Wisdom of Solomon 14 — UBES
14Verse 1Again, 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.
Verse 2For verily desire of gain devised that,
And the workman built it by his skill.
Verse 3But thy providence, O Father, governeth it:
For thou hast made a way in the sea,
And a safe path in the waves;
Verse 4Showing that thou canst save from all danger:
Yea, though a man went to sea without art.
Verse 5Nevertheless 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.Verse 6For 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.
Verse 7For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.Verse 8But 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.
Verse 9For the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God.
Verse 10For that which is made shall be punished together with him that made it.
Verse 11Therefore even upon the idols of the Gentiles shall there be a visitation:
Because in the creature of God they are become an abomination,
And stumbling blocks to the souls of men,
And a snare to the feet of the unwise.Verse 12For the devising of idols was the beginning of spiritual fornication,
And the invention of them the corruption of life.
Verse 13For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be forever.
Verse 14For by the vain glory of men they entered into the world,
And therefore shall they come shortly to an end.
Verse 15For a father afflicted with untimely mourning,
When he hath made an image of his child soon taken away,
Now honored him as a god, which was then a dead man,
And delivered to those that were under him ceremonies and sacrifices.
Verse 16Thus in process of time an ungodly custom grown strong was kept as a law,
And graven images were worshiped by the commandments of kings.
Verse 17Whom men could not honor 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 honored,
To the end that by this their forwardness they might flatter him that was absent, as if he were present.Verse 18Also the singular diligence of the artificer
Did help to set forward the ignorant to more superstition.
Verse 19For he, peradventure willing to please one in authority,
Forced all his skill to make the resemblance of the best fashion.
Verse 20And so the multitude, allured by the grace of the work,
Took him now for a god, which a little before was but honored as a man.
Verse 21And this was an occasion to deceive the world:
For men, serving either calamity or tyranny,
Did ascribe unto stones and stocks the incommunicable name.Verse 22Moreover 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.
Verse 23For while they slew their children in sacrifices, or used secret ceremonies,
Or made revelings of strange rites;
Verse 24They kept neither lives nor marriages any longer undefiled:
But either one slew another traitorously or grieved him by adultery.
Verse 25So that there reigned in all men without exception, blood, manslaughter, theft, and dissimulation,
Corruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, perjury,
Verse 26Disquieting of good men, forgetfulness of good turns,
Defiling of souls, changing of kind,
Disorder in marriages, adultery, and shameless uncleanness.
Verse 27For the worshiping of idols not to be named
Is the beginning, the cause, and the end, of all evil.
Verse 28For either they are mad when they be merry, or prophesy lies,
Or live unjustly, or else lightly forswear themselves.
Verse 29For insomuch as their trust is in idols which have no life,
Though they swear falsely, yet they look not to be hurt.Verse 30Howbeit 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.
Verse 31For it is not the power of them by whom they swear:
But it is the just vengeance of sinners,
That punisheth always the offense of the ungodly.
Calleth upon a piece of wood more rotten than the vessel that carrieth him.
Verse 2For verily desire of gain devised that,
And the workman built it by his skill.
Verse 3But thy providence, O Father, governeth it:
For thou hast made a way in the sea,
And a safe path in the waves;
Verse 4Showing that thou canst save from all danger:
Yea, though a man went to sea without art.
Verse 5Nevertheless 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.Verse 6For 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.
Verse 7For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.Verse 8But 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.
Verse 9For the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God.
Verse 10For that which is made shall be punished together with him that made it.
Verse 11Therefore even upon the idols of the Gentiles shall there be a visitation:
Because in the creature of God they are become an abomination,
And stumbling blocks to the souls of men,
And a snare to the feet of the unwise.Verse 12For the devising of idols was the beginning of spiritual fornication,
And the invention of them the corruption of life.
Verse 13For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be forever.
Verse 14For by the vain glory of men they entered into the world,
And therefore shall they come shortly to an end.
Verse 15For a father afflicted with untimely mourning,
When he hath made an image of his child soon taken away,
Now honored him as a god, which was then a dead man,
And delivered to those that were under him ceremonies and sacrifices.
Verse 16Thus in process of time an ungodly custom grown strong was kept as a law,
And graven images were worshiped by the commandments of kings.
Verse 17Whom men could not honor 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 honored,
To the end that by this their forwardness they might flatter him that was absent, as if he were present.Verse 18Also the singular diligence of the artificer
Did help to set forward the ignorant to more superstition.
Verse 19For he, peradventure willing to please one in authority,
Forced all his skill to make the resemblance of the best fashion.
Verse 20And so the multitude, allured by the grace of the work,
Took him now for a god, which a little before was but honored as a man.
Verse 21And this was an occasion to deceive the world:
For men, serving either calamity or tyranny,
Did ascribe unto stones and stocks the incommunicable name.Verse 22Moreover 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.
Verse 23For while they slew their children in sacrifices, or used secret ceremonies,
Or made revelings of strange rites;
Verse 24They kept neither lives nor marriages any longer undefiled:
But either one slew another traitorously or grieved him by adultery.
Verse 25So that there reigned in all men without exception, blood, manslaughter, theft, and dissimulation,
Corruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, perjury,
Verse 26Disquieting of good men, forgetfulness of good turns,
Defiling of souls, changing of kind,
Disorder in marriages, adultery, and shameless uncleanness.
Verse 27For the worshiping of idols not to be named
Is the beginning, the cause, and the end, of all evil.
Verse 28For either they are mad when they be merry, or prophesy lies,
Or live unjustly, or else lightly forswear themselves.
Verse 29For insomuch as their trust is in idols which have no life,
Though they swear falsely, yet they look not to be hurt.Verse 30Howbeit 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.
Verse 31For it is not the power of them by whom they swear:
But it is the just vengeance of sinners,
That punisheth always the offense of the ungodly.