Wisdom 13

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 But all men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God: and who by these good things that are seen, could not understand him that is, neither by attending to the works have acknowledged who was the workman:	1 For all men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;
2 But have imagined either the fire, or the wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the great water, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the world.	2 But either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water, or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.
3 With whose beauty, if they, being delighted, took them to be gods: let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautiful than they: for the first author of beauty made all those things.	3 Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them.
4 Or if they admired their power and their effects, let them understand by them, that he that made them, is mightier than they:	4 Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them.
5 For by the greatness of the beauty, and of the creature, the creator of them may be seen, so as to be known thereby.	5 For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.
6 But yet as to these they are less to be blamed. For they perhaps err, seeking God, and desirous to find him.	6 But yet, for these the blame is less; For they indeed have gone astray perhaps, though they seek God and wish to find him.
7 For being conversant among his works, they search: and they are persuaded that the things are good which are seen.	7 For they search busily among his works, but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.
8 But then again they are not to be pardoned.	8 But again, not even these are pardonable.
9 For if they were able to know so much as to make a judgment of the world: how did they not more easily find out the Lord thereof?	9 For if they so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its LORD?
10 But unhappy are they, and their hope is among the dead, who have called gods the works of the hands of men, gold and silver, the inventions of art, and the resemblances of beasts, or an unprofitable stone the work of an ancient hand.	10 But doomed are they, and in dead things are their hopes, who termed gods things made by human hands: Gold and silver, the product of art, and likenesses of beasts, or useless stone, the work of an ancient hand.
11 Or if an artist, a carpenter, hath cut down a tree proper for his use in the wood, and skilfully taken off all the bark thereof, and with his art, diligently formeth a vessel profitable for the common uses of life,	11 A carpenter may saw out a suitable tree and skillfully scrape off all its bark, And deftly plying his art, produce something fit for daily use,
12 And useth the chips of his work to dress his meat:	12 and use up the refuse from his handiwork in preparing his food, and have his fill;
13 And taking what was left thereof, which is good for nothing, being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, carveth it diligently when he hath nothing else to do, and by the skill of his art fashioneth it and maketh it like the image of a man:	13 Then the good-for-nothing refuse from these remnants, crooked wood grown full of knots, he takes and carves to occupy his spare time. This wood he models with listless skill, and patterns it on the image of a man
14 Or the resemblance of some beast, laying it over with vermillion, and painting it red, and covering every spot that is in it:	14 or makes it resemble some worthless beast. When he has daubed it with red and crimsoned its surface with red stain, and daubed over every blemish in it,
15 And maketh a convenient dwelling place for it, and setting it in a wall, and fastening it with iron,	15 He makes a fitting shrine for it and puts it on the wall, fastening it with a nail.
16 Providing for it, lest it should fall, knowing that it is unable to help itself: for it is an image, and hath need of help.	16 Thus lest it fall down he provides for it, knowing that it cannot help itself; for, truly, it is an image and needs help.
17 And then maketh prayer to it, inquiring concerning his substance, and his children, or his marriage. And he is not ashamed to speak to that which hath no life:	17 But when he prays about his goods or marriage or children, he is not ashamed to address the thing without a soul. And for vigor he invokes the powerless;
18 And for health he maketh suspplication to the weak, and for life prayeth to that which is dead, and for help calleth upon that which is unprofitable:	18 and for life he entreats the dead; And for aid he beseeches the wholly incompetent, and about travel, something that cannot even walk.
19 And for a good journey he petitioneth him that cannot walk: and for getting, and for working, and for the event of all things he asketh him that is unable to do any thing.	19 And for profit in business and success with his hands he asks facility of a thing with hands completely inert.