12 — Sapienza

1O how good and sweet is thy Spirit, O Lord, in all things!Quanto è benigno, e soave, o Signore, il tuo spirito in tutte le cose!O how good, and sweete is thy spirit ô Lord in al!O quam bonus et suavis est, Domine, spiritus tuus in omnibus ! 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.Onde tu gli erranti appoco appoco correggi, e de' loro falli gli ammonisci, e parli loro, affinchè messa da parte la malizia credano in te, o Signore.And therefore those, that erre, by partes thou doest chastise: and doest admonish, and speake to them, concerning the thinges wherin they sinne: that leauing naughtines, they may beleue in thee ô Lord.Ideoque eos qui exerrant partibus corripis, / et de quibus peccant admones et alloqueris, / ut relicta malitia credant in te, Domine. 3For those ancient inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst abhor,Imperocché tu avevi in abbominazione quelli abitatori antichi della tua terra santa,For, those old inhabitantes of thy holie land, whom thou didst abhorre,Illos enim antiquos inhabitatores terræ sanctæ tuæ, / quos exhorruisti, 4Because they did works hateful to thee by their sorceries, and wicked sacrifices,Perché orrende cose facevano contro di te co' lor veneficj, e sagrifizj scellerati,because they did workes odious to thee by sorceries, and vniust sacrifices,quoniam odibilia opera tibi faciebant / per medicamina et sacrificia injusta, 5And those merciless murderers of their own children, and eaters of men’s bowels, and devourers of blood from the midst of thy consecration,Che uccidevano senza pietà i propri figliuoli, e divoravano le viscere degli uomini, e beveano il sangue in mezzo alla sacrata tua terra.and the murderers of their owne children without mercie, and eaters of mens bowels, and deuourers of bloud from the middes of thy sacrament,et filiorum suorum necatores sine misericordia, / et comestores viscerum hominum, / et devoratores sanguinis a medio sacramento tuo, 6And those parents sacrificing with their own hands helpless souls, it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our parents,Questi genitori, autori della strage di quelle creature abbandonate, tu volesti distruggerli per le mani de' padri nostri,and the parents authors of aydelesse soules, thou wouldst destroy by the handes of our parents,et auctores parentes animarum inauxiliatarum, / perdere voluisti per manus parentum nostrorum: 7That the land which of all is most dear to thee, might receive a worthy colony of the children of God.Affinchè la terra cara a te più, che tutte le altre, accogliesse la degna colonia de' figliuoli di Dio.that they might receiue a peregrination worthie of the children of God, which is a land of al most deare to thee.ut dignam perciperent peregrinationem puerorum Dei, / quæ tibi omnium carior est terra.

8Yet even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.Ma anche a questi come uomini avesti riguardo, e mandasti quai battitori del tuo esercito le vespe, le quali appoco appoco gli sterminassero.But them also as men thou didst spare, and didst send forerunners of thine host, waspes, that by litle and litle they might destroy them.Sed et his tamquam hominibus pepercisti, / et misisti antecessores exercitus tui vespas, / ut illos paulatim exterminarent. 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:Non perché tu non potessi soggettare a mano armata gli empj ai giusti, o tutti sterminarli per mezzo di bestie feroci, o con una dura parola:Not because thou wast vnable in battel to subdewe the impious to the iust, or with cruel beastes, or with a sharpe word to destroy them together:Non quia impotens eras in bello subjicere impios justis, / aut bestiis sævis, aut verbo duro simul exterminare: 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.Ma gradatamente punendoli lascia vi luogo alla penitenza, benché non ignorassi tu come quella nazione era scellerata, e connaturale a quelli era la malizia, e come non potevan cangiarsi i loro pensieri giammai.but iudging by partes thou gauest 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 euer.sed 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. 11For it was a cursed seed from the beginning: neither didst thou for fear of any one give pardon to their sins.Perocché eran quelli una progenie maledetta fin da principio; e tu risparmiando i loro peccati non facevi per timore di alcuno.For it was a cursed seede from the begynning: neither fearing any, didst thou geue pardon to their sinnes.Semen enim erat maledictum ab initio; / nec timens aliquem, veniam dabas peccatis illorum. 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?Imperocché chi dirà a te: Che è quello, che tu hai fatto? O chi si opporrà a' tuoi giudizj? o chi verrà a te davanti in difesa di uomini iniqui? o chi a te imputerà lo sterminio delle nazioni create da te?For who shal say to thee: what hast thou done? or who shal stand against thy iudgement? or who in thy sight shal come reuenger of the wicked men? or who shal impute it to 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 ?

