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CAP 12
1 Lord, hou good, and hou swete is thi Spirit in alle thingis;
2 and therfor thou chastisist bi partis these men that erren; and thou monestist; of whiche thingis thei synnen, and thou spekist to hem, that whanne thei han forsake malice, thei bileue in thee, Lord.
3 For thou woldist leese thilke elde dwelleris of thin hooli lond, whiche thou wlatidist;
4 for thei diden werkis hateful to thee, bi medicynes, and vniust sacrifices;
5 and the slears of her sones, with out merci, and eteris of entrailis of men,
6 and deuowreris of blood; and bi the hondis of oure fadris thou woldist leese fro thi myddil sacrament fadris and modris, autours of soulis vnhelpid;
7 that oure fadris schulden take the worthi pilgrymage of Goddis children, which is to thee the derewortheste lond of alle.
8 But also thou sparidist these as men, and thou sentist waspis, the bifore goeris of thin oost, that tho schulden destrie hem litil and litil.
9 Not for thou were vnmyyti to make wickid men suget to iust men in batel;
10 but thou demydist bi partis, and yauest place to penaunce, and wistist, that the nacioun of hem was weiward, and her malice was kyndli, and that her thouyt myyte not be chaungid with outen ende.
11 For it was a cursid seed at the bigynnyng. And thou not dredynge ony man, yauest foryyuenesse to the synnes of hem.
12 For whi who schal seie to thee, What hast thou do? ether who schal stonde ayens thi doom? ethir who schal come in thi siyt, to be auengere of wickid men? ether who schal arette to thee, if naciouns perischen, whiche thou madist?
13 For whi noon other than thou is God, to whom is charge of alle thingis, that thou schewe, that thou demest doom not vniustli.
14 Nether king nether tiraunt in thi siyt schulen enquere of these men, whiche thou hast lost.
15 Therfor sithen thou art iust, thou disposist iustli alle thingis; also, fadir, thou condempnest hym, that owith not to be punyschid, and thou gessist hym a straunger fro thi vertu.
16 For whi thi vertu is the bigynnyng of riytfulnesse; and for this, that thou art lord of alle men, thou makist thee to spare alle men.
17 For thou, that art not bileued to be perfit in vertu, schewist vertu; and thou ledist ouer these men, that knowen not thee, in hardynesse.
18 But thou, lord of vertu, demest with pesiblenesse, and disposist vs with greet reuerence; for it is suget to thee to mow, whanne thou wolt.
19 Forsothe thou hast tauyt thi puple bi siche werkis, that it bihoueth a iuge to be iust, and benygne; and thou madist thi sones of good hope, for thou demest, and yyuest place to penaunce in synnes.
20 For if thou turmentidist the enemyes of thi seruauntis, and men due to deth with so greet perseyuyng, and delyueridist, and yauest tyme and place, bi which thei myyten be chaungid fro malice;
21 with hou greet diligence demest thou thi sones, to whos fadris thou yauest othis and couenauntis of good biheestis?
22 Therfor whanne thou yyuest chastisyng to vs, thou betist many fold oure enemyes, that we demynge thenke thi goodnesse; and whanne it is demyd of vs, that we hope thi merci.
23 Wherfor and to hem, that lyueden vnwiseli, and vniustli in her lijf, thou yauest souereyn turmentis, bi these thingis whiche thei worschipiden.
24 For thei erriden ful longe in the weie of errour, and gessiden goddis these thingis that ben superflu in beestis, and lyueden bi custom of yonge children vnwitti.
25 For this thing thou yauest doom, in to scorn, as to children vnwitti;
26 but thei, that weren not amendid bi scornyngis and blamyngis, feeliden the worthi doom of God.
27 For thei baren heuyli in these thingis, whiche thei suffriden, in whiche thingis thei suffrynge hadden indignacioun; thei seynge hym, whom thei denyeden sum tyme hem to knowe, knewen hym veri God, bi these thingis whiche thei gessiden goddis among hem, whanne tho weren destried; for which thing and the ende of her condempnacioun schal come on hem.