Wisdom 15

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 But thou, O God, art gracious and true, longsuffering, and in mercy ordering all things,	1 But you, our God, are good and true, slow to anger, and governing all with mercy.
2 For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy power: but we will not sin, knowing that we are counted thine.	2 For even if we sin, we are yours, and know your might; but we will not sin, knowing that we belong to you.
3 For to know thee is perfect righteousness: yea, to know thy power is the root of immortality.	3 For to know you well is complete justice, and to know your might is the root of immortality.
4 For neither did the mischievous invention of men deceive us, nor an image spotted with divers colours, the painter's fruitless labour;	4 For neither did the evil creation of men's fancy deceive us, nor the fruitless labor of painters, A form smeared with varied colors,
5 The sight whereof enticeth fools to lust after it, and so they desire the form of a dead image, that hath no breath.	5 the sight of which arouses yearning in the senseless man, till he longs for the inanimate form of a dead image.
6 Both they that make them, they that desire them, and they that worship them, are lovers of evil things, and are worthy to have such things to trust upon.	6 Lovers of evil things, and worthy of such hopes are they who make them and long for them and worship them.
7 For the potter, tempering soft earth, fashioneth every vessel with much labour for our service: yea, of the same clay he maketh both the vessels that serve for clean uses, and likewise also all such as serve to the contrary: but what is the use of either sort, the potter himself is the judge.	7 For truly the potter, laboriously working the soft earth, molds for our service each several article: Both the vessels that serve for clean purposes and their opposites, all alike; As to what shall be the use of each vessel of either class the worker in clay is the judge.
8 And employing his labours lewdly, he maketh a vain god of the same clay, even he which a little before was made of earth himself, and within a little while after returneth to the same, out when his life which was lent him shall be demanded.	8 And with misspent toil he molds a meaningless god from the selfsame clay; though he himself shortly before was made from the earth And after a little, is to go whence he was taken, when the life that was lent him is demanded back.
9 Notwithstanding his care is, not that he shall have much labour, nor that his life is short: but striveth to excel goldsmiths and silversmiths, and endeavoureth to do like the workers in brass, and counteth it his glory to make counterfeit things.	9 But his concern is not that he is to die nor that his span of life is brief; Rather, he vies with goldsmiths and silversmiths and emulates molders of bronze, and takes pride in modeling counterfeits.
10 His heart is ashes, his hope is more vile than earth, and his life of less value than clay:	10 Ashes his heart is! more worthless than earth is his hope, and more ignoble than clay his life;
11 Forasmuch as he knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active soul, and breathed in a living spirit.	11 Because he knew not the one who fashioned him, and breathed into him a quickening soul, and infused a vital spirit.
12 But they counted our life a pastime, and our time here a market for gain: for, say they, we must be getting every way, though it be by evil means.	12 Instead, he esteemed our life a plaything, and our span of life a holiday for gain; "For one must," says he, "make profit every way, be it even out of evil."
13 For this man, that of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels and graven images, knoweth himself to offend above all others.	13 For this man more than any knows that he is sinning, when out of earthen stuff he creates fragile vessels and idols alike.
14 And all the enemies of thy people, that hold them in subjection, are most foolish, and are more miserable than very babes.	14 But all quite senseless, and worse than childish in mind, are the enemies of your people who enslaved them.
15 For they counted all the idols of the heathen to be 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 go.	15 For they esteemed all the idols of the nations gods, which have no use of the eyes for vision, nor nostrils to snuff the air, Nor ears to hear, nor fingers on their hands for feeling; even their feet are useless to walk with.
16 For man made them, and he that borrowed his own spirit fashioned them: but no man can make a god like unto himself.	16 For a man made them; one whose spirit has been lent him fashioned them. For no man succeeds in fashioning a god like himself;
17 For being mortal, he worketh a dead thing with wicked hands: for he himself is better than the things which he worshippeth: whereas he lived once, but they never.	17 being mortal, he makes a dead thing with his lawless hands. For he is better than the things he worships; he at least lives, but never they.
18 Yea, they worshipped those beasts also that are most hateful: for being compared together, some are worse than others.	18 And besides, they worship the most loathsome beasts-- for compared as to folly, these are worse than the rest,
19 Neither are they beautiful, so much as to be desired in respect of beasts: but they went without the praise of God and his blessing.	19 Nor for their looks are they good or desirable beasts, but they have escaped both the approval of God and his blessing.