The Wisdom of Solomon

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

- Chapter 15 -

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.

Footnotes

(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

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

But thou, O God, art gracious and true, longsuffering, and in mercy ordering all things,

For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy power: but we will not sin, knowing that we are counted thine.

For to know thee is perfect righteousness: yea, to know thy power is the root of immortality.

For neither did the mischievous invention of men deceive us, nor an image spotted with divers colours, the painter’s fruitless labour;

The sight whereof enticeth fools to lust after it, and so they desire the form of a dead image, that hath no breath.

Both they that make them, they that desire them, and they that worship them, are lovers of evil things, and are worthy to have such things to trust upon.

For the potter, tempering soft earth, fashioneth every vessel with much labour for our service: yea, of the same clay he maketh both the vessels that serve for clean uses, and likewise also all such as serve to the contrary: but what is the use of either sort, the potter himself is the judge.

And employing his labours lewdly, he maketh a vain god of the same clay, even he which a little before was made of earth himself, and within a little while after returneth to the same, out when his life which was lent him shall be demanded.

Notwithstanding