Wisdom 15

KING JAMES BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 But thou, O God, art gracious and true, longsuffering, and in mercy ordering all things,	1 But you, our God, are gracious and true, patient, and in mercy ordering all things.
2 For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy power: but we will not sin, knowing that we are counted thine.	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.
3 For to know thee is perfect righteousness: yea, to know thy power is the root of immortality.	3 For to have known you is perfect justice, and to know justice and your virtue 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 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,
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 gives desire to the foolish, and he loves the likeness of a lifeless image without a soul.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
10 His heart is ashes, his hope is more vile than earth, and his life of less value than clay:	10 For his heart is ashes, and his hope is worthless dirt, and his life is more common than clay,
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 ignores the One who molded him, and who instilled in him a working soul, and who breathed into him a living 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 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.
13 For this man, that of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels and graven images, knoweth himself to offend above all others.	13 For, above all else, he knows himself to be lacking, who, from fragile material of the earth forms vessels and graven images.
14 And all the enemies of thy people, that hold them in subjection, are most foolish, and are more miserable than very babes.	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,
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
18 Yea, they worshipped those beasts also that are most hateful: for being compared together, some are worse than others.	18 Moreover, they worship the most miserable animals, for, to make a foolish comparison, these others are worse.
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 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.