Wisdom 15

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 But you, our God, are gracious and true, patient, and in mercy ordering all things.	1 But thou, our God, art gracious and true, patient, and ordering all things in mercy.
2 And, indeed, if we sin, we are yours, knowing your greatness; and, if we do not sin, we know that we are counted with you.	2 For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy greatness: and if we sin not, we know that we are counted with thee.
3 For to have known you is perfect justice, and to know justice and your virtue is the root of immortality.	3 For to know thee is perfect justice: and to know thy justice, and thy power, is the root of immortality.
4 For the skillful planning of evil men has not led us into error, nor the shadow of a picture, a fruitless labor, an image having been sculpted through the use of diverse colors,	4 For the invention of mischievous men hath not deceived us, nor the shadow of a picture, a fruitless labour, a graven figure with divers colours,
5 the sight of which gives desire to the foolish, and he loves the likeness of a lifeless image without a soul.	5 The sight whereof enticeth the fool to lust after it, and he loveth the lifeless figure of a dead image.
6 Deserving are the lovers of evil, those who hope in such things, and those who make them, and those who love them, and those who promote them.	6 The lovers of evil things deserve to have no better things to trust in, both they that make them, and they that love them,and they that worship them.
7 But even the potter, pressing laboriously, molds the soft earth into vessels, each one for our use. And from the same clay he molds vessels, those which are for clean use, and similarly, those which are for the opposite. But, as to what is the use of a vessel, the potter is the judge.	7 The potter also tempering soft earth, with labour fashioneth every vessel for our service, and of the same clay he maketh both vessels that are for clean uses, and likewise such as serve to the contrary: but what is the use of these vessels, the potter is the judge.
8 And with effort he molds an empty god of the same clay, he who a little before had been made from the earth, and, after brief time, he himself returns from whence he came, to be claimed by he who holds the debt of his soul.	8 And of the same clay by a vain labour he maketh a god: he who a little before was made of earth himself, and a little after returneth to the same out of which he was taken, when his life which was lent him shall be called for again.
9 Yet his concern is, not what his work will be, nor that his life is short, but that he is being contested by those who work with gold and silver, yet he also does the same to those who work with copper, and he glories that he makes worthless things.	9 But his care is, not that he shall labour, nor that his life is short, but he striveth with the goldsmiths and silversmiths: and he endeavoureth to do like the workers in brass, and counteth it a glory to make vain things.
10 For his heart is ashes, and his hope is worthless dirt, and his life is more common than clay,	10 For his heart is ashes, and his hope vain earth, and his life more base than clay:
11 because he ignores the One who molded him, and who instilled in him a working soul, and who breathed into him a living spirit.	11 Forasmuch as he knew not his maker and him that inspired into him the soul that worketh, and that breathed into him a living spirit.
12 Yet they even considered our life to be a plaything, and the usefulness of life to be the accumulation of wealth, and that we must be acquiring things in every possible way, even from evil.	12 Yea and they have counted our life a pastime, and the business of life to be gain, and that we must be getting every way, even out of evil.
13 For, above all else, he knows himself to be lacking, who, from fragile material of the earth forms vessels and graven images.	13 For that man knoweth that he offendeth above all others, who of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels, and graven gods.
14 For all the foolish and unhappy, in charge of the way of the arrogant soul, are enemies of your people and rule over them,	14 But all the enemies of thy people that hold them in subjection, are foolish, and unhappy, and proud beyond measure:
15 because they have esteemed all the idols of the nations as gods, which neither have the use of eyes to see, nor noses to draw breath, nor ears to hear, nor the fingers of hands to grasp, and even their feet are slow to walk.	15 For they have esteemed all the idols of the heathens for gods, which neither have the use of eyes to see, nor noses to draw breath, nor ears to hear, nor fingers of hands to handle, and as for their feet, they are slow to walk.
16 For man made them, and he who borrowed his own breath, formed them. For no man will be able to form God in the likeness of himself.	16 For man made them: and he that borroweth his own breath, fashioned them. For no man can make a god like to himself.
17 For, being mortal, he forms a dead thing with his unjust hands. Yet, he is better than those things that he worships, because he indeed has lived, though he is mortal, but they never have.	17 For being mortal himself, he formeth a dead thing with his wicked hands. For he is better than they whom he worshippeth, because he indeed hath lived, though he were mortal, but they never.
18 Moreover, they worship the most miserable animals, for, to make a foolish comparison, these others are worse.	18 Moreover they worship also the vilest creatures: but things without sense compared to these, are worse than they.
19 But not even from their appearance can anyone discern anything good in these animals. Yet they have fled from the praise of God, and from his blessing.	19 Yea, neither by sight can any man see good of these beasts. But they have fled from the praise of God, and from his blessing.