Sapientia 13

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Vani autem sunt omnes homines in quibus non subest scientia Dei ; et de his quæ videntur bona, non potuerunt intelligere eum qui est, neque operibus attendentes agnoverunt quis esset artifex :	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 aërem, aut gyrum stellarum, aut nimiam aquam, aut solem et lunam, 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, deos putaverunt, sciant quanto his dominator eorum speciosior est : speciei enim generator hæc omnia constituit.	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 Aut si virtutem et opera eorum mirati sunt, intelligant ab illis quoniam qui hæc 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 speciei et creaturæ cognoscibiliter poterit creator horum videri.	5 since through the grandeur and beauty of the creatures we may, by analogy, contemplate their Author.
6 Sed tamen adhuc in his minor est querela ; et hi enim fortasse errant, Deum quærentes, 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 persuasum habent quoniam bona sunt quæ videntur.	7 familiar with his works, they investigate them and fal victim to appearances, seeing so much beauty.
8 Iterum autem nec his debet ignosci.	8 But even so, they have no excuse:
9 Si enim tantum potuerunt scire ut possent æstimare sæculum, quomodo hujus 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 sunt, et inter mortuos spes illorum est, qui appellaverunt deos opera manuum hominum : aurum et argentum, artis inventionem, et similitudines animalium, aut lapidem inutilem, opus manus antiquæ.	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 lignum rectum secuerit, et hujus docte eradat omnem corticem, et arte sua usus diligenter fabricet vas utile in conversationem vitæ ;	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 ejus operis ad præparationem escæ abutatur,	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 vorticibus plenum sculpat diligenter per vacuitatem suam, et per scientiam suæ artis figuret illud, et assimilet 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 animalibus illud comparet : perliniens rubrica, et rubicundum faciens fuco colorem illius, et omnem maculam quæ in illo est 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 faciat ei dignam habitationem, et in pariete ponens illud, et confirmans ferro	15 He next makes a worthy home for it, lets it into the wal , fixes it with an iron clamp.
16 ne forte cadat, prospiciens illi : sciens quoniam non potest adjuvare se : imago enim est, et opus est illi adjutorium.	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 substantia sua, et de filiis suis, et de nuptiis votum faciens inquirit : non erubescit loqui cum illo qui sine anima est.	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 sanitate quidem infirmum deprecatur, et pro vita rogat mortuum, et in adjutorium inutilem invocat.	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 pro itinere petit ab eo qui ambulare non potest ; et de acquirendo, et de operando, et de omnium rerum eventu, petit ab eo qui in omnibus est inutilis.	19 for profit, an undertaking, and success in pursuing his craft, he asks skil from something whosehands have no skil whatever.