Wisdom 13

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 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;
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 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.
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 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.
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 were struck by their might and energy, let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them.
5 since through the grandeur and beauty of the creatures we may, by analogy, contemplate their Author.	5 For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.
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, for these the blame is less; For they indeed have gone astray perhaps, though they seek God and wish to find him.
7 familiar with his works, they investigate them and fal victim to appearances, seeing so much beauty.	7 For they search busily among his works, but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.
8 But even so, they have no excuse:	8 But again, not even these are pardonable.
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 so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its LORD?
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 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.
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 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,
12 The bits left over from his work he uses for cooking his food, then eats his fil .	12 and use up the refuse from his handiwork in preparing his food, and have his fill;
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 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
14 or perhaps he makes it into some vile animal, smears it with ochre, paints its surface red, coats overal its blemishes.	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,
15 He next makes a worthy home for it, lets it into the wal , fixes it with an iron clamp.	15 He makes a fitting shrine for it and puts it on the wall, fastening it with a nail.
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 Thus lest it fall down he provides for it, knowing that it cannot help itself; for, truly, it is an image and needs 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 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;
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 life he entreats the dead; And for aid he beseeches the wholly incompetent, and about travel, something that cannot even walk.
19 for profit, an undertaking, and success in pursuing his craft, he asks skil from something whosehands have no skil whatever.	19 And for profit in business and success with his hands he asks facility of a thing with hands completely inert.