Wisdom of Solomon, 14

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

1. Imagine someone who is about to set sail and cross the raging sea. He calls upon a piece of wood far more fragile than the boat that carries him.

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

2. In fact, this boat has been built with gain in mind and proceeds from the wisdom of the shipwright.

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

3. But it is your providence, Father, that guides it, for you are the one who prepares a path through the sea and a safe way over the waves.

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

4. By this we understand that you are able to save us from any danger, and even the unskilled are able to sail.

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 passing the rough sea in a weak vessel are saved.

5. People are the work of your wisdom and you do not want them to remain idle. So they trust their lives to a small plank of wood and cross the sea safe and sound on a raft.

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.

6. At the beginning of time when proud giants perished, the hope of the world took refuge on a raft and, led by your hand, left to the world the seed of a new race.

7. For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.

7. Blessed be the wood by which salvation was carried out!

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 god.

8. But cursed be the idol and its maker, the idol made by human hands, this corruptible thing that is called a god, and the craftsman for having fashioned it.

9. For the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God.

9. They are hateful to God, both the godless and the fruit of his godlessness;

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

10. the maker will be punished together with his work.

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

11. Therefore the idols of the nations will also be judged. They have come to be the most abominable among the creatures of God. They are a stumbling block to the spirit of man, and the feet of the foolish are caught in the snare.

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

12. The invention of idols was the origin of licentiousness; when they were invented, life became corrupt.

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

13. For in the beginning they did not exist and they will not exist forever.

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

14. Human vanity introduced them into the world, and God has set a term for them.

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 god, which was then a dead man, and delivered to those that were under him ceremonies and sacrifices.

15. Suppose a father, overwhelmed by grief for a child so swiftly taken from him, has an image made of him. From that time on a dead creature will be honored as a god, because the father handed on to his dependents secret rites and celebrations.

16. Thus in process of time an ungodly custom grown strong was kept as a law, and graven images were worshipped by the commandments of kings.

16. Time will consolidate this unholy practice and eventually it will be observed by law. It has also happened that sculptured images were venerated by order of sovereigns.

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.

17. Those who lived far away and were unable to honor them personally had copies made, that they might honor them as if present by means of their image.

18. Also the singular diligence of the artificer did help to set forward the ignorant to more superstition.

18. The ambition of the artist helped the veneration grow among those who did not even know the sovereign.

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

19. As he wished to please his master, he made the portrait more attractive than reality,

20. And so the multitude, allured by the grace of the work, took him now for a god, which a little before was but honoured.

20. and the people, seduced by the perfection of art work, began to worship someone previously honored as a man.

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.

21. In this way the image became a pitfall for the living, for people bent down, either by misfortune or tyranny, gave to stones and wood the incommunicable Name.

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

22. But it was not enough for them to err in their knowledge of God; in the great trouble to which ignorance condemned them, they have called such an evil situation peace.

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

23. With the sacrificial murder of children in their initiations, with secret mysteries and wild ceremonial orgies,

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

24. they no longer keep their lives and marriages pure; they treacherously murder one another or wound others through adultery.

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

25. Everywhere it is a welter of blood, murder, fraud and theft, corruption, treachery, riots, perjury;

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

26. on all sides harassment of good people, forgetfulness of favors, the pollution of souls and sins against nature, widespread disorder in marriage, adultery, debauchery.

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

27. Indeed the worship of gods which do not even deserve a name, is the beginning, cause and effect of every evil.

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

28. Others delight in raving or uttering false prophecies; they live wickedly and casually perjure themselves.

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

29. As they deal with lifeless images, they do not fear any punishment for their false oaths,

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

30. but a double punishment awaits them: as idolators for their base concept of God, as frauds for taking false oaths in defiance of all that is holy.

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 ungodly.

31. Though the idols by which they swore are powerless, justice that pursues sinners always overtakes the sin of the wicked.