Wisdom of Solomon, chapter 12

from prior chapter that concluded chapter 11: 1 - 12:1
12:2 - 27 (Edgar J. Goodspeed translation)
Therefore You correct little by little those who go astray, and you admonish them by reminding them of the things through which they sin; so that they may escape from their wickedness and believe in you, Lord. For those who long ago inhabited Your holy land You hated for acting most hatefully, practicing enchantments and unholy rites, merciless killing of children, and cannibal feasting on human flesh and blood. Initiates from the midst of a pagan brotherhood, and parents who were murderers of helpless lives, You determined to destroy by the hands of our forefathers, so that the land which you prized above all others might receive a worthy colony of God's children. But even these, as being men, You spared, and You sent wasps as forerunners of Your host, to destroy them little by little. Not that You were unable to make the upright defeat the ungodly in battle, or to destroy them at one blow with terrible wild animals or a stern command, but in judging them little by little You gave them opportunity to repent, for You were not ignorant that their origin was evil, and their wickedness inborn, and that their manner of thought would never change. For they were a race accursed from the beginning, and it was not through fear of any man that you left them unpunished for their sins. For who can say, "What have you done?" Or who can oppose Your judgment? And who can accuse You of the destruction of the nations which You made? Or who will come to stand before You as the avenger of unrighteous men? For neither is there any god but You, who care for all men, to show that You do not judge righteously, Nor will any king or monarch be able to face You about those whom You have punished. But since You are upright, You conduct all things uprightly, considering it inconsistent with Your power to condemn the man who does not deserve to be punished. For Your strength is the beginning of uprightness and the fact that You are Lord of all makes You spare all. For when men disbelieve in the perfection of Your power, You display Your strength, and in the case of those that know, You rebuke their rashness and govern us with great forbearance. For the power is at your command, whenever You wish it. By such deeds You taught Your people that the upright man must be humane, and You made Your sons be of good hope, because You give repentance for sins, for if You punished with such care and indulgence those who were the enemies of Your servants, and deserved death, giving them time and opportunity to escape from their wickedness, with what exactness You have judged Your sons, to whose forefathers You gave oaths and agreements promising them good! So when You discipline us, You flog our enemies ten thousand fold, so that when we judge we may reflect on Your goodness, and when we are judged we may look for mercy. Therefore you tormented through their own abominable practices those who lived wickedly, in a life of folly, for they went astray far beyond the ways of error, accepting as gods the lowest and basest of animals, being deceived like foolish babies. Therefore You sent Your judgment in mockery of them, as though to unreasoning children. But those who cannot be admonished by mockeries of correction, will experience a judgment worthy of God. For because through what they suffered they became indignant at those whom they considered gods, being punished by means of them, they saw and recognized as the true God Him whom they had before refused to know. Therefore the very height of condemnation overtook them.