Wisdom 15

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NOVA VULGATA
1 But you, our God, are gracious and true, patient, and in mercy ordering all things.	1 Tu autem, Deus noster, suavis et verus es, patiens et in misericordia disponens omnia.
2 And, indeed, if we sin, we are yours, knowing your greatness; and, if we do not sin, we know that we are counted with you.	2 Etenim, si peccaverimus, tui sumus, scientes potentiam tuam; non peccabimus autem, scientes quoniam apud te sumus computati.
3 For to have known you is perfect justice, and to know justice and your virtue is the root of immortality.	3 Nosse enim te consummata iustitia est, et scire virtutem tuam radix est immortalitatis.
4 For the skillful planning of evil men has not led us into error, nor the shadow of a picture, a fruitless labor, an image having been sculpted through the use of diverse colors,	4 Nec enim in errorem induxit nos hominum malae artis excogitatio, nec adumbrantium labor sine fructu, effigies maculata per varios colores,
5 the sight of which gives desire to the foolish, and he loves the likeness of a lifeless image without a soul.	5 cuius aspectus insensatis in concupiscentiam venit, et diligit mortuae imaginis effigiem sine anima.
6 Deserving are the lovers of evil, those who hope in such things, and those who make them, and those who love them, and those who promote them.	6 Malorum amatores digni sunt, qui spem habeant in talibus et qui faciunt illos et qui diligunt et qui colunt.
7 But even the potter, pressing laboriously, molds the soft earth into vessels, each one for our use. And from the same clay he molds vessels, those which are for clean use, and similarly, those which are for the opposite. But, as to what is the use of a vessel, the potter is the judge.	7 Sed et figulus, mollem terram premens laboriose, fingit ad usus nostros unumquodque vas; et de eodem luto fingit, quae mundis operibus in usum sunt, vasa, et quae his sunt contraria, omnia similiter; horum autem singulorum vasorum quis utriusque sit usus, iudex est figulus.
8 And with effort he molds an empty god of the same clay, he who a little before had been made from the earth, and, after brief time, he himself returns from whence he came, to be claimed by he who holds the debt of his soul.	8 Et cum malo labore deum vanum fingit de eodem luto ille, qui paulo ante de terra factus fuerat, et post pusillum reducit se, unde acceptus est, repetitus animae debitum.
9 Yet his concern is, not what his work will be, nor that his life is short, but that he is being contested by those who work with gold and silver, yet he also does the same to those who work with copper, and he glories that he makes worthless things.	9 Sed cura est illi, non quia laboraturus est, nec quoniam brevis illi vita est, sed concertatur aurificibus et argentariis et aerarios imitatur et gloriam praefert, quoniam res supervacuas fingit.
10 For his heart is ashes, and his hope is worthless dirt, and his life is more common than clay,	10 Cinis est cor eius, et terra despectior spes illius, et luto vilior vita eius,
11 because he ignores the One who molded him, and who instilled in him a working soul, and who breathed into him a living spirit.	11 quoniam ignoravit, qui se finxit et qui inspiravit illi animam, quae operatur, et qui insufflavit ei spiritum vitalem.
12 Yet they even considered our life to be a plaything, and the usefulness of life to be the accumulation of wealth, and that we must be acquiring things in every possible way, even from evil.	12 Sed et aestimavit lusum esse vitam nostram et conversationem vitae compositam ad lucrum; oportere enim dicit undecumque etiam ex malo acquirere.
13 For, above all else, he knows himself to be lacking, who, from fragile material of the earth forms vessels and graven images.	13 Hic enim scit se super omnes delinquere, qui ex terrae materia fragilia vasa et sculptilia fingit.
14 For all the foolish and unhappy, in charge of the way of the arrogant soul, are enemies of your people and rule over them,	14 Omnes enim insipientes et infelices supra modum animae infantis sunt inimici populi tui et per potentiam opprimentes illum.
15 because they have esteemed all the idols of the nations as gods, which neither have the use of eyes to see, nor noses to draw breath, nor ears to hear, nor the fingers of hands to grasp, and even their feet are slow to walk.	15 Quoniam omnia idola nationum deos aestimaverunt, quibus neque oculorum usus est ad videndum, neque nares ad percipiendum spiritum, neque aures ad audiendum, neque digiti manuum ad tractandum, sed et pedes eorum pigri ad ambulandum.
16 For man made them, and he who borrowed his own breath, formed them. For no man will be able to form God in the likeness of himself.	16 Homo enim fecit illos, et, qui spiritum mutuatus est, is finxit illos; nemo enim sibi similem homo poterit deum fingere:
17 For, being mortal, he forms a dead thing with his unjust hands. Yet, he is better than those things that he worships, because he indeed has lived, though he is mortal, but they never have.	17 cum autem sit mortalis, mortuum fingit manibus iniquis. Melior enim est ipse his, quos colit, quia ipse quidem vixit, cum esset mortalis, illi autem numquam.
18 Moreover, they worship the most miserable animals, for, to make a foolish comparison, these others are worse.	18 Sed et animalia miserrima colunt; in insipientia enim, aliis comparata, his sunt deteriora.
19 But not even from their appearance can anyone discern anything good in these animals. Yet they have fled from the praise of God, and from his blessing.	19 Nec pulchra in his inveniuntur, quantum desiderari possit, ut fit in animalium conspectu; effugerunt autem et Dei laudem et benedictionem eius.