Wisdom of Solomon, 13

1. Yes, naturally stupid are all who are unaware of God, and who, from good things seen, have not been able to discover Him-who-is, or, by studying the works, have not recognised the Artificer.

1. For all men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature; and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know him who exists, nor did they recognize the craftsman while paying heed to his works;

2. Fire, however, or wind, or the swift air, the sphere of the stars, impetuous water, heaven's lamps, are what they have held to be the gods who govern the world.

2. but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air, or the circle of the stars, or turbulent water, or the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world.

3. If, charmed by their beauty, they have taken these for gods, let them know how much the Master of these excels them, since he was the very source of beauty that created them.

3. If through delight in the beauty of these things men assumed them to be gods, let them know how much better than these is their Lord, for the author of beauty created them.

4. And if they have been impressed by their power and energy, let them deduce from these how much mightier is he that has formed them,

4. And if men were amazed at their power and working, let them perceive from them how much more powerful is he who formed them.

5. since through the grandeur and beauty of the creatures we may, by analogy, contemplate their Author.

5. For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.

6. Small blame, however, attaches to them, for perhaps they go astray only in their search for God and their eagerness to find him;

6. Yet these men are little to be blamed, for perhaps they go astray while seeking God and desiring to find him.

7. familiar with his works, they investigate them and fall victim to appearances, seeing so much beauty.

7. For as they live among his works they keep searching, and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are beautiful.

8. But even so, they have no excuse:

8. Yet again, not even they are to be excused;

9. if they are capable of acquiring enough knowledge to be able to investigate the world, how have they been so slow to find its Master?

9. for if they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world, how did they fail to find sooner the Lord of these things?

10. But wretched are they, with their hopes set on dead things, who have given the title of gods to human artefacts, gold or silver, skilfully worked, figures of animals, or useless stone, carved by some hand long ago.

10. But miserable, with their hopes set on dead things, are the men who give the name "gods" to the works of men's hands, gold and silver fashioned with skill, and likenesses of animals, or a useless stone, the work of an ancient hand.

11. Take a woodcutter. He fells a suitable tree, neatly strips off the bark all over and then with admirable skill works the wood into an object useful in daily life.

11. A skilled woodcutter may saw down a tree easy to handle and skilfully strip off all its bark, and then with pleasing workmanship make a useful vessel that serves life's needs,

12. The bits left over from his work he uses for cooking his food, then eats his fill.

12. and burn the castoff pieces of his work to prepare his food, and eat his fill.

13. There is still a good-for-nothing bit left over, a gnarled and knotted billet: he takes it and whittles it with the concentration of his leisure hours, he shapes it with the skill of experience, he gives it a human shape

13. But a castoff piece from among them, useful for nothing, a stick crooked and full of knots, he takes and carves with care in his leisure, and shapes it with skill gained in idleness; he forms it like the image of a man,

14. or perhaps he makes it into some vile animal, smears it with ochre, paints its surface red, coats over all its blemishes.

14. or makes it like some worthless animal, giving it a coat of red paint and coloring its surface red and covering every blemish in it with paint;

15. He next makes a worthy home for it, lets it into the wall, fixes it with an iron clamp.

15. then he makes for it a niche that befits it, and sets it in the wall, and fastens it there with iron.

16. Thus he makes sure that it will not fall down -- being well aware that it cannot help itself, since it is only an image, and needs to be helped.

16. So he takes thought for it, that it may not fall, because he knows that it cannot help itself, for it is only an image and has need of help.

17. And yet, if he wishes to pray for his goods, for his marriage, for his children, he does not blush to harangue this lifeless thing -- for health, he invokes what is weak,

17. When he prays about possessions and his marriage and children, he is not ashamed to address a lifeless thing.

18. for life, he pleads with what is dead, for help, he goes begging to total inexperience, for a journey, what cannot even use its feet,

18. For health he appeals to a thing that is weak; for life he prays to a thing that is dead; for aid he entreats a thing that is utterly inexperienced; for a prosperous journey, a thing that cannot take a step;

19. for profit, an undertaking, and success in pursuing his craft, he asks skill from something whose hands have no skill whatever.

19. for money-making and work and success with his hands he asks strength of a thing whose hands have no strength.