13For there is no other God but thou, who hast care of all, that thou shouldst shew that thou dost not give judgment unjustly.Perocché altro Dio non havvi fuori di te, che hai cura di tutti, onde dai a conoscere, come tu ingiustamente non giudichi.For there is no other God but thou, who hast care of al, that thou mayst shew that thou doest not geue iudgement vniustly.Non enim est alius deus quam tu, / cui cura est de omnibus, / ut ostendas quoniam non injuste judicas judicium. 14Neither shall king, nor tyrant, in thy sight inquire about them whom thou hast destroyed.Né re alcuno, né principe domanderà conto davanti a te di quelli, che avrai fatto perire.Neither king, nor tyrant in thy sight shal enquire of them, whom thou hast destroyed.Neque rex, neque tyrannus in conspectu tuo inquirent / de his quos perdidisti. 15For so much then, as thou art just, thou orderest all things justly: thinking it not agreeable to the power, to condemn him who deserveth not to be punished.Ma essendo tu giusto con giustizia ordini tutte le cose, e il condannare colui, che non debbe essere punito, il giudichi tu cosa aliena da tua possanza.For so much then as thou art iust, thou doest dispose al thinges iustly: thou also estemest it disagreable from thy powre, to condemne him, who ought not to be punished.Cum ergo sis justus, juste omnia disponis; / ipsum quoque qui non debet puniri, condemnare, / exterum æstimas a tua virtute. 16For thy power is the beginning of justice: and because thou art Lord of all, thou makest thyself gracious to all.Conciossiaché la tua possanza è principio di giustizia, e perché tu se' il Signore di tutti, con tutti ti fai indulgente.For thy powre is the begynning of iustice: and for this that thou art Lord of al, thou makest thyself to spare al.Virtus enim tua justitiæ initium est, / et ob hoc quod Dominus es, / omnibus te parcere facis. 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.Ma la tua possanza tu dai a conoscere quando non se' creduto perfettamente potente, e gastighi la contumacia di quelli, che non ti riconoscono.For thou shewest powre, which art not thought to be absolute in powre, and thou conuincest the boldnes of them, that know thee not.Virtutem enim ostendis tu, / qui non crederis esse in virtute consummatus, / et horum qui te nesciunt audaciam traducis. 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.Ma tu dominatore potente giudichi senza passione, e con gran moderazione ci governi; perché pronto hai il potere quando hai il volere.But thou dominatour of powre, iudgest with tranquilitie, and with great reuerence disposest of vs: for it is in thy powre when thou wilt, to be able.Tu autem dominator virtutis, cum tranquilitate judicas, / et cum magna reverentia disponis nos: / subest enim tibi, cum volueris posse.

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.Per tali maniere tu hai insegnato al tuo popolo come fa di mestieri, che il giusto sia ancora benigno, e i tuoi figliuoli hai avvezzati a bene operare, per ché quando li giudichi pe' lor peccati, lasci luogo alla penitenza.And thou hast taught thy people by such workes, that they must be iust and gentle, and hast made thy children of good hope: because iudging thou geuest in sinnes place of repentance.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. 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:Imperocché se i nemici de' servi tuoi già rei di morte gastigasti con tanto riguardo, dando loro tempo, e comodità, perché potessero rinunziare alla malizia,For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy seruants, and that deserued to die, with so great consideration, geuing time and place, whereby they might be changed from their wickednes.Si enim inimicos servorum tuorum, et debitos morti, / cum tanta cruciasti attentione, / dans tempus et locum per quæ possent mutari a malitia: 21With what circumspection hast thou judged thy own children, to whose parents thou hast sworn, and made covenants of good promises?Con quanta cautela hai tu giudicati li tuoi figliuoli, a' padri de' quali facesti le buone promesse pattuite, e giurate?With what diligence hast thou iudged thy children, to whose parents thou gauest othes and couenants of good promises?cum quanta diligentia judicasti filios tuos, / quorum parentibus juramenta et conventiones dedisti bonarum promissionum ! 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.Quando adunque noi tu correggi, molto più tu flagelli i nostri nemici, affinchè noi ripensiamo, e siamo attenti alla tua bontà, e quando si fa giudizio di noi, nella tua misericordia speriamo.Therfore when thou geuest vs discipline, thou scourgest our enemies very manie wayes, that iudging we may thinke vpon thy goodnes: and when we are iudged, we may hope for thy mercie.Cum ergo das nobis disciplinam, / inimicos nostros multipliciter flagellas, / ut bonitatem tuam cogitemus judicantes, / et cum de nobis judicatur, speremus misericordiam tuam.

23Wherefore thou hast also greatly tormented them, who, in their life, have lived foolishly and unjustly, by the same things which they worshipped.Per la qual cosa eziandio a quelli, che nella loro vita si diportarono da insensati, ed ingiusti, desti tu sommi tormenti per mezzo di quelle cose, che aveano adorate.Wherfore to them also, which in their life haue liued foolishly & vniustly, thou hast geuen great torments by the same thinges, which they did worshipe.Unde et illis qui in vita sua insensate et injuste vixerunt, / per hæc quæ coluerunt dedisti summa tormenta. 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.Perocché eglino per lungo tempo camminarono traviati per la via dell'errore, credendo dei que', che sono i più vili tra gli animali, e vivendo da ragazzi senza ragione.For they wandered long in the way of errour, esteming for goddes those thinges, that in beasts are superfluous, liuing after the maner of sensles infants.Etenim in erroris via diutius erraverunt, / deos æstimantes hæc quæ in animalibus sunt supervacua, / infantium insensatorum more viventes. 25Therefore thou hast sent a judgment upon them, as senseless children, to mock them.Per questo come a ragazzi insensati tu desti loro gastigo di scherno:For this cause thou hast geuen iudgement on them as on sensles children to be in derision.Propter hoc tamquam pueris insensatis judicium in derisum dedisti. 26But they that were not amended by mockeries and reprehensions, experienced the worthy judgment of God.Ma quelli, che agli scherni, e alle grida non si emendarono, provaron gastigo degno di Dio:But they that were not amended by scornes and reprehensions, haue tried the worthie iudgement of God.Qui autem ludibriis et increpationibus non sunt correcti, / dignum Dei judicium experti sunt. 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.Imperocché da quello stesso, che con indignazione soffrivano per mezzo di quelle cose, ch'ei credevano dei, da questo nel tempo, che erano straziati, si accorsero, e riconobbero vero Dio esser quello, che una volta negavano di conoscere; per la qual cosa piombò sopra di loro la finale condannagione.For in what thinges they suffering tooke indignation, by those whom they thought goddes, when seing they were destroyed in them, him, whom in time past they denied that they knewe, they acknowleged the true God: for the which cause the end also of their condemnation shal come vpon them.In 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.