The Wisdom of Solomon

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 14 -

The beginning of worshipping idols: and the effects thereof.

Again, another designing to sail, and beginning to make his voyage through the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more frail than the wood that carrieth him.

For this the desire of gain devised, and the workman built it by his skill.

But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way even in the sea, and a most sure path among the waves,

Shewing that thou art able to save out of all things, yea though a man went to sea without art.

But that the works of thy wisdom might not be idle: therefore men also trust their lives even to a little wood, and passing over the sea by ship are saved.

And from the beginning also when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world fleeing to a vessel, which was governed by thy hand, left to the world seed of generation.

For blessed is the wood, by which justice cometh.

But the idol that is made by hands, is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he because he made it; and it because being frail it is called a god.

But to God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike.

For that which is made, together with him that made it, shall suffer torments.

Therefore there shall be no respect had even to the idols of the Gentiles: because the creatures of God are turned to an abomination, and a temptation to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the unwise.

For the beginning of fornication is the devising of idols: and the invention of them is the corruption of life.

For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.

For by the vanity of men they came into the world: and therefore they shall be found to come shortly to an end.

For a father being afflicted with bitter grief, made to himself the image of his son who was quickly taken away: and him who then had died as a man, he began now to worship as a god, and appointed him rites and sacrifices among his servants.

Then in process of time, wicked custom prevailing, this error was kept as a law, and statues were worshipped by the commandment of tyrants.

And those whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they brought their resemblance from afar, and made an express image of the king whom they had a mind to honour: that by this their diligence, they might honour as present, him that was absent.

And to worshipping of these, the singular diligence also of the artificer helped to set forward the ignorant.

For he being willing to please him that employed him, laboured with all his art to make the resemblance in the best manner.

And the multitude of men, carried away by the beauty of the work, took him now for a god that a little before was but honoured as a man.

And this was the occasion of deceiving human life: for men serving either their affection, or their kings, gave the incommunicable name to stones and wood.

And it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but whereas they lived in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and so great evils peace.

For either they sacrifice their own children, or use hidden sacrifices, or keep watches full of madness,

So that now they neither keep life, nor marriage undefiled, but one killeth another through envy, or grieveth him by adultery:

And all things are mingled together, blood, murder, theft and dissimulation, corruption and unfaithfulness, tumults and perjury, disquieting of the good,

Forgetfulness of God, defiling of souls, changing of nature, disorder in marriage, and the irregularity of adultery and uncleanness.

For the worship of abominable idols is the cause, and the beginning and end of all evil.

For either they are mad when they are merry: or they prophesy lies, or they live unjustly, or easily forswear themselves.

For whilst they trust in idols, which are without life, though they swear amiss, they look not to be hurt.

But for two things they shall be justly punished, because they have thought not well of God, giving heed to idols, and have sworn unjustly, in guile despising justice.

For it is not the power of them, by whom they swear, but the just vengeance of sinners always punisheth the transgression of the unjust.

The beginning of worshipping idols: and the effects thereof.

Again, one preparing to sail, and about to journey over raging waves, calls upon a piece of wood more fragile than the vessel that carries him.

For the hunger for profit planned it, and wisdom was the craftsman who built it.

Your providence, O Father, guides it along, because even in the sea you gave a way, and in the waves a sure path,

showing that you can save out of every danger, that even a man without skill may put to sea.

It is your will that the works of your wisdom should not be ineffective. Therefore men also entrust their lives to a little piece of wood, and passing through the surge on a raft come safely to land.

For(a) in the old time also, when proud giants were perishing, the hope of the world, taking refuge on a raft, your hand guided the seed of generations of the race of men.

For blessed is wood through which comes righteousness;

but the idol made with hands is accursed, itself and he that made it; because his was the working, and the corruptible thing was called a god.

For both the ungodly and his ungodliness are alike hateful to God;

for truly the deed will be punished together with him who committed it.

Therefore also there will be a visitation among the idols of the nation, because, though formed of things which God created, they were made an abomination, stumbling blocks to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the foolish.

For the devising of idols was the beginning of fornication, and the invention of them the corruption of life.

For they didn’t exist from the beginning, and they won’t exist forever.

For by the boastfulness of men they entered into the world, and therefore a speedy end was planned for them.

For a father worn with untimely grief, making an image of the child quickly taken away, now honored him as a god which was then a dead human being, and delivered to those that were under him mysteries and solemn rites.

Afterward the ungodly custom, in process of time grown strong, was kept as a law, and the engraved images received worship by the commandments of princes.

And when men could not honor them in presence because they lived far off, imagining the likeness from afar, they made a visible image of the king whom they honored, that by their zeal they might flatter the absent as if present.

But worship was raised to a yet higher pitch, even by those who didn’t know him, urged forward by the ambition of the architect;

for he, wishing perhaps to please his ruler, used his art to force the likeness toward a greater beauty.

So the multitude, allured by reason of the grace of his handiwork, now consider an object of devotion him that a little before was honored as a man.

And this became an ambush, because men, in bondage either to calamity or to tyranny, invested stones and stocks with the Name that shouldn’t be shared.

Afterward it was not enough for them to go astray concerning the knowledge of God, but also, while they live in a great war of ignorance, they call a multitude of evils peace.

For either slaughtering children in solemn rites, or celebrating secret mysteries, or holding frenzied revels of strange customs,

no longer do they guard either life or purity of marriage, but one brings upon another either death by treachery, or anguish by adultery.

And all things confusedly are filled with blood and murder, theft and deceit, corruption, faithlessness, tumult, perjury,

confusion about what is good, forgetfulness of favors, ingratitude for benefits, defiling of souls, confusion of sex, disorder in marriage, adultery and wantonness.

For the worship of idols that may not be named (b) is a beginning and cause and end of every evil.

For their worshipers either make merry to madness, or prophesy lies, or live unrighteously, or lightly commit perjury.

For putting their trust in lifeless idols, when they have sworn a wicked oath, they expect not to suffer harm.

But on both counts, the just doom will pursue them, because they had evil thoughts of God by giving heed to idols, and swore unrighteously in deceit through contempt for holiness.

For it is not the power of things by which men swear, but it is the just penalty for those who sin that always visits the transgression of the unrighteous.

Footnotes

(a)14:6 The Greek text here may be corrupt.

(b)14:27 ℘ Exodus 23:13; Psalms 16:4; Hosea 2:17; Wisdom 14:21