Wis 13:9 For if they were able to know so much, that they could aim at the world; how did they not sooner find out the Lord thereof?

Wis 13:10 But miserable are they, and in dead things is their hope, who call them G.o.ds, which are the works of men's hands, gold and silver, to shew art in, and resemblances of beasts, or a stone good for nothing, the work of an ancient hand.

Wis 13:11 Now a carpenter that felleth timber, after he hath sawn down a tree meet for the purpose, and taken off all the bark skilfully round about, and hath wrought it handsomely, and made a vessel thereof fit for the service of man's life;

Wis 13:12 And after spending the refuse of his work to dress his meat, hath filled himself;

Wis 13:13 And taking the very refuse among those which served to no use, being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, hath carved it diligently, when he had nothing else to do, and formed it by the skill of his understanding, and fashioned it to the image of a man;

Wis 13:14 Or made it like some vile beast, laying it over with vermilion, and with paint colouring it red, and covering every spot therein;

Wis 13:15 And when he had made a convenient room for it, set it in a wall, and made it fast with iron:

Wis 13:16 For he provided for it that it might not fall, knowing that it was unable to help itself; for it is an image, and hath need of help:

Wis 13:17 Then maketh he prayer for his goods, for his wife and children, and is not ashamed to speak to that which hath no life.

Wis 13:18 For health he calleth upon that which is weak: for life prayeth to that which is dead; for aid humbly beseecheth that which hath least means to help: and for a good journey he asketh of that which cannot set a foot forward:

Wis 13:19 And for gaining and getting, and for good success of his hands, asketh ability to do of him, that is most unable to do any thing.

Wis 14:1 Again, one preparing himself to sail, and about to pa.s.s through the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more rotten than the vessel that carrieth him.

Wis 14:2 For verily desire of gain devised that, and the workman built it by his skill.

Wis 14:3 But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way in the sea, and a safe path in the waves;

Wis 14:4 Shewing that thou canst save from all danger: yea, though a man went to sea without art.

Wis 14:5 Nevertheless thou wouldest not that the works of thy wisdom should be idle, and therefore do men commit their lives to a small piece of wood, and pa.s.sing the rough sea in a weak vessel are saved.

Wis 14:6 For in the old time also, when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world governed by thy hand escaped in a weak vessel, and left to all ages a seed of generation.

Wis 14:7 For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.

Wis 14:8 But that which is made with hands is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he, because he made it; and it, because, being corruptible, it was called G.o.d.

Wis 14:9 For the unG.o.dly and his unG.o.dliness are both alike hateful unto G.o.d.

Wis 14:10 For that which is made shall be punished together with him that made it.

Wis 14:11 Therefore even upon the idols of the Gentiles shall there be a visitation: because in the creature of G.o.d they are become an abomination, and stumblingblocks to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the unwise.

Wis 14:12 For the devising of idols was the beginning of spiritual fornication, and the invention of them the corruption of life.

Wis 14:13 For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.

Wis 14:14 For by the vain glory of men they entered into the world, and therefore shall they come shortly to an end.

Wis 14:15 For a father afflicted with untimely mourning, when he hath made an image of his child soon taken away, now honoured him as a G.o.d, which was then a dead man, and delivered to those that were under him ceremonies and sacrifices.

Wis 14:16 Thus in process of time an unG.o.dly custom grown strong was kept as a law, and graven images were worshipped by the commandments of kings.

Wis 14:17 Whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they took the counterfeit of his visage from far, and made an express image of a king whom they honoured, to the end that by this their forwardness they might flatter him that was absent, as if he were present.

Wis 14:18 Also the singular diligence of the artificer did help to set forward the ignorant to more superst.i.tion.

Wis 14:19 For he, peradventure willing to please one in authority, forced all his skill to make the resemblance of the best fashion.

Wis 14:20 And so the mult.i.tude, allured by the grace of the work, took him now for a G.o.d, which a little before was but honoured.

Wis 14:21 And this was an occasion to deceive the world: for men, serving either calamity or tyranny, did ascribe unto stones and stocks the incommunicable name.

Wis 14:22 Moreover this was not enough for them, that they erred in the knowledge of G.o.d; but whereas they lived in the great war of ignorance, those so great plagues called they peace.

Wis 14:23 For whilst they slew their children in sacrifices, or used secret ceremonies, or made revellings of strange rites;

Wis 14:24 They kept neither lives nor marriages any longer undefiled: but either one slew another traiterously, or grieved him by adultery.

Wis 14:25 So that there reigned in all men without exception blood, manslaughter, theft, and dissimulation, corruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, perjury,

Wis 14:26 Disquieting of good men, forgetfulness of good turns, defiling of souls, changing of kind, disorder in marriages, adultery, and shameless uncleanness.

Wis 14:27 For the worshipping of idols not to be named is the beginning, the cause, and the end, of all evil.

Wis 14:28 For either they are mad when they be merry, or prophesy lies, or live unjustly, or else lightly forswear themselves.

Wis 14:29 For insomuch as their trust is in idols, which have no life; though they swear falsely, yet they look not to be hurt.

Wis 14:30 Howbeit for both causes shall they be justly punished: both because they thought not well of G.o.d, giving heed unto idols, and also unjustly swore in deceit, despising holiness.

Wis 14:31 For it is not the power of them by whom they swear: but it is the just vengeance of sinners, that punisheth always the offence of the unG.o.dly.

Wis 15:1 But thou, O G.o.d, art gracious and true, longsuffering, and in mercy ordering all things,

Wis 15:2 For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy power: but we will not sin, knowing that we are counted thine.

Wis 15:3 For to know thee is perfect righteousness: yea, to know thy power is the root of immortality.

Wis 15:4 For neither did the mischievous invention of men deceive us, nor an image spotted with divers colours, the painter's fruitless labour;

Wis 15:5 The sight whereof enticeth fools to l.u.s.t after it, and so they desire the form of a dead image, that hath no breath.

Wis 15:6 Both they that make them, they that desire them, and they that worship them, are lovers of evil things, and are worthy to have such things to trust upon.

Wis 15:7 For the potter, tempering soft earth, fashioneth every vessel with much labour for our service: yea, of the same clay he maketh both the vessels that serve for clean uses, and likewise also all such as serve to the contrary: but what is the use of either sort, the potter himself is the judge.

Wis 15:8 And employing his labours lewdly, he maketh a vain G.o.d of the same clay, even he which a little before was made of earth himself, and within a little while after returneth to the same, out when his life which was lent him shall be demanded.