प्रज्ञा ग्रन्थ 12

1O how good and sweet is thy spirit, O Lord, in all things!

2And therefore thou chastisest them that err, by little and little: and admonishest them, and speakest to them, concerning the things wherein they offend: that leaving their wickedness, they may believe in thee, O Lord.

3For those ancient inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst abhor,

4Because they did works hateful to thee by their sorceries, and wicked sacrifices,

5And those merciless murderers of their own children, and eaters of men’s bowels, and devourers of blood from the midst of thy consecration,

6And those parents sacrificing with their own hands helpless souls, it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our parents,

7That the land which of all is most dear to thee might receive a worthy colony of the children of God.

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

9Not that thou wast unable to bring the wicked under the just by war, or by cruel beasts, or with one rough word to destroy them at once:

10But executing thy judgments by degrees thou gavest them place of repentance, not being ignorant that they were a wicked generation, and their malice natural, and that their thought could never be changed.

11For it was a cursed seed from the beginning: neither didst thou for fear of any one give pardon to their sins.

12For who shall say to thee: What hast thou done? or who shall withstand thy judgment? or who shall come before thee to be a revenger of wicked men? or who shall accuse thee, if the nations perish, which thou hast made?

13For there is no other God but thou, who hast care of all, that thou shouldst shew that thou dost not give judgment unjustly.

14Neither shall king, nor tyrant in thy sight inquire about them whom thou hast destroyed.

15For so much then as thou art just, thou orderest all things justly: thinking it not agreeable to thy power, to condemn him who deserveth not to be punished.

16For thy power is the beginning of justice: and because thou art Lord of all, thou makest thyself gracious to all.

17For thou shewest thy power, when men will not believe thee to be absolute in power, and thou convincest the boldness of them that know thee not.

18But thou being master of power, judgest with tranquillity; and with great favour disposest of us: for thy power is at hand when thou wilt.

19But thou hast taught thy people by such works, that they must be just and humane, and hast made thy children to be of a good hope: because in judging thou givest place for repentance for sins.

20For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy servants, and that deserved to die, with so great deliberation, giving them time and place whereby they might be changed from their wickedness:

21With what circumspection hast thou judged thy own children, to whose parents thou hast sworn and made covenants of good promises?

22Therefore whereas thou chastisest us, thou scourgest our enemies very many ways, to the end that when we judge we may think on thy goodness: and when we are judged, we may hope for thy mercy.

23Wherefore thou hast also greatly tormented them who in their life have lived foolishly and unjustly, by the same things which they worshipped.

24For they went astray for a long time in the ways of error, holding those things for gods which are the most worthless among beasts, living after the manner of children without understanding.

25Therefore thou hast sent a judgment upon them as senseless children to mock them.

26But they that were not amended by mockeries and reprehensions, experienced the worthy judgment of God.

27For seeing with indignation that they suffered by those very things which they took for gods, when they were destroyed by the same, they acknowledged him the true God, whom in time past they denied that they knew: for which cause the end also of their condemnation came upon them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10sed 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.

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

12Quis 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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

25Propter hoc tamquam pueris insensatis judicium in derisum dedisti.

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

27In 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.]

1O how good and gracious, Lord, is your spirit in all things!

2Therefore, those who wander afield, you correct, and, as to those who sin, you counsel them and admonish them, so that, having abandoned malice, they may believe in you, O Lord.

3For those ancient inhabitants of your holy land, who you abhorred,

4because they were doing works hateful to you, through unjust medicines and sacrifices,

5and the merciless murderers of their own sons, and the eaters of human entrails, and the devourers of blood apart from your community sacrament,

6and the sellers performing the ceremonies of helpless souls, you willed to destroy by the hands of our parents,

7so that they might worthily secure the sojourn of the children of God, in the land which is most beloved by you.

8Yet, so that you were lenient even to these men, you sent wasps, forerunners of your army, so that you might destroy them little by little,

9not because you were unable to subdue the impious under the just by war or by cruel beasts, or with a harsh word to exterminate them at once,

10but, in judging by degrees, you were giving them a place of repentance, not unaware that their nation is wicked, and their malice is inherent, and that their thinking could never be changed.

11For this offspring was accursed from the beginning. Neither did you, fearing anyone, give favor to their sins.

12For who will say to you, “What have you done?” Or who will stand against your judgment? Or who will come before you as a defender of unfair men? Or who will accuse you, if the nations perish, which you have made?

13For neither is there any other God but you, who has care of all, to whom you would show that you did not give judgment unjustly.

14Neither will king or tyrant inquire before you about those whom you destroyed.

15Therefore, since you are just, you order all things justly, considering it foreign to your virtue to condemn him who does not deserve to be punished.

16For your power is the beginning of justice, and, because you are Lord of all, you make yourself to be lenient to all.

17For you reveal power to those who do not believe you to be perfect in power, and you expose the arrogance of those who do not know you.

18Yet, you are the master of power, since you judge with tranquility, and since you administer us with great reverence; for it is close to you to be used whenever you will.

19But you have taught your people, through such works, that they must be just and humane, and you have made your sons to be of good hope, because in judging you provide a place for repentance from sins.

20For even if the enemies of your servants were deserving of death, you afflicted them with great attentiveness, providing a time and a place whereby they would be able to be changed from malice;

21with what diligence, then, have you judged your sons, whose parents you have given oaths and covenants in good faith!

22Therefore, while you give us discipline, you give our enemies a multiplicity of scourges, so that in judging we may think on your goodness, and when we are judged, we may hope for mercy.

23Therefore, also to these, who have lived their life irrationally and unjustly, through these things that they worshiped, you gave the greatest torments.

24And, indeed, they wandered for a long time in the way of error, valuing those things as gods, which are worthless even among animals, living in foolish irrational behavior.

25Because of this, you have given a judgment in derision, as if from foolish children.

26But those who have not been corrected by mockery and chiding, have experienced a judgment worthy of God.

27For among those who were indignant at their sufferings, which came through those things that they reputed to be gods, when they saw that they would be destroyed by these same things, those who formerly refused knowledge of him, now acknowledged the true God, and, because of this, the end of their condemnation came upon them.