Wisdom 14

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Again, one preparing for a voyage and about to traverse the wild waves cries out to wood more unsound than the boat that bears him.	1 Again, another designing to sail, and beginning to make his voyage through the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more frail than the wood that carrieth him.
2 For the urge for profits devised this latter, and Wisdom the artificer produced it.	2 For this the desire of gain devised, and the workman built it by his skill.
3 But your providence, O Father! guides it, for you have furnished even in the sea a road, and through the waves a steady path,	3 But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way even in the sea, and a most sure path among the waves,
4 Showing that you can save from any danger, so that even one without skill may embark.	4 Shewing that thou art able to save out of all things, yea though a man went to sea without art.
5 But you will that the products of your Wisdom be not idle; therefore men trust their lives even to frailest wood, and have been safe crossing the surge on a raft.	5 But that the works of thy wisdom might not be idle: therefore men also trust their lives even to a little wood, and passing over the sea by ship are saved.
6 For of old, when the proud giants were being destroyed, the hope of the universe, who took refuge on a raft, left to the world a future for his race, under the guidance of your hand.	6 And from the beginning also when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world fleeing to a vessel, which was governed by thy hand, left to the world seed of generation.
7 For blest is the wood through which justice comes about;	7 For blessed is the wood, by which justice cometh.
8 but the handmade idol is accursed, and its maker as well: he for having produced it, and it, because though corruptible, it was termed a god.	8 But the idol that is made by hands, is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he because he made it; and it because being frail it is called a god.
9 Equally odious to God are the evildoer and his evil deed;	9 But to God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike.
10 and the thing made shall be punished with its contriver.	10 For that which is made, together with him that made it, shall suffer torments.
11 Therefore upon even the idols of the nations shall a visitation come, since they have become abominable amid God's works, Snares for the souls of men and a trap for the feet of the senseless.	11 Therefore there shall be no respect had even to the idols of the Gentiles: because the creatures of God are turned to an abomination, and a temptation to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the unwise.
12 For the source of wantoness is the devising of idols; and their invention was a corruption of life.	12 For the beginning of fornication is the devising of idols: and the invention of them is the corruption of life.
13 For in the beginning they were not, nor shall they continue forever;	13 For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.
14 for by the vanity of men they came into the world, and therefore a sudden end is devised for them.	14 For by the vanity of men they came into the world: and therefore they shall be found to come shortly to an end.
15 For a father, afflicted with untimely mourning, made an image of the child so quickly taken from him, And now honored as a god what was formerly a dead man and handed down to his subjects mysteries and sacrifices.	15 For a father being afflicted with bitter grief, made to himself the image of his son who was quickly taken away: and him who then had died as a man, he began now to worship as a god, and appointed him rites and sacrifices among his servants.
16 Then, in time, the impious practice gained strength and was observed as law, and graven things were worshiped by princely decrees.	16 Then in process of time, wicked custom prevailing, this error was kept as a law, and statues were worshipped by the commandment of tyrants.
17 Men who lived so far away that they could not honor him in his presence copied the appearance of the distant king And made a public image of him they wished to honor, out of zeal to flatter him when absent, as though present.	17 And those whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they brought their resemblance from afar, and made an express image of the king whom they had a mind to honour: that by this their diligence, they might honour as present, him that was absent.
18 And to promote this observance among those to whom it was strange, the artisan's ambition provided a stimulus.	18 And to worshipping of these, the singular diligence also of the artificer helped to set forward the ignorant.
19 For he, mayhap in his determination to please the ruler, labored over the likeness to the best of his skill;	19 For he being willing to please him that employed him, laboured with all his art to make the resemblance in the best manner.
20 And the masses, drawn by the charm of the workmanship, soon thought he should be worshiped who shortly before was honored as a man.	20 And the multitude of men, carried away by the beauty of the work, took him now for a god that a little before was but honoured as a man.
21 And this became a snare for mankind, that men enslaved to either grief or tyranny conferred the incommunicable Name on stocks and stones.	21 And this was the occasion of deceiving human life: for men serving either their affection, or their kings, gave the incommunicable name to stones and wood.
22 Then it was not enough for them to err in their knowledge of God; but even though they live in a great war of ignorance, they call such evils peace.	22 And it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but whereas they lived in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and so great evils peace.
23 For while they celebrate either child-slaying sacrifices or clandestine mysteries, or frenzied carousals in unheard-of rites,	23 For either they sacrifice their own children, or use hidden sacrifices, or keep watches full of madness,
24 They no longer safeguard either lives or pure wedlock; but each either waylays and kills his neighbor, or aggrieves him by adultery.	24 So that now they neither keep life, nor marriage undefiled, but one killeth another through envy, or grieveth him by adultery:
25 And all is confusion-blood and murder, theft and guile, corruption, faithlessness, turmoil, perjury,	25 And all things are mingled together, blood, murder, theft and dissimulation, corruption and unfaithfulness, tumults and perjury, disquieting of the good,
26 Disturbance of good men, neglect of gratitude, besmirching of souls, unnatural lust, disorder in marriage, adultery and shamelessness.	26 Forgetfulness of God, defiling of souls, changing of nature, disorder in marriage, and the irregularity of adultery and uncleaness.
27 For the worship of infamous idols is the reason and source and extremity of all evil.	27 For the worship of abominable idols is the cause, and the beginning and end of all evil.
28 For they either go mad with enjoyment, or prophesy lies, or live lawlessly or lightly forswear themselves.	28 For either they are mad when they are merry: or they prophesy lies, or they live unjustly, or easily forswear themselves.
29 For as their trust is in soulless idols, they expect no harm when they have sworn falsely.	29 For whilst they trust in idols, which are without life, though they swear amiss, they look not to be hurt.
30 But on both counts shall justice overtake them: because they thought ill of God and devoted themselves to idols, and because they deliberately swore false oaths, despising piety.	30 But for two things they shall be justly punished, because they have thought not well of God, giving heed to idols, and have sworn unjustly, in guile despising justice.
31 For not the might of those that are sworn by but the retribution of sinners ever follows upon the transgression of the wicked.	31 For it is not the power of them, by whom they swear, but the just vengeance of sinners always punisheth the transgression of the unjust.