Wisdom 14

¹Again another thinking to sail, and beginning to make a journey through the fierce waves, invocateth wood more frail than the wood that carrieth him.

²For covetousness of getting invented it, and the craftsman by his wisdom framed it.

³But thy providence, o Father, doth govern: because thou hast given a way even in the sea, and among the waves a most sure path,

⁴shewing that thou art able to save out of all things, yea if a man go to the sea without art.

⁵But that thy works might not be void of wisdom: for this cause also men commit their lives even to a little wood, and passing over the sea are delivered by ship.

⁶But from the beginning also when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world flying to a ship, rendered to the world seed of nativity, which was governed by thy hand.

⁷For blessed is the wood, by the which justice is made.

⁸But the idol that is made by hands, cursed is both it, and he that made it: because he indeed wrought it: and the same being frail, was called God.

⁹But to God the impious and his impiety are odious alike.

¹⁰For that which is made, with him that made it, shall suffer torments.

¹¹For this cause also in the idol of the nations there shall be no respect: because the creatures of God were made to hatred, and for tentation to the souls of men, and for a snare to the feet of the unwise.

¹²For the beginning of fornication is the devising of idols: and the inventing of them is the corruption of life.

¹³For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.

¹⁴For this vanity of men came into the world: and therefore there is found a short end of them.

¹⁵For the father being sorrowful with bitter mourning, made unto himself the image of his son quickly taken away: and him, that then was a dead man, now he began to worship as God, and appointed holy things and sacrifices among his servants.

¹⁶Afterward by succession of time, the wicked custom prevailing, this error was kept as a law, and things graven were worshipped by the commandment of Tyrants.

¹⁷And those, whom openly men could not honour, for that they were far off, their figure being brought from a far, they made an evident image of the king, whom they would honour: that by their carefulness they might honour as present, him that was absent.

¹⁸And to the worshipping of these, the excellent diligence also of the artificer, holp them forward, that were ignorant.

¹⁹For he willing to please him that entertained him, laboured by his art to fashion the similitude in better sort.

²⁰And the multitude of men carried away by the beauty of the work, him that a little before had been honoured as a man, now they esteemed for a God.

²¹And this was the deceiving of man's life: because men serving either affection, or kings, gave the name that is not communicable, to stones and wood.

²²And it was not sufficient that they erred about the knowledge of God, but also living in a great battle of ignorance, so many and so great evils they call peace.

²³For either sacrificing their children, or making obscure sacrifices, or having watches full of madness,

²⁴they now neither keep life, nor marriage clean, but one killeth another by envy, or playing the adulterer maketh him sorrowful:

²⁵and all things are mingled together, blood, manslaughter, theft and fiction, corruption and infidelity, trouble and perjury, disquieting of the good,

²⁶forgetfulness of God, inquination of souls, immutation of nativity, inconstancy of marriage, disorder of adultery, and unchasteness.

²⁷For the worship of idols not to be named, is the cause of all evil, and the beginning and end.

²⁸For either when they rejoice, they are mad: or certes prophesy false things, or live unjustly, or quickly forswear themselves.

²⁹For whilst they trust in idols, which are without soul, swearing amiss they hope not to be hurt.

³⁰Two evil things therefore shall happen to them worthily, because they have thought evil of God, attending to idols, and have sworn unjustly, in guile contemning justice.

³¹For it is not the power of them that are sworn by, but the punishment of them that sin goeth always through the transgression of the unjust.