1 But thou, our God, art kind and true, patient, and ruling all things in mercy.
2 For even if we sin we are thine, knowing thy power; but we will not sin, because we know that we are accounted thine.
3 For to know thee is complete righteousness, and to know thy power is the root of immortality.
4 For neither has the evil intent of human art misled us, nor the fruitless toil of painters, a figure stained with varied colors,
5 whose appearance arouses yearning in fools, so that they desire the lifeless form of a dead image.
6 Lovers of evil things and fit for such objects of hope are those who either make or desire or worship them.
7 For when a potter kneads the soft earth and laboriously molds each vessel for our service, he fashions out of the same clay both the vessels that serve clean uses and those for contrary uses, making all in like manner; but which shall be the use of each of these the worker in clay decides.
8 With misspent toil, he forms a futile god from the same clay -- this man who was made of earth a short time before and after a little while goes to the earth from which he was taken, when he is required to return the soul that was lent him.
9 But he is not concerned that he is destined to die or that his life is brief, but he competes with workers in gold and silver, and imitates workers in copper; and he counts it his glory that he molds counterfeit gods.
10 His heart is ashes, his hope is cheaper than dirt, and his life is of less worth than clay,
11 because he failed to know the one who formed him and inspired him with an active soul and breathed into him a living spirit.
12 But he considered our existence an idle game, and life a festival held for profit, for he says one must get money however one can, even by base means.
13 For this man, more than all others, knows that he sins when he makes from earthy matter fragile vessels and graven images.
14 But most foolish, and more miserable than an infant, are all the enemies who oppressed thy people.
15 For they thought that all their heathen idols were gods, though these have neither the use of their eyes to see with, nor nostrils with which to draw breath, nor ears with which to hear, nor fingers to feel with, and their feet are of no use for walking.
16 For a man made them, and one whose spirit is borrowed formed them; for no man can form a god which is like himself.
17 He is mortal, and what he makes with lawless hands is dead, for he is better than the objects he worships, since he has life, but they never have.
18 The enemies of thy people worship even the most hateful animals, which are worse than all others, when judged by their lack of intelligence;
19 and even as animals they are not so beautiful in appearance that one would desire them, but they have escaped both the praise of God and his blessing.
Versículos relacionados com Wisdom of Solomon, 15:
Chapter 15 of the Book of Wisdom describes the vanity of idols and the superiority of the true and alive God. The central message is that idols are lifeless creatures that do not have the power to act, think or respond to their worshipers. In contrast, the living God is the Creator of all things and is worthy of worship and praise. Below are five verses related to the topics covered in this chapter:
Isaiah 44:10: "How foolish is he who makes a God, an idol for his own damage!" This verse highlights the foolishness of worshiping idols, which are made by human hands and are unable to save or help their worshipers.
Psalm 115:4-8: "Their idols are silver and gold, work from the hands of men. They have mouth, but they do not speak; eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear; nose, but do not smell; but they don't feel; they have feet, but they don't walk; no sound comes out of their throat. " This psalm describes the uselessness of idols and their inability to act, think or speak.
Isaiah 40:18-19: "Who shall you compare to God, and what likeness will you be before Him? These verses highlight God's superiority in relation to idols and claim that there is no one or anything that can be compared to Him.
Jeremiah 10:5: "As these idols are a rod of reed, work of an artificer, they cannot speak; they must be taken, because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, because they cannot do evil or do good . " This verse states that idols are useless and without power, and that there is no reason to fear them.
Isaiah 45:20: "Congregate, come, come, come together, those who escape the nations, know nothing who lead their sculpture images, made of wood, and pray to a God who cannot save. " This verse highlights the foolishness of worshiping idols and states that those who worship them have no knowledge of God.
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