1 For thine incorruptible Spirit is in all things.

1 O quam bonus et suavis est, Domine, spiritus tuus in omnibus!

2 Therefore chastenest 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 Ideoque eos qui exerrant partibus corripis,
et de quibus peccant admones et alloqueris,
ut relicta malitia credant in te, Domine.

3 For it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our fathers both those old inhabitants of thy holy land,

3 ¶ Illos enim antiquos inhabitatores terræ sanctæ tuæ,
quos exhorruisti,

4 Whom thou hatedst for doing most odious works of witchcrafts, and wicked sacrifices;

4 quoniam odibilia opera tibi faciebant
per medicamina et sacrificia injusta,

5 And also those merciless murderers of children, and devourers of man's flesh, and the feasts of blood,

5 et filiorum suorum necatores sine misericordia,
et comestores viscerum hominum,
et devoratores sanguinis a medio sacramento tuo,

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:

6 et auctores parentes animarum inauxiliatarum,
perdere voluisti per manus parentum nostrorum:

7 That the land, which thou esteemedst above all other, might receive a worthy colony of God's children.

7 ut dignam perciperent peregrinationem puerorum Dei,
quæ tibi omnium carior est terra.

8 Nevertheless even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps, forerunners of thine host, to destroy them by little and little.

8 Sed et his tamquam hominibus pepercisti,
et misisti antecessores exercitus tui vespas,
ut illos paulatim exterminarent.

9 Not 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:

9 Non quia impotens eras in bello subjicere impios justis,
aut bestiis sævis, aut verbo duro simul exterminare:

10 But executing thy judgments upon them by little and little, thou 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.

10 sed partibus judicans,
dabas locum pœnitentiæ,
non ignorans quoniam nequam est natio eorum,
et naturalis malitia ipsorum,
et quoniam non poterat mutari cogitatio illorum in perpetuum.

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.

11 Semen enim erat maledictum ab initio;
nec timens aliquem, veniam dabas peccatis illorum.

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?

12 Quis enim dicet tibi: Quid fecisti?
aut quis stabit contra judicium tuum?
aut quis in conspectu tuo veniet vindex iniquorum hominum?
aut quis tibi imputabit, si perierint nationes quas tu fecisti?

13 For neither is there any God but thou that careth for all, to whom thou mightest shew that thy judgment is not unright.

13 Non enim est alius deus quam tu,
cui cura est de omnibus,
ut ostendas quoniam non injuste judicas judicium.

14 Neither shall king or tyrant be able to set his face against thee for any whom thou hast punished.

14 Neque rex, neque tyrannus in conspectu tuo inquirent
de his quos perdidisti.

15 Forsomuch then as thou art righteous thyself, thou orderest all things righteously: thinking it not agreeable with thy power to condemn him that hath not deserved to be punished.

15 Cum ergo sis justus, juste omnia disponis;
ipsum quoque qui non debet puniri, condemnare,
exterum æstimas a tua virtute.

16 For thy power is the beginning of righteousness, and because thou art the Lord of all, it maketh thee to be gracious unto all.

16 Virtus enim tua justitiæ initium est,
et ob hoc quod Dominus es,
omnibus te parcere facis.

17 For when men will not believe that thou art of a full power, thou shewest thy strength, and among them that know it thou makest their boldness manifest.

17 Virtutem enim ostendis tu,
qui non crederis esse in virtute consummatus,
et horum qui te nesciunt audaciam traducis.

18 But thou, mastering thy power, judgest with equity, and orderest us with great favour: for thou mayest use power when thou wilt.

18 Tu autem dominator virtutis, cum tranquillitate judicas,
et cum magna reverentia disponis nos:
subest enim tibi, cum volueris posse.

19 But by such works hast thou taught thy people that the just man should be merciful, and hast made thy children to be of a good hope that thou givest repentance for sins.

19 ¶ Docuisti autem populum tuum per talia opera,
quoniam oportet justum esse et humanum;
et bonæ spei fecisti filios tuos,
quoniam judicans das locum in peccatis pœnitentiæ.

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:

20 Si enim inimicos servorum tuorum, et debitos morti,
cum tanta cruciasti attentione,
dans tempus et locum per quæ possent mutari a malitia:

21 With how great circumspection didst thou judge thine own sons, unto whose fathers thou hast sworn, and made covenants of good promises?

21 cum quanta diligentia judicasti filios tuos,
quorum parentibus juramenta et conventiones dedisti bonarum promissionum!

22 Therefore, whereas 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.

22 Cum ergo das nobis disciplinam,
inimicos nostros multipliciter flagellas,
ut bonitatem tuam cogitemus judicantes,
et cum de nobis judicatur, speremus misericordiam tuam.

23 Wherefore, whereas men have lived dissolutely and unrighteously, thou hast tormented them with their own abominations.

23 Unde et illis qui in vita sua insensate et injuste vixerunt,
per hæc quæ coluerunt dedisti summa tormenta.

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.

24 Etenim in erroris via diutius erraverunt,
deos æstimantes hæc quæ in animalibus sunt supervacua,
infantium insensatorum more viventes.

25 Therefore unto them, as to children without the use of reason, thou didst send a judgment to mock them.

25 Propter hoc tamquam pueris insensatis judicium in derisum dedisti.

26 But they that would not be reformed by that correction, wherein he dallied with them, shall feel a judgment worthy of God.

26 Qui autem ludibriis et increpationibus non sunt correcti,
dignum Dei judicium experti sunt.

27 For, look, for what things they grudged, when they were punished, that is, for them whom they thought to be gods; now being punished in them, when they saw it, they acknowledged him to be the true God, whom before they denied to know; and therefore came extreme damnation upon them.

27 In quibus enim patientes indignabantur
per hæc quos putabant deos,
in ipsis cum exterminarentur videntes,
illum quem olim negabant se nosse, verum Deum agnoverunt;
propter quod et finis condemnationis eorum venit super illos.