Wisdom 13

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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;	1 But all men are vain, who are not under the knowledge of God, and who, from these good things that are seen, were not able to understand he who is, nor, by paying attention to the works, did they acknowledge he who was the artisan.
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.	2 Instead, they had considered either the fire, or the air, or the atmosphere, or the circle of stars, or the great sea, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the world.
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.	3 If they, being delighted by such sights, supposed them to be gods, let them know how great the Lord of them is in splendor. For he who created all things is the author of beauty.
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.	4 Or, if they wondered at their power and their effects, let them understand by these things, that he who created them is mightier than they are.
5 For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.	5 For, by the greatness of the creation and its beauty, the creator of these will be able to be seen discernibly.
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.	6 Yet, up to this point, the complaint about this is lesser. For perhaps they made a mistake in this, while desiring and seeking to find God.
7 For they search busily among his works, but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.	7 And, indeed, having some familiarity with him through his works, they search, and they are persuaded, because the things that they are seeing are good.
8 But again, not even these are pardonable.	8 But, then again, neither can their debt be ignored.
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?	9 For, if they were able to know enough so that they could value the universe, how is it they did not easily discover the Lord of it?
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.	10 Yet they are unhappy, and their hope is among the dead, for they have called ‘gods’ the works of the hands of men, gold and silver, the inventions of skill, and the likeness of animals, or a useless stone, the work of an ancient hand.
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,	11 Or, it is as if a craftsman, a workman of the forest, had cut straight wood, and, with his expertise, shaved off all of its bark, and, with his skill, diligently fashioned a vessel, practical for use in life,
12 and use up the refuse from his handiwork in preparing his food, and have his fill;	12 and even the remains of his work were exhausted in the preparation of food;
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	13 and, from the remainder of this, which has become useful for nothing, a curved piece of wood and full of knots, he diligently carves it in his spare time, and, through the knowledge of his art, forms it and makes it in the image of a man,
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,	14 or something comparable to an animal, thoroughly rubbing it with red ochre, to make it red with the color of the pigment, and to cover every imperfection which is in it;
15 He makes a fitting shrine for it and puts it on the wall, fastening it with a nail.	15 and it is as if he made a fitting resting place for it, even setting it in a wall and fastening it with iron,
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.	16 providing for it, lest it should fall, knowing that it is unable to help itself, for it is an image and it is in need of help.
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;	17 And then, making an offering, he inquires about his wealth, and about his sons, and about marriage. And he is not ashamed to talk to that which has no soul.
18 and for life he entreats the dead; And for aid he beseeches the wholly incompetent, and about travel, something that cannot even walk.	18 And for health, indeed, something unhealthy is being prayed to, and for life, he petitions what is dead, and for help, he calls upon something helpless,
19 And for profit in business and success with his hands he asks facility of a thing with hands completely inert.	19 and for a good journey, he entreats that which is unable to walk, and for acquiring, and for working, and for success in all things, he entreats that which is useless in all things.