Wisdom

CHAPTER 12

warn them, and remind them of the sins they are committing,

that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, Lord!

works of sorcery and impious sacrifices;

devourers of human flesh,^*

and initiates engaged in a blood ritual,

You willed to destroy by the hands of our ancestors,

might receive a worthy colony of God’s servants.^d

and sent wasps as forerunners of your army

that they might exterminate them by degrees.^e

or wiped out at once by terrible beasts or by one decisive word;^f

You were not unaware that their origins were wicked

and their malice ingrained,^g

And that their dispositions would never change;

Neither out of fear for anyone

did you grant release from their sins.^h

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?ⁱ

that you need show you have not unjustly condemned;^j

you regard it as unworthy of your power

to punish one who has incurred no blame.^l

your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.^m

and in those who know you, you rebuke insolence.^{* n}

and with much lenience you govern us;

for power, whenever you will, attends you.

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.

yet, while you punished them with such solicitude and indulgence,

granting time and opportunity to abandon wickedness,

to whose ancestors you gave the sworn covenants of goodly promises!^p

so that we may think earnestly of your goodness when we judge,

and, when being judged, we may look for mercy.

Second Example Resumed

you tormented through their own abominations.^q

taking for gods the worthless and disgusting among beasts,

being deceived like senseless infants.^r

you sent your judgment on them as a mockery;^s

were to experience a condemnation worthy of God.

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.^t

* [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] Wis 1:7.

b. [12:3–6] Wis 14:23; Dt 18:9–12; Ps 5:6; 106:28, 34–39; Jer 19:4–5; Ez 16:3, 20–21, 36.

c. [12:6] Nm 33:52.

d. [12:7] Dt 11:12.

e. [12:8] 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; 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] Wis 6:7; Dt 3:24; 32:39; Is 44:6, 8.

k. [12:14] Jer 49:19; 50:44.

l. [12:15] Gn 18:23–32; Dt 32:4.

m. [12:16] Wis 2:11; 11:26; Ps 103:19.

n. [12:17] Wis 15:2–3; Ex 9:16.

o. [12:19–20] Wis 11:23; 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; Rom 1:23.

s. [12:25] Jer 4:22.

t. [12:27] Wis 16:16; Ex 14:4, 28.