The Wisdom of Solomon

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Kapitel 15 -

The servants of God praise him who has delivered them from idolatry; condemning both the makers and the worshippers of idols.

But thou, our God, art gracious and true, patient, and ordering all things in mercy.

For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy greatness: and if we sin not, we know that we are counted with thee.

For to know thee is perfect justice: and to know thy justice, and thy power, is the root of immortality.

For the invention of mischievous men hath not deceived us, nor the shadow of a picture, a fruitless labour, a graven figure with divers colours,

The sight whereof enticeth the fool to lust after it, and he loveth the lifeless figure of a dead image.

The lovers of evil things deserve to have no better things to trust in, both they that make them, and they that love them, and they that worship them.

The potter also tempering soft earth, with labour fashioneth every vessel for our service, and of the same clay he maketh both vessels that are for clean uses, and likewise such as serve to the contrary: but what is the use of these vessels, the potter is the judge.

And of the same clay by a vain labour he maketh a god: he who a little before was made of earth himself, and a little after returneth to the same out of which he was taken, when his life which was lent him shall be called for again.

But his care is, not that he shall labour, nor that his life is short, but he striveth with the goldsmiths and silversmiths: and he endeavoureth to do like the workers in brass, and counteth it a glory to make vain things.

For his heart is ashes, and his hope vain earth, and his life more base than clay:

Forasmuch as he knew not his maker and him that inspired into him the soul that worketh, and that breathed into him a living spirit.

Yea and they have counted our life a pastime, and the business of life to be gain, and that we must be getting every way, even out of evil.

For that man knoweth that he offendeth above all others, who of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels, and graven gods.

But all the enemies of thy people that hold them in subjection, are foolish, and unhappy, and proud beyond measure:

For they have esteemed all the idols of the heathens for gods, which neither have the use of eyes to see, nor noses to draw breath, nor ears to hear, nor fingers of hands to handle, and as for their feet, they are slow to walk.

For man made them: and he that borroweth his own breath, fashioned them. For no man can make a god like to himself.

For being mortal himself, he formeth a dead thing with his wicked hands. For he is better than they whom he worshippeth, because he indeed hath lived, though he were mortal, but they never.

Moreover they worship also the vilest creatures: but things without sense compared to these, are worse than they.

Yea, neither by sight can any man see good of these beasts. But they have fled from the praise of God, and from his blessing.

The servants of God praise him who has delivered them from idolatry; condemning both the makers and the worshippers of idols.

But you, our God, are gracious and true, patient, and in mercy ordering all things.

For even if we sin, we are yours, knowing your dominion; but we will not sin, knowing that we have been accounted yours.

For to be acquainted with you is(a) perfect righteousness, and to know your dominion is the root of immortality.

For we weren’t led astray by any evil plan of men’s, nor yet by painters’ fruitless labor, a form stained with varied colors,

the sight of which leads fools into(b) lust. Their desire is for the breathless form of a dead image.

Lovers of evil things, and worthy of such hopes, are those who make, desire, and worship them.

For a potter, kneading soft earth, laboriously molds each article for our service. He fashions out of the same clay both the vessels that minister to clean uses, and those of a contrary sort, all in like manner. What shall be the use of each article of either sort, the potter is the judge.

Also, laboring to an evil end, he molds a vain god out of the same clay, he who, having but a little before been made of earth, after a short space goes his way to the earth out of which he was taken, when he is required to render back the(c) soul which was lent him.

However he has anxious care, not because his powers must fail, nor because his span of life is short; But he compares himself with goldsmiths and silversmiths, and he imitates molders in(d) brass, and considers it great that he molds counterfeit gods.

His heart is ashes. His hope is of less value than earth. His life is of less honor than clay,

because he was ignorant of him who molded him, and of him that inspired into him(e) an active(f) soul, and breathed into him a vital spirit.

But(g) he accounted our life to be a game, and our(h) lifetime a festival for profit; for, he says, one must get gain however one can, even if it is by evil.

For this man, beyond all others, knows that he sins, out of earthy matter making brittle vessels and engraved images.

But most foolish and more miserable than a baby, are the enemies of your people, who oppressed them;

because they even considered all the idols of the nations to be gods, which have neither the use of eyes for seeing, nor nostrils for drawing breath, nor ears to hear, nor fingers for handling, and their feet are helpless for walking.

For a man made them, and one whose own spirit is borrowed molded them; for no one has power as a man to mold a god like himself.

But, being mortal, he makes a dead thing by the work of lawless hands; for he is better than the objects of his worship, since he indeed had life, but they never did.

Yes, and they worship the creatures that are most hateful, for, being compared as to lack of sense, these are worse than all others;

Neither, as seen beside other creatures, are they beautiful, so that one should desire them, but they have escaped both the praise of God and his blessing.

Fußnoten

(a)15:3 Gr. entire.

(b)15:5 Some authorities read reproach.

(d)15:9 Or, copper

(e)15:11 Gr. a soul that moves to activity.

(f)15:11 Or, life

(g)15:12 Some authorities read they accounted.

(h)15:12 Or, way of life