Wisdom of Solomon 14
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1AGaine, another man purposing to saile, and intending to passe thorowe the raging waues, calleth vpon a stocke more rotten then the shippe that carieth him. 2For as for it, couetousnes of money hathe founde it out, and the craftesman made it by cunning. 3But thy prouidence, ô father, gouerneth it: for thou hast made away, euen in the sea, and a sure path among the waues, 4Declaring thereby, that thou hast power to helpe in all things, yea, thogh a man went to the sea without meanes. 5Neuertheles thou woldest not, that the workes of thy wisdome shulde be vaine, and therefore do men commit their liues to a smale piece of wood, and passe ouer the stormie sea in a shippe, and are saued. 6For in the olde time also when the proude gyants perished, the hope of the worlde went into a shippe which was gouerned by thine hand, and so left sede of generacion vnto the worlde. 7For blessed is the tre whereby righteousnes commeth. 8But that is cursed that is made with hands, bothe it, & he that made it: he because he made it, and it being a corruptible thing, because it was called god. 9For the vngodlie, and his vngodlines are bothe like hated of God: so truely the worke & he that made it, shalbe punished together. 10Therefore shal there be a visitation for the idoles of the nations: for of the creatures of God they are become abominacion, and stumbling blockes vnto the soules of men, & a snare for the fete of the vnwise. 11For the inuenting of idoles was the beginning of whoredome, and the finding of them is the corruption of life. 12For they were not from the beginning, nether shal they continue for euer. 13The vaine glorie of men broght them into the worlde: therefore shal they come shortly to an end. 14When a father mourned grieuously for his sonne that was taken away suddenly, he made an image for him that was once dead, whome now he worshipeth as a god, & ordeined to his seruants ceremonies and sacrifices. 15Thus by proces of time this wicked custome preuailed, and was kept as a law, and idoles were worshiped by the commandement of tyrants. 16As for those that were so frare of that men might not worship them presently, they did conterfet the visage that was farre of, and made a gorgeous image of a King, whome they wolde honour, that thei might by all meanes flatter him that was absent, as thogh he had bene present. 17Againe the ambition of the craftesman thrust forwarde the ignorant to increase the superstition. 18For he peraduenture willing to please a noble man, labored with all his cunning to make the image of the best facion. 19And so thorowe the beautie of the worke the multitude was allured, and so toke him now for a god, which a litle afore was but honored as a man. 20And this was the deceiuing of mans life, when men, being in seruitude, through calamitie and tyrannie ascribed vnto stones and stockes the name, which oght not to be communicate vnto anie. 21Moreouer, this was not ynough for them that they erred in the knowledge of God: but where as they liued in great warres of ignorance, those so great plagues called they peace. 22For ether they slewe their owne children in sacrifice, or vsed secret ceremonies, or raging dissolutenes by strange rites, 23And so kept nether life nor mariage cleane: but ether one slewe another by treason, or els vexed him by adulterie. 24So were all mixt together, blood and slaughter, thefte & deceit, corruption, vnfaithfulnes, tumultes, periurie, 25Disquieting of good men, vnthankefulnes, defiling of soules, changing of birth, disordre in mariage, adulterie & vnclennes. 26For the worshiping of idoles that oght not to be named, is the beginning and the cause and the end of all euil. 27For either they be mad when they be merie, or prophecie lies, or liue vngodlie, or els lightly forsweare them selues. 28For in so muche as their trust is in the idoles, which haue no life, thogh thei sweare falsely, yet they thinke to haue no hurt. 29Therefore for two causes shal they iustely be punished, because they haue an euil opinion of God, addicting them selues vnto idoles, and because they sweare vniustly to deceiue, and despise holines. 30For it is not the power of them by whome they sweare, but the vengeance of them that sinne, which punisheth alwayes the offence of the vngodlie.