The Wisdom of Solomon
Chapter 12
1. For Your imperishable Spirit
is contained within everything.
2. Therefore You gradually teach
those who are offensive
and You remind them
that they can depart wickedness
and can trust in You the Almighty.
3. For it was by Your will
that descendants defeated
those ancient inhabitants
of Your holy land.
4. You abhorred them
for they were doing wicked things
and making wicked sacrifices.
5. As well as murdering children
without any mercy.
They ate human flesh
and had feasts of blood.
6. Their priests stood by
as they made offerings
to idols and ancestors
and with their own hands
murdered those souls
without mercy.
7. But this earth
which some hold dear
above everything else
could very well sustain
an esteemed generation
devoted to God.
8. Yet even those humans
whom You had protected
were met with wasps
the forerunners of Your host
to weaken them over time.
9. Not that the wasps
could deliver the wicked
back into the hands
of the righteous in battle
nor could destroy them
suddenly with hostile beasts
or with one harsh word.
10. But by giving to them
Your instructions over time
You gave them a place to repent
knowing they were wicked
and their malice was inherited
and their mindset unchanged.
11. For it was a cursed generation
from the beginning.
Nor were You compelled
to give them pardons
for those wicked things
that they had done.
12. For who could question
What You have done?
Who could understand your decisions?
Who shall accuse you
for those who perish
and those You created?
And who could stand against You
and be repaid for the wicked?
13. For there is no God but You
who cares for everyone
to whom You might show
that Your judgment is right.
14. Nor can a king or tyrant
be able to challenge You
or those receiving consequences.
15. Because You are righteous
You implement everything righteously.
For Your authority is independent
from using Your authority
to condemn someone
not deserving punishment.
16. For Your authority provides
the foundation of righteousness
and because You are the Almighty
You are merciful to all.
17. To those who don’t believe
that You are in control
You show your strength.
And for those that already know this
You give them strength.
18. Yet You are in control
and decides with fairness
to give us instructions
with great pleasure
so You can use Your power
whenever You want.
19. Yet by these deeds
You have taught Your people
that the righteous are merciful
and have given Your followers
confidence that You will
forgive their wickedness.
20. You could have punished
the enemies of Your devoted ones
and condemned them to death
with a harsh judgment.
Yet You give them time
and the opportunity
to turn their lives around
and correct their ways.
21. With such great circumspection
have You judged Your devoted
after You committed to their teachers
and made promises of Your sanctuary.
22. Thus You have embraced us
and defeated our enemies
at least a thousand times
to the extent that we determine
as we consider Your goodness
so that when we are judged
we can receive Your mercy.
23. Yet when people live wickedly
they are meet with consequences
for their own wicked activities.
24. As they stray off
towards the wrong path
and embrace their gods
even the beasts of their enemies
are despised and deceived
like innocent and ignorant children.
25. Those unreasonable children
are met by the consequences
of their own derision.
26. But those who are unhindered
can be given some grace
to give them fairness from God.
27. For those things they despise
as they suffer the consequences
become whom they thought as gods
now they are being punished.
So when they saw these things
they acknowledged God as true
whom they denied knowing before
thus condemning themselves.
