18
Thou who art sovereign in strength dost judge with mildness, and with great forbearance thou dost govern us; for thou hast power to act whenever thou dost choose.
19
Through such works thou has taught thy people that the righteous man must be kind, and thou hast filled thy sons with good hope, because thou givest repentance for sins.
20
For if thou didst punish with such great care and indulgence the enemies of thy servants and those deserving of death, granting them time and opportunity to give up their wickedness,
21
with what strictness thou hast judged thy sons, to whose fathers thou gavest oaths and covenants full of good promises!
22
So while chastening us thou scourgest our enemies ten thousand times more, so that we may meditate upon thy goodness when we judge, and when we are judged we may expect mercy.
23
Therefore those who in folly of life lived unrighteously thou didst torment through their own abominations.
24
For they went far astray on the paths of error, accepting as gods those animals which even their enemies despised; they were deceived like foolish babes.
25
Therefore, as to thoughtless children, thou didst send thy judgment to mock them.
26
But those who have not heeded the warning of light rebukes will experience the deserved judgment of God.
27
For when in their suffering they became incensed at those creatures which they had thought to be 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 utmost condemnation came upon them.