Wisdom

1Again, another designing to sail, and beginning to make his voyage through the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more frail than the wood that carrieth him.

2For this the desire of gain devised, and the workman built it by his skill.

3But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way even in the sea, and a most sure path among the waves,

4Shewing that thou art able to save out of all things, yea though a man went to sea without art.

5But that the works of thy wisdom might not be idle: therefore men also trust their lives even to a little wood, and passing over the sea by ship are saved.

6And from the beginning also when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world fleeing to a vessel, which was governed by thy hand, left to the world seed of generation.

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

8But the idol that is made by hands, is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he because he made it; and it because being frail it is called a god.

9But to God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike.

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

11Therefore there shall be no respect had even to the idols of the Gentiles: because the creatures of God are turned to an abomination, and a temptation to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the unwise.

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

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

14For by the vanity of men they came into the world: and therefore they shall be found to come shortly to an end.

15For a father being afflicted with bitter grief, made to himself the image of his son who was quickly taken away: and him who then had died as a man, he began now to worship as a god, and appointed him rites and sacrifices among his servants.

16Then in process of time, wicked custom prevailing, this error was kept as a law, and statues were worshipped by the commandment of tyrants.

17And those whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they brought their resemblance from afar, and made an express image of the king whom they had a mind to honour: that by this their diligence, they might honour as present, him that was absent.

18And to worshipping of these, the singular diligence also of the artificer helped to set forward the ignorant.

19For he being willing to please him that employed him, laboured with all his art to make the resemblance in the best manner.

20And the multitude of men, carried away by the beauty of the work, took him now for a god that a little before was but honoured as a man.

21And this was the occasion of deceiving human life: for men serving either their affection, or their kings, gave the incommunicable name to stones and wood.

22And it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but whereas they lived in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and so great evils peace.

23For either they sacrifice their own children, or use hidden sacrifices, or keep watches full of madness,

24So that now they neither keep life, nor marriage undefiled, but one killeth another through envy, or grieveth him by adultery:

25And all things are mingled together, blood, murder, theft and dissimulation, corruption and unfaithfulness, tumults and perjury, disquieting of the good,

26Forgetfulness of God, defiling of souls, changing of nature, disorder in marriage, and the irregularity of adultery and uncleanness.

27For the worship of abominable idols is the cause, and the beginning and end of all evil.

28For either they are mad when they are merry: or they prophesy lies, or they live unjustly, or easily forswear themselves.

29For whilst they trust in idols, which are without life, though they swear amiss, they look not to be hurt.

30But for two things they shall be justly punished, because they have thought not well of God, giving heed to idols, and have sworn unjustly, in guile despising justice.

31For it is not the power of them, by whom they swear, but the just vengeance of sinners always punisheth the transgression of the unjust.

1mong manh hơn cả con thuyền chở anh ta.

2đã chế ra với trí khôn ngoan của tay thợ lành nghề.

3vì Cha đã vạch đường giữa biển, rẽ lối an toàn trên sóng nước.

4để người ta có thể xuống thuyền, dầu chưa có kinh nghiệm.

5mà vẫn được bình an vô sự.

6nhờ có Cha ra tay hướng dẫn.

7đem lại ơn công chính.

8bên kia vốn là đồ mục nát, mà lại được xưng tụng là thần.

9đứa vô đạo và tội vô đạo, cả hai đều đáng ghét.

10Đồ làm ra cùng với kẻ làm ra đều sẽ bị gia hình.

11nên cạm bẫy cho kẻ ngu dốt trượt chân.

12Sáng chế ra tượng thần là làm cho cuộc đời hư hỏng.

13và rồi cũng chẳng tồn tại mãi đâu.

14Vì thế số phận của chúng là sớm bị tiêu diệt.

15bao điều huyền nhiệm cùng lễ bái.

16phải tôn thờ hình tượng chạm trổ :

17như thể ông có mặt ở đó.

18ra công cổ võ việc thờ kính ông.

19làm cho tác phẩm mình đẹp hơn nguyên mẫu.

20con người mới trước đây mình chỉ kính tôn.

21danh hiệu chỉ dành cho một Đấng duy nhất thôi.

22họ gọi những tai hoạ đó là hoà bình.

23theo những tập tục lố lăng.

24hoặc làm khổ nhau vì chuyện ngoại tình.

25nhũng lạm, bất tín, bạo loạn, bội thề.

26rồi hôn nhân hỗn loạn, ngoại tình và phóng đãng.

27ấy là việc thờ ngẫu tượng không tên.

28sống bất trung bất chính, bội ước cách dễ dàng.

29nên họ chẳng hề lo bị phạt khi thề gian thề dối.

30và đã thề gian thề dối mà coi thường sự thánh thiện.

31dù họ đã nhân danh các thần mà thề hứa.