Wisdom 13

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Yes, natural y stupid are all who are unaware of God, and who, from good things seen, have not beenable to discover Him-who-is, or, by studying the works, have not recognised the Artificer.	1 But all men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God: and who by these good things that are seen, could not understand him that is, neither by attending to the works have acknowledged who was the workman:
2 Fire, however, or wind, or the swift air, the sphere of the stars, impetuous water, heaven's lamps, arewhat they have held to be the gods who govern the world.	2 But have imagined either the fire, or the wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the great water, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the world.
3 If, charmed by their beauty, they have taken these for gods, let them know how much the Master ofthese excels them, since he was the very source of beauty that created them.	3 With whose beauty, if they, being delighted, took them to be gods: let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautiful than they: for the first author of beauty made all those things.
4 And if they have been impressed by their power and energy, let them deduce from these how muchmightier is he that has formed them,	4 Or if they admired their power and their effects, let them understand by them, that he that made them, is mightier than they:
5 since through the grandeur and beauty of the creatures we may, by analogy, contemplate their Author.	5 For by the greatness of the beauty, and of the creature, the creator of them may be seen, so as to be known thereby.
6 Small blame, however, attaches to them, for perhaps they go astray only in their search for God andtheir eagerness to find him;	6 But yet as to these they are less to be blamed. For they perhaps err, seeking God, and desirous to find him.
7 familiar with his works, they investigate them and fal victim to appearances, seeing so much beauty.	7 For being conversant among his works, they search: and they are persuaded that the things are good which are seen.
8 But even so, they have no excuse:	8 But then again they are not to be pardoned.
9 if they are capable of acquiring enough knowledge to be able to investigate the world, how have theybeen so slow to find its Master?	9 For if they were able to know so much as to make a judgment of the world: how did they not more easily find out the Lord thereof?
10 But wretched are they, with their hopes set on dead things, who have given the title of gods to humanartefacts, gold or silver, skilfully worked, figures of animals, or useless stone, carved by some hand long ago.	10 But unhappy are they, and their hope is among the dead, who have called gods the works of the hands of men, gold and silver, the inventions of art, and the resemblances of beasts, or an unprofitable stone the work of an ancient hand.
11 Take a woodcutter. He fel s a suitable tree, neatly strips off the bark al over and then with admirableskil works the wood into an object useful in daily life.	11 Or if an artist, a carpenter, hath cut down a tree proper for his use in the wood, and skilfully taken off all the bark thereof, and with his art, diligently formeth a vessel profitable for the common uses of life,
12 The bits left over from his work he uses for cooking his food, then eats his fil .	12 And useth the chips of his work to dress his meat:
13 There is stil a good-for-nothing bit left over, a gnarled and knotted bil et: he takes it and whittles itwith the concentration of his leisure hours, he shapes it with the skill of experience, he gives it a human shape	13 And taking what was left thereof, which is good for nothing, being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, carveth it diligently when he hath nothing else to do, and by the skill of his art fashioneth it and maketh it like the image of a man:
14 or perhaps he makes it into some vile animal, smears it with ochre, paints its surface red, coats overal its blemishes.	14 Or the resemblance of some beast, laying it over with vermillion, and painting it red, and covering every spot that is in it:
15 He next makes a worthy home for it, lets it into the wal , fixes it with an iron clamp.	15 And maketh a convenient dwelling place for it, and setting it in a wall, and fastening it with iron,
16 Thus he makes sure that it will not fal down -- being wel aware that it cannot help itself, since it isonly an image, and needs to be helped.	16 Providing for it, lest it should fall, knowing that it is unable to help itself: for it is an image, and hath need of help.
17 And yet, if he wishes to pray for his goods, for his marriage, for his children, he does not blush toharangue this lifeless thing -- for health, he invokes what is weak,	17 And then maketh prayer to it, inquiring concerning his substance, and his children, or his marriage. And he is not ashamed to speak to that which hath no life:
18 for life, he pleads with what is dead, for help, he goes begging to total inexperience, for a journey,what cannot even use its feet,	18 And for health he maketh suspplication to the weak, and for life prayeth to that which is dead, and for help calleth upon that which is unprofitable:
19 for profit, an undertaking, and success in pursuing his craft, he asks skil from something whosehands have no skil whatever.	19 And for a good journey he petitioneth him that cannot walk: and for getting, and for working, and for the event of all things he asketh him that is unable to do any thing.