Sapienza 13

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Vani autem sunt natura omnes homines, in quibus non subest scientia Dei; et de his, quae videntur bonis, non potuerunt intellegere eum, qui est, neque operibus attendentes agnoverunt artificem.	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.
2 Sed aut ignem aut spiritum aut citatum aerem aut gyrum stellarum aut violentam aquam aut luminaria caeli, rectores orbis terrarum, deos putaverunt.	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.
3 Quorum si specie delectati, illa deos putaverunt, sciant quanto his dominator eorum melior est: speciei enim principium et auctor constituit ea.	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.
4 Si autem virtutem et operationem eorum mirati, intellegant ab illis quanto, qui haec fecit, fortior est illis:	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,
5 a magnitudine enim et pulchritudine creaturarum cognoscibiliter potest creator horum videri.	5 since through the grandeur and beauty of the creatures we may, by analogy, contemplate their Author.
6 Sed tamen in his minor est querela, et hi enim fortasse errant Deum quaerentes et volentes invenire.	6 Small blame, however, attaches to them, for perhaps they go astray only in their search for God andtheir eagerness to find him;
7 Etenim, cum in operibus illius conversentur, inquirunt et credunt visui, quoniam pulchra sunt, quae videntur.	7 familiar with his works, they investigate them and fal victim to appearances, seeing so much beauty.
8 Iterum autem nec his potest ignosci:	8 But even so, they have no excuse:
9 si enim tantum valuerunt scire, ut possent aestimare saeculum, quomodo huius Dominum non facilius invenerunt?	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?
10 Infelices autem, et in rebus mortuis sunt spes illorum, qui appellaverunt deos opera manuum hominum, aurum et argentum, artis inventionem et similitudines animalium aut lapidem inutilem, opus manus antiquae.	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.
11 Aut si quis artifex faber de silva tractabile lignum secuerit C huius docte erasit omnem corticem et arte sua usus diligenter fabricavit vas utile in conversationem vitae;	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.
12 reliquiis autem eius operis ad praeparationem escae abusus, satiatus est,	12 The bits left over from his work he uses for cooking his food, then eats his fil .
13 et reliquum horum, quod ad nullos usus facit, lignum curvum et nodis concretum accipiens, sculpsit diligenter per vacuitatem suam et per scientiam tempore requiei figuravit illud - assimilavit illud imagini hominis	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
14 aut alicui ex vilibus animalibus illud comparavit, perliniens rubrica et rubicundum faciens fuco colorem illius et omnem maculam, quae in illo erat, perliniens	14 or perhaps he makes it into some vile animal, smears it with ochre, paints its surface red, coats overal its blemishes.
15 et faciens ei dignam habitationem in pariete posuit illud, confirmans ferro.	15 He next makes a worthy home for it, lets it into the wal , fixes it with an iron clamp.
16 Ne igitur forte caderet providit illi, sciens quoniam non potest se ipsum adiuvare: imago enim est, et opus est illi adiutorium.	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.
17 Et de substantiis et de nuptiis et de filiis votum faciens, non erubescit loqui cum illo, quod sine anima est, et pro sanitate quidem infirmum deprecatur	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,
18 et pro vita rogat mortuum et in adiutorium rem omnino inutilem invocat, et pro itinere petit ab eo, quod ambulare non potest,	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,
19 et de acquirendo et de operando et de bono manuum eventu petit utilitatem ab eo, quod prorsus inutile est manibus.	19 for profit, an undertaking, and success in pursuing his craft, he asks skil from something whosehands have no skil whatever.