The Book of Wisdom or The Wisdom of Solomon 12

1For your incorruptible spirit is in all things. 2Wherefore you convictest by little and little those who fall from the right way, Gr. fall aside. very things wherein they sin, do you admonish them, 3For verily the old inhabitants of your holy land, 4Hating them because they practised detestable works of enchantments and unholy rites 5(Merciless slaughters of children, The words rendered slaughters and impious in verses 5 and 6 differ but slightly from the readings of the Greek text, which here yield no sense. 6Confederates in an impious fellowship, 7That the land which in your sight is most precious of all lands servants. Or, children 8Nevertheless even these you did spare as being men, hornets as forerunners of your army, Or, wasps 9Not that you were unable to subdue the ungodly under the hand of the righteous in battle, one stern word to make away with them at once; 10But judging them by little and little you gave them a place of repentance, 11For they were a seed accursed from the beginning: then unpunished for their sins. 12For who will say, What have you done? 13For neither is there any God beside you that careth for all, to him that you did not judge unrighteously: 14Neither will king or prince be able to look you in the face to plead for those whom you have punished. 15But being righteous you rule all things righteously, 16For your strength is the beginning of righteousness, 17For when men believe not that you are perfect in power, you show your strength, And The Greek text here is perhaps corrupt. in dealing with those who know Or, in them it you put their boldness to confusion. 18But you, being sovereign over your strength, judge in gentleness, 19But you did teach your people by such works as these, 20For if on those who were enemies of your servants and due to death Or, children 21With how great carefulness did you judge your sons, 22While therefore you do chasten us, you scourge our enemies ten thousand times more, 23Wherefore also the unrighteous that lived in folly of life 24For verily they went astray very far in the ways of error, Or, even beyond animals which even among their enemies were held in dishonor, Gr. living creatures: and so elsewhere in this book. 25Therefore, as to unreasoning children, you did send your judgement to mock them. 26But those who would not be admonished by a mocking correction as of children Or, by a correction, which was as children’s play Gr. by child-play of correction. 27For through the sufferings whereat they were indignant, refused to know: Or, denied that they knew