The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom of Solomon 12
Chapter XII · Vol. III, p. 1553
1 God did not destroy those of Chanaan all at once. 12 If he had done so, who could control him? 19 But by sparing them, he taught us. 27 They were punished with their gods.
2 Therefore 2chasteneth thou them by little and little that offend, and warnest them by putting them in remembrance wherein they have offended, that leaving their wickedness they may believe on thee, O Lord.
2 Ps. 39. 11.
3 For it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our fathers both those 3old inhabitants of thy holy land,
3 Or, ancient.
4 Whom thou hatedst for doing most odious works of 4witchcrafts, and wicked sacrifices;
4 Or, sorceries, Lev. 20. 6.
5 And also those 5merciless murderers of children, and devourers of man's flesh, and the feasts of blood,
5 ch. 14. 23.
6 With their priests out of the midst of their idolatrous crew, and the parents that killed with their own hands souls destitute of help:
7 That the land, which thou esteemedst above all other, might receive a worthy 6colony of God's children.
6 Or, new inhabitants.
8 Nevertheless, even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send 7wasps, forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.
9 8Not that thou wast unable to bring the ungodly under the hand of the righteous in battle, or to destroy them at once with cruel beasts, or with one rough word:
8 ch. 11. 20.
10 But executing thy judgments upon them by little, and little, 9thou gavest them place of repentance, not being ignorant that they were a naughty generation, and that their malice was bred in them, and that their cogitation would never be changed.
9 2 Pet. 3. 9.
11 For it was a *cursed seed from the beginning; neither didst thou for fear of any man give them pardon for those things wherein they sinned.
* Gen. 9. 25.
12 For who shall say, †What hast thou done? or who shall withstand thy judgment? or who shall accuse thee for the nations that perish, whom thou hast made? or who shall come to stand ‡against thee, to be ||revenged for the unrighteous men?
13 For neither is there any God but thou that 1careth for all, to whom thou mightest shew that thy judgment is not unright.
1 1 Pet. 5. 7.
14 2Neither shall king or tyrant be able to set his face against thee for any of whom thou hast punished.
2 Job 9. 4.
15 Forsomuch then as thou art righteous thyself, thou orderest all things righteously: 3thinking it not agreeable with thy power to condemn him that hath not deserved to be punished.
3 Job 10. 2.
16 For thy power is the beginning of righteousness, and because thou art the Lord of all, 4it maketh thee to be gracious unto all.
4 Ps. 145. 9.
17 For when men will not believe that thou art of a 5full power, thou shewest thy strength, and among them that know it thou makest their boldness manifest.
5 Or, perfect.
18 But thou, mastering thy power, judgest with equity, and orderest us with great favour: 6for thou mayest use power when thou wilt.
6 Job 24. 10.
19 But by such works hast thou taught thy people that the just man should be 7merciful. and hast made thy children to be of a good hope, that thou givest repentance for sins.
7 Matt. 5. 7.
20 For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy children, and the condemned to death, with such deliberation, giving them time and place, whereby they might be delivered from their malice:
21 With how great circumspection didst thou judge thine own sons, 8unto whose fathers thou hast sworn, and made covenants of good promises?
22 Therefore, 9whereas thou dost chasten us, thou scourgest our enemies a thousand times more, to the intent that, when we judge we should carefully think of thy goodness, and when we ourselves are judged, we should look for mercy.
23 Wherefore, whereas men have lived dissolutely and unrighteously, thou hast tormented them with their own *abominations.
* Or, abominable idols.
24 †For they went astray very far in the ways of error, and held them for gods, which even among the beasts of their enemies were despised, being deceived, as children of no understanding.
† ch. 11. 15. Rom. 1. 23.
25 Therefore unto them, as to children without the use of reason, thou didst send a judgment to ‡mock them.
‡ Prov. 1. 26.
26 But they that would not be reformed by that correction, wherein he dallied with them, shall feel a ||judgment worthy of God.
|| Rom. 2. 2.