God's wisdom and mercy in his proceedings with the Chanaanites.

 1 O how good and sweet is thy spirit, O Lord, in all things!
O quam bonus et suavis est, Domine, spiritus tuus in omnibus!

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

 3 For those ancient inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst abhor,
Illos enim antiquos inhabitatores terrae sanctae tuae, quos exhorruisti,

 4 Because they did works hateful to thee by their sorceries, and wicked sacrifices,
quoniam odibilia opera tibi faciebant per medicamina et sacrificia injusta,

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

 6 And those parents sacrificing with their own hands helpless souls, it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our parents,
et auctores parentes animarum inauxiliatarum, perdere voluisti per manus parentum nostrorum;

 7 That the land which of all is most dear to thee might receive a worthy colony of the children of God.
ut dignam perciperent peregrinationem puerorum Dei, quae tibi omnium carior est terra.

 8 Yet even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps, forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.
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 wicked under the just by war, or by cruel beasts, or with one rough word to destroy them at once:
Non quia impotens eras in bello subjicere impios justis, aut bestiis saevis, aut verbo duro simul exterminare;

 10 But 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.
sed partibus judicans, dabas locum poenitentiae, 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 one give pardon to their sins.
Semen enim erat maledictum ab initio; nec timens aliquem, veniam dabas peccatis illorum.

 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?
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 there is no other God but thou, who hast care of all, that thou shouldst shew that thou dost not give judgment unjustly.
Non enim est alius Deus quam tu, cui cura est de omnibus, ut ostendas quoniam non injuste judicas judicium.

 14 Neither shall king, nor tyrant in thy sight inquire about them whom thou hast destroyed.
Neque rex neque tyrannus in conspectu tuo inquirent de his quos perdidisti.

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

 16 For thy power is the beginning of justice: and because thou art Lord of all, thou makest thyself gracious to all.
Virtus enim tua justitiae initium est, et ob hoc quod Dominus es, omnibus te parcere facis.

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

 18 But thou being master of power, judgest with tranquillity; and with great favour disposest of us: for thy power is at hand when thou wilt.
Tu autem dominator virtutis, cum tranquilitate judicas, et cum magna reverentia disponis nos : subest enim tibi, cum volueris posse.

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

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

 21 With what circumspection hast thou judged thy own children, to whose parents thou hast sworn and made covenants of good promises?
cum quanta diligentia judicasti filios tuos, quorum parentibus juramenta et conventiones dedisti bonarum promissionum!

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

 23 Wherefore thou hast also greatly tormented them who in their life have lived foolishly and unjustly, by the same things which they worshipped.
Unde et illis qui in vita sua insensate et injuste vixerunt, per haec quae coluerunt dedisti summa tormenta.

 24 For 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.
Etenim in erroris via diutius erraverunt, deos aestimantes haec quae in animalibus sunt supervacua, infantium insensatorum more viventes.

 25 Therefore thou hast sent a judgment upon them as senseless children to mock them.
Propter hoc tamquam pueris insensatis judicium in derisum dedisti.

 26 But they that were not amended by mockeries and reprehensions, experienced the worthy judgment of God.
Qui autem ludibriis et increpationibus non sunt correcti, dignum Dei judicium experti sunt.

 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.
In quibus enim patientes indignabantur per haec 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.