1 Ohow good and sweet is thy spirit o Lord in all!
1 O how good and sweet is thy spirit, O Lord, in all things!
2 And therefore those that err, by parts thou doest chastise: and doest admonish, and speak to them, concerning the things wherein they sin: that leaving naughtiness, they may believe in thee o Lord.
2 And 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.
3 For those old inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst abhor,
3 ¹For those ancient inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst abhor,
4 because they did works odious to thee by sorceries, and unjust sacrifices,
4 Because they did works hateful to thee by their sorceries, and wicked sacrifices,
5 and the murderers of their own children without mercy, and eaters of men's bowels, and devourers of blood from the midst of thy sacrament,
5 And those merciless murderers of their own children, and eaters of men’s bowels, and devourers of blood from the midst of thy consecration,
6 and the parents authors of aidless souls, thou wouldst destroy by the hands of our parents,
6 And those parents sacrificing with their own hands helpless souls, it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our parents,
7 that they might receive a peregrination worthy of the children of God, which is a land of all most dear to thee.
7 That the land which of all is most dear to thee, might receive a worthy colony of the children of God.
8 But them also as men thou didst spare, and didst send forerunners of thine host, wasps, that by little and little they might destroy them.
8 Yet even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps, forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.
9 Not because thou wast unable in battle to subdue the impious to the just, or with cruel beasts, or with a sharp word to destroy them together:
9 Not 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:
10 but judging by parts thou gavest place of repentance, being not ignorant, that the nation of them is wicked, and their malice natural & that their cogitation could not be changed for ever.
10 ²But 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.
11 For it was a cursed seed from the beginning: neither fearing any, didst thou give pardon to their sins.
11 For it was a cursed seed from the beginning: neither didst thou for fear of anyone give pardon to their sins.
12 For who shall say to thee: what hast thou done? Or who shall stand against thy judgement? Or who in thy sight shall come revenger of the wicked men? Or who shall impute it to thee, if the nations perish, which thou hast made?
12 For 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 ?
13 For there is no other God but thou, who hast care of all, that thou mayst shew that thou doest not give judgement unjustly.
13 For there is no other God but thou, ³who hast care of all, that thou shouldst show that thou dost not give judgment unjustly.
14 Neither king, nor tyrant in thy sight shall inquire of them, whom thou hast destroyed.
14 Neither shall king, nor tyrant, in thy sight inquire about them whom thou hast destroyed.
15 For so much then as thou art just, thou doest dispose all things justly: thou also esteemest it disagreeable from thy power to condemn him, who ought not to be punished.
15 For 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.
16 For thy power is the beginning of justice: and for this that thou art Lord of all, thou makest thyself to spare all.
16 For thy power is the beginning of justice: and because thou art Lord of all, thou makest thyself gracious to all.
17 For thou shewest power, which art not thought to be absolute in power, and thou convincest the boldness of them, that know thee not.
17 For thou showest thy power, when men will not believe thee to be absolute in power, and thou convincest the boldness of them that know thee not.
18 But thou dominatour of power, judgest with tranquility, and with great reverence disposest of us: for it is in thy power when thou wilt, to be able.
18 But thou being master of power, judgest with tranquillity, and with great favor disposest of us: for thy power is at hand when thou wilt.
19 And thou hast taught thy people by such works, that they must be just and gentle, and hast made thy children of good hope: because judging thou givest in sins place of repentance.
19 But 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.
20 For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy servants, and that deserved to die, with so great consideration, giving time and place, whereby they might be changed from their wickedness:
20 For 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:
21 with what diligence hast thou judged thy children, to whose parents thou gavest oaths and covenants of good promises?
21 With what circumspection hast thou judged thy own children, to whose parents thou hast sworn, and made covenants of good promises?
22 Therefore when thou givest us discipline, thou scourgest our enemies very many ways, that judging we may think upon thy goodness: and when we are judged, we may hope for thy mercy.
22 Therefore 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.
23 Wherefore to them also, which in their life have lived foolishly & unjustly, thou hast given great torments by the same things, which they did worship.
23 Wherefore thou hast also greatly tormented them, who, in their life, have lived foolishly and unjustly, by the same things which they worshipped.
24 For they wandered long in the way of error, esteeming for gods those things, that in beasts are superfluous, living after the manner of senseless infants.
24 ⁴For 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.
25 For this cause thou hast given judgement on them as on senseless children to be in derision.
25 Therefore thou hast sent a judgment upon them, as senseless children, to mock them.
26 But they that were not amended by scorns and reprehensions, have tried the worthy judgment of God.
26 But they that were not amended by mockeries and reprehensions, experienced the worthy judgment of God.
27 For in what things they suffering took indignation, by those whom they thought gods, when seeing they were destroyed in them, him, whom in time past they denied that they knew, they acknowledged the true God: for the which cause the end also of their condemnation shall come upon them.
27 For 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.