdom-11|← Previous]] | [[wisdom-00|TOC]] | [[wisdom-13|Next →]]