Wisdom 14

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Or someone else, taking ship to cross the wild waves, loudly invokes a piece of wood frailer than thevessel that bears him.	1 Again, one preparing himself to sail, and about to pass through the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more rotten than the vessel that carrieth him.
2 Agreed, the ship is the product of a craving for gain, its building embodies the wisdom of theshipwright;	2 For verily desire of gain devised that, and the workman built it by his skill.
3 but your providence, Father, is what steers it, you having opened a pathway even through the sea, anda safe way over the waves,	3 But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way in the sea, and a safe path in the waves;
4 showing that you can save, whatever happens, so that, even without experience, someone may put tosea.	4 Shewing that thou canst save from all danger: yea, though a man went to sea without art.
5 It is not your will that the works of your Wisdom should be sterile, so people entrust their lives to thesmal est piece of wood, cross the waves on a raft, yet are kept safe and sound.	5 Nevertheless thou wouldest not that the works of thy wisdom should be idle, and therefore do men commit their lives to a small piece of wood, and passing the rough sea in a weak vessel are saved.
6 Why, in the beginning, when the proud giants were perishing, the hope of the world took refuge on araft and, steered by your hand, preserved the seed of a new generation for the ages to come.	6 For in the old time also, when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world governed by thy hand escaped in a weak vessel, and left to all ages a seed of generation.
7 For blessed is the wood which serves the cause of uprightness	7 For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.
8 but accursed the man-made idol, yes, it and its maker, he for having made it, and it because, though perishable, it has been called god.	8 But that which is made with hands is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he, because he made it; and it, because, being corruptible, it was called god.
9 For God holds the godless and his godlessness in equal hatred;	9 For the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God.
10 both work and workman wil alike be punished.	10 For that which is made shall be punished together with him that made it.
11 Hence even the idols of the nations wil have a visitation since, in God's creation, they have becomean abomination, a scandal for human souls, a snare for the feet of the foolish.	11 Therefore even upon the idols of the Gentiles shall there be a visitation: because in the creature of God they are become an abomination, and stumblingblocks to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the unwise.
12 The idea of making idols was the origin of fornication, their discovery corrupted life.	12 For the devising of idols was the beginning of spiritual fornication, and the invention of them the corruption of life.
13 They did not exist at the beginning, they will not exist for ever;	13 For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.
14 human vanity brought them into the world, and a quick end is therefore reserved for them.	14 For by the vain glory of men they entered into the world, and therefore shall they come shortly to an end.
15 A father afflicted by untimely mourning has an image made of his child so soon carried off, and nowpays divine honours to what yesterday was only a corpse, handing on mysteries and ceremonies to his people;	15 For a father afflicted with untimely mourning, when he hath made an image of his child soon taken away, now honoured him as a god, which was then a dead man, and delivered to those that were under him ceremonies and sacrifices.
16 time passes, the custom hardens and is observed as law.	16 Thus in process of time an ungodly custom grown strong was kept as a law, and graven images were worshipped by the commandments of kings.
17 Rulers were the ones who ordered that statues should be worshipped: people who could not honourthem in person, because they lived too far away, would have a portrait made of their distant countenance, tohave an image that they could see of the king whom they honoured; meaning, by such zeal, to flatter the absentas if he were present.	17 Whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they took the counterfeit of his visage from far, and made an express image of a king whom they honoured, to the end that by this their forwardness they might flatter him that was absent, as if he were present.
18 Even people who did not know him were stimulated into spreading his cult by the artist's enthusiasm;	18 Also the singular diligence of the artificer did help to set forward the ignorant to more superstition.
19 for the latter, doubtless wishing to please his ruler, exerted all his skill to surpass the reality,	19 For he, peradventure willing to please one in authority, forced all his skill to make the resemblance of the best fashion.
20 and the crowd, attracted by the beauty of the work, mistook for a god someone whom recently theyhad honoured as a man.	20 And so the multitude, allured by the grace of the work, took him now for a god, which a little before was but honoured.
21 And this became a snare for life: that people, whether enslaved by misfortune or by tyranny, shouldhave conferred the ineffable Name on sticks and stones.	21 And this was an occasion to deceive the world: for men, serving either calamity or tyranny, did ascribe unto stones and stocks the incommunicable name.
22 It is not enough, however, for them to have such misconceptions about God; for, living in the fiercewarfare of ignorance, they call these terrible evils peace.	22 Moreover this was not enough for them, that they erred in the knowledge of God; but whereas they lived in the great war of ignorance, those so great plagues called they peace.
23 With their child-murdering rites, their occult mysteries, or their frenzied orgies with outlandishcustoms,	23 For whilst they slew their children in sacrifices, or used secret ceremonies, or made revellings of strange rites;
24 they no longer retain any purity in their lives or their marriages, one treacherously murdering anotheror wronging him by adultery.	24 They kept neither lives nor marriages any longer undefiled: but either one slew another traiterously, or grieved him by adultery.
25 Everywhere a welter of blood and murder, theft and fraud, corruption, treachery, riot, perjury,	25 So that there reigned in all men without exception blood, manslaughter, theft, and dissimulation, corruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, perjury,
26 disturbance of decent people, forgetfulness of favours, pol ution of souls, sins against nature,disorder in marriage, adultery and debauchery.	26 Disquieting of good men, forgetfulness of good turns, defiling of souls, changing of kind, disorder in marriages, adultery, and shameless uncleanness.
27 For the worship of idols with no name is the beginning, cause, and end of every evil.	27 For the worshipping of idols not to be named is the beginning, the cause, and the end, of all evil.
28 For these people either carry their merrymaking to the point of frenzy, or they prophesy what is nottrue, or they live wicked lives, or they perjure themselves without hesitation;	28 For either they are mad when they be merry, or prophesy lies, or live unjustly, or else lightly forswear themselves.
29 since they put their trust in lifeless idols they do not reckon their false oaths can harm them.	29 For insomuch as their trust is in idols, which have no life; though they swear falsely, yet they look not to be hurt.
30 But they wil be justly punished for this double crime: for degrading the concept of God by adhering toidols; and for wickedly perjuring themselves in contempt for what is holy.	30 Howbeit for both causes shall they be justly punished: both because they thought not well of God, giving heed unto idols, and also unjustly swore in deceit, despising holiness.
31 For it is not the power of the things by which they swear but the punishment reserved for sinners thatalways fol ows the offences of wicked people.	31 For it is not the power of them by whom they swear: but it is the just vengeance of sinners, that punisheth always the offence of the ungodly.