Sapientia 15

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Tu autem, Deus noster, suavis et verus es, patiens, et in misericordia disponens omnia.	1 But you, our God, are good and true, slow to anger, and governing all with mercy.
2 Etenim si peccaverimus, tui sumus, scientes magnitudinem tuam ; et si non peccaverimus, scimus quoniam apud te sumus computati.	2 For even if we sin, we are yours, and know your might; but we will not sin, knowing that we belong to you.
3 Nosse enim te, consummata justitia est ; et scire justitiam et virtutem tuam, radix est immortalitatis.	3 For to know you well is complete justice, and to know your might is the root of immortality.
4 Non enim in errorem induxit nos hominum malæ artis excogitatio, nec umbra picturæ labor sine fructu, effigies sculpta per varios colores :	4 For neither did the evil creation of men's fancy deceive us, nor the fruitless labor of painters, A form smeared with varied colors,
5 cujus aspectus insensato dat concupiscentiam, et diligit mortuæ imaginis effigiem sine anima.	5 the sight of which arouses yearning in the senseless man, till he longs for the inanimate form of a dead image.
6 Malorum amatores digni sunt qui spem habeant in talibus, et qui faciunt illos, et qui diligunt, et qui colunt.	6 Lovers of evil things, and worthy of such hopes are they who make them and long for them and worship them.
7 Sed et figulus mollem terram premens, laboriose fingit ad usus nostros unumquodque vas ; et de eodem luto fingit quæ munda sunt in usum vasa, et similiter quæ his sunt contraria : horum autem vasorum quis sit usus, judex est figulus.	7 For truly the potter, laboriously working the soft earth, molds for our service each several article: Both the vessels that serve for clean purposes and their opposites, all alike; As to what shall be the use of each vessel of either class the worker in clay is the judge.
8 Et cum labore vano deum fingit de eodem luto ille qui paulo ante de terra factus fuerat, et post pusillum reducit se unde acceptus est, repetitus animæ debitum quam habebat.	8 And with misspent toil he molds a meaningless god from the selfsame clay; though he himself shortly before was made from the earth And after a little, is to go whence he was taken, when the life that was lent him is demanded back.
9 Sed cura est illi non quia laboraturus est, nec quoniam brevis illi vita est : sed concertatur aurificibus et argentariis ; sed et ærarios imitatur, et gloriam præfert, quoniam res supervacuas fingit.	9 But his concern is not that he is to die nor that his span of life is brief; Rather, he vies with goldsmiths and silversmiths and emulates molders of bronze, and takes pride in modeling counterfeits.
10 Cinis est enim cor ejus, et terra supervacua spes illius, et luto vilior vita ejus :	10 Ashes his heart is! more worthless than earth is his hope, and more ignoble than clay his life;
11 quoniam ignoravit qui se finxit, et qui inspiravit illi animam quæ operatur, et qui insufflavit ei spiritum vitalem.	11 Because he knew not the one who fashioned him, and breathed into him a quickening soul, and infused a vital spirit.
12 Sed et æstimaverunt ludum esse vitam nostram, et conversationem vitæ compositam ad lucrum, et oportere undecumque etiam ex malo acquirere.	12 Instead, he esteemed our life a plaything, and our span of life a holiday for gain; "For one must," says he, "make profit every way, be it even out of evil."
13 Hic enim scit se super omnes delinquere, qui ex terræ materia fragilia vasa et sculptilia fingit.	13 For this man more than any knows that he is sinning, when out of earthen stuff he creates fragile vessels and idols alike.
14 Omnes enim insipientes, et infelices supra modum animæ superbi, sunt inimici populi tui, et imperantes illi :	14 But all quite senseless, and worse than childish in mind, are the enemies of your people who enslaved them.
15 quoniam omnia idola nationum deos æstimaverunt, 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.	15 For they esteemed all the idols of the nations gods, which have no use of the eyes for vision, nor nostrils to snuff the air, Nor ears to hear, nor fingers on their hands for feeling; even their feet are useless to walk with.
16 Homo enim fecit illos ; et qui spiritum mutuatus est, is finxit illos. Nemo enim sibi similem homo poterit deum fingere.	16 For a man made them; one whose spirit has been lent him fashioned them. For no man succeeds in fashioning a god like himself;
17 Cum enim sit mortalis, mortuum fingit manibus iniquis. Melior enim est ipse his quos colit, quia ipse quidem vixit, cum esset mortalis, illi autem numquam.	17 being mortal, he makes a dead thing with his lawless hands. For he is better than the things he worships; he at least lives, but never they.
18 Sed et animalia miserrima colunt ; insensata enim comparata his, illis sunt deteriora.	18 And besides, they worship the most loathsome beasts-- for compared as to folly, these are worse than the rest,
19 Sed nec aspectu aliquis ex his animalibus bona potest conspicere : effugerunt autem Dei laudem et benedictionem ejus.	19 Nor for their looks are they good or desirable beasts, but they have escaped both the approval of God and his blessing.