Sapientia 14

VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Iterum alius navigare cogitans, et per feros fluctus iter facere incipiens, ligno portante se, fragilius lignum invocat.	1 Again, another, thinking to sail, and beginning to make his voyage through the raging waves, calls upon a piece of wood more fragile than the wood that carries him.
2 Illud enim cupiditas acquirendi excogitavit, et artifex sapientia fabricavit sua.	2 For this is what desire has contrived to be acquired, and the craftsman has formed its understanding.
3 Tua autem, Pater, providentia gubernat : quoniam dedisti et in mari viam, et inter fluctus semitam firmissimam,	3 But your providence, O Father, governs, because you have provided for both a way in the sea and a very reliable path among the waves,
4 ostendens quoniam potens es ex omnibus salvare, etiam si sine arte aliquis adeat mare.	4 revealing that you are able to save out of all things, even if someone were to go to sea without skill.
5 Sed ut non essent vacua sapientiæ tuæ opera, propter hoc etiam et exiguo ligno credunt homines animas suas, et transeuntes mare per ratem liberati sunt.	5 But, so that the works of your wisdom might not be empty, therefore, men trust their souls even to a little piece of wood, and, crossing over the sea by raft, they are set free.
6 Sed et ab initio cum perirent superbi gigantes, spes orbis terrarum ad ratem confugiens, remisit sæculo semen nativitatis quæ manu tua erat gubernata.	6 But, from the beginning, when the proud giants were perishing, the hope of the world, fleeing by boat, gave back to future ages a seed of birth, which was governed by your hand.
7 Benedictum est enim lignum per quod fit justitia ;	7 For blessed is the wood through which justice is made.
8 per manus autem quod fit idolum, maledictum est et ipsum, et qui fecit illud : quia ille quidem operatus est, illud autem cum esset fragile, deus cognominatus est.	8 But, through the hand that makes the idol, both it, and he who made it, is accursed: he, indeed, because it has been served by him, and it, because, though it is fragile, it is called ‘god.’
9 Similiter autem odio sunt Deo impius et impietas ejus ;	9 But the impious and his impiety are similarly offensive to God.
10 etenim quod factum est, cum illo qui fecit tormenta patietur.	10 For that which is made, together with him who made it, will suffer torments.
11 Propter hoc et in idolis nationum non erit respectus, quoniam creaturæ Dei in odium factæ sunt, et in tentationem animabus hominum, et in muscipulam pedibus insipientium.	11 Because of this, and according to the idolatries of the nations, there will be no refuge, for the things created by God have been made into hatred, and into a temptation to the souls of men, and into a snare for the feet of the foolish.
12 Initium enim fornicationis est exquisitio idolorum, et adinventio illorum corruptio vitæ est :	12 For the beginning of fornication is the search for idols, and from their invention comes corruption of life.
13 neque enim erant ab initio, neque erunt in perpetuum.	13 For they neither existed from the beginning, nor will they exist forever.
14 Supervacuitas enim hominum hæc advenit in orbem terrarum, et ideo brevis illorum finis est inventus.	14 For by the great emptiness of men they came into the world, and therefore their end is soon discovered.
15 Acerbo enim luctu dolens pater, cito sibi rapti filii fecit imaginem ; et illum qui tunc quasi homo mortuus fuerat, nunc tamquam deum colere cœpit, et constituit inter servos suos sacra et sacrificia.	15 For a father, embittered with the suffering of grief, made an image of his son, who had been suddenly taken away from him, and then, he who had died as a man, now begins to be worshiped as if a god, and so rites and sacrifices are established among his servants.
16 Deinde interveniente tempore, convalescente iniqua consuetudine, hic error tamquam lex custoditus est, et tyrannorum imperio colebantur figmenta.	16 Then, in the course of time, iniquity gains strength within this erroneous custom, so that this error has been observed as if it were a law, and this figment has been worshiped at the command of tyrants.
17 Et hos quos in palam homines honorare non poterant propter hoc quod longe essent, e longinquo figura eorum allata, evidentem imaginem regis quem honorare volebant fecerunt, ut illum qui aberat, tamquam præsentem colerent sua sollicitudine.	17 And those, whom men could not openly honor because they were far off, a likeness of them was carried from far off, and from it they made a similar image of the king that they wanted to honor, so that, by their solicitude, they might worship he who was absent, just as if he were present.
18 Provexit autem ad horum culturam et hos qui ignorabant artificis eximia diligentia.	18 Yet, it passes into their care, and those whom they did not know, they love because of the excellence of the artist.
19 Ille enim, volens placere illi qui se assumpsit, elaboravit arte sua ut similitudinem in melius figuraret.	19 For he, wishing to please the one who hired him, embellished his art, so as to fashion a better likeness.
20 Multitudo autem hominum, abducta per speciem operis, eum qui ante tempus tamquam homo honoratus fuerat, nunc deum æstimaverunt.	20 But the multitude of men, brought together by the beauty of the work, now considered him to be a god, whom they had formerly honored as a man.
21 Et hæc fuit vitæ humanæ deceptio, quoniam aut affectui aut regibus deservientes homines, incommunicabile nomen lapidibus et lignis imposuerunt.	21 And this was the deception of human life: that men, serving either their own inclination or their kings, assigned the unutterable name to stones and wood.
22 Et non suffecerat errasse eos circa Dei scientiam, sed et in magno viventes inscientiæ bello, tot et tam magna mala pacem appellant.	22 And it was not enough for them to go astray concerning the knowledge of God, but also, while living in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and such great evils ‘peace.’
23 Aut enim filios suos sacrificantes, aut obscura sacrificia facientes, aut insaniæ plenas vigilias habentes,	23 For either they sacrifice their own sons, or they make dark sacrifices, or they hold vigils full of madness,
24 neque vitam, neque nuptias mundas jam custodiunt : sed alius alium per invidiam occidit, aut adulterans contristat,	24 so that now they neither protect life, nor preserve a clean marriage, but one kills another through envy, or grieves him by adultery.
25 et omnia commista sunt : sanguis, homicidium, furtum et fictio, corruptio et infidelitas, turbatio et perjurium, tumultus bonorum,	25 And all things are mixed together: blood, murder, theft and fraud, corruption and infidelity, disturbances and perjury, disorder within good things,
26 Dei immemoratio, animarum inquinatio, nativitatis immutatio, nuptiarum inconstantia, inordinatio mœchiæ et impudicitiæ.	26 forgetfulness of God, pollution of souls, alteration of procreation, inconstancy of marriage, unnatural adultery and homosexuality.
27 Infandorum enim idolorum cultura omnis mali causa est, et initium et finis.	27 For the worship of unspeakable idols is the cause, and the beginning and the end, of all evil.
28 Aut enim dum lætantur insaniunt, aut certe vaticinantur falsa, aut vivunt injuste, aut pejerant cito.	28 For they either act with madness while happy, or they insistently speak wild lies, or they live unjustly, or they are quick to commit perjury.
29 Dum enim confidunt in idolis quæ sine anima sunt, male jurantes noceri se non sperant.	29 For, while they trust in idols, which are without a soul, vowing evil, they hope not to be harmed themselves.
30 Utraque ergo illis evenient digne, quoniam male senserunt de Deo, attendentes idolis, et juraverunt injuste, in dolo contemnentes justitiam.	30 Therefore, from both sides it will fittingly happen, because they have thought evil of God, paying attention to idols, and because they have sworn unjustly, in guile despising justice.
31 Non enim juratorum virtus, sed peccantium pœna, perambulat semper injustorum prævaricationem.	31 For swearing is not virtue, but sinning always comes around to a punishment according to the transgression of the unjust.