Wisdom 13

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 wondered at their power and their effects, let them understand by these things, that he who created them is mightier than they are.
5 since through the grandeur and beauty of the creatures we may, by analogy, contemplate their Author.	5 For, by the greatness of the creation and its beauty, the creator of these will be able to be seen discernibly.
6 Small blame, however, attaches to them, for perhaps they go astray only in their search for God andtheir eagerness 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 familiar with his works, they investigate them and fal victim to appearances, seeing so much beauty.	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 even so, they have no excuse:	8 But, then again, neither can their debt be ignored.
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 enough so that they could value the universe, how is it they did not easily discover the Lord of it?
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 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 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, 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 The bits left over from his work he uses for cooking his food, then eats his fil .	12 and even the remains of his work were exhausted in the preparation of food;
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, 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 perhaps he makes it into some vile animal, smears it with ochre, paints its surface red, coats overal its blemishes.	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 next makes a worthy home for it, lets it into the wal , fixes it with an iron clamp.	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 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 it is in 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, 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 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, indeed, something unhealthy is being prayed to, and for life, he petitions what is dead, and for help, he calls upon something helpless,
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 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.