Wisdom 15

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 But you, our God, are good and true, slow to anger, and governing all with mercy.	1 But thou, our God, art gracious and true, patient, and ordering all things in mercy.
2 For even if we sin, we are yours, and know your might; but we will not sin, knowing that we belong to you.	2 For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy greatness: and if we sin not, we know that we are counted with thee.
3 For to know you well is complete justice, and to know your might is the root of immortality.	3 For to know thee is perfect justice: and to know thy justice, and thy power, is the root of immortality.
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,	4 For the invention of mischievous men hath not deceived us, nor the shadow of a picture, a fruitless labour, a graven figure with divers colours,
5 the sight of which arouses yearning in the senseless man, till he longs for the inanimate form of a dead image.	5 The sight whereof enticeth the fool to lust after it, and he loveth the lifeless figure of a dead image.
6 Lovers of evil things, and worthy of such hopes are they who make them and long for them and worship them.	6 The lovers of evil things deserve to have no better things to trust in, both they that make them, and they that love them,and they that worship them.
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.	7 The potter also tempering soft earth, with labour fashioneth every vessel for our service, and of the same clay he maketh both vessels that are for clean uses, and likewise such as serve to the contrary: but what is the use of these vessels, the potter is the judge.
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.	8 And of the same clay by a vain labour he maketh a god: he who a little before was made of earth himself, and a little after returneth to the same out of which he was taken, when his life which was lent him shall be called for again.
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.	9 But his care is, not that he shall labour, nor that his life is short, but he striveth with the goldsmiths and silversmiths: and he endeavoureth to do like the workers in brass, and counteth it a glory to make vain things.
10 Ashes his heart is! more worthless than earth is his hope, and more ignoble than clay his life;	10 For his heart is ashes, and his hope vain earth, and his life more base than clay:
11 Because he knew not the one who fashioned him, and breathed into him a quickening soul, and infused a vital spirit.	11 Forasmuch as he knew not his maker and him that inspired into him the soul that worketh, and that breathed into him a living spirit.
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."	12 Yea and they have counted our life a pastime, and the business of life to be gain, and that we must be getting every way, even out of evil.
13 For this man more than any knows that he is sinning, when out of earthen stuff he creates fragile vessels and idols alike.	13 For that man knoweth that he offendeth above all others, who of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels, and graven gods.
14 But all quite senseless, and worse than childish in mind, are the enemies of your people who enslaved them.	14 But all the enemies of thy people that hold them in subjection, are foolish, and unhappy, and proud beyond measure:
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.	15 For they have esteemed all the idols of the heathens for 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 walk.
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;	16 For man made them: and he that borroweth his own breath, fashioned them. For no man can make a god like to himself.
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.	17 For being mortal himself, he formeth a dead thing with his wicked hands. For he is better than they whom he worshippeth, because he indeed hath lived, though he were mortal, but they never.
18 And besides, they worship the most loathsome beasts-- for compared as to folly, these are worse than the rest,	18 Moreover they worship also the vilest creatures: but things without sense compared to these, are worse than they.
19 Nor for their looks are they good or desirable beasts, but they have escaped both the approval of God and his blessing.	19 Yea, neither by sight can any man see good of these beasts. But they have fled from the praise of God, and from his blessing.