12:2. 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.
12:3. For those ancient inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst abhor,
12:4. Because they did works hateful to thee by their sorceries, and wicked sacrifices,
12:5. And those merciless murderers of their own children, and eaters of men's bowels, and devourers of blood from the midst of thy consecration,
From the midst of thy consecration. . .Literally, sacrament. That is, the land sacred to thee, in which thy temple was to be established, and man's redemption to be wrought.
12:6. And those parents sacrificing with their own hands helpless souls, it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our parents,
12:7. That the land which of all is most dear to thee, might receive a worthy colony of the children of God.
12:8. Yet even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.
12:9. 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:
12:10. 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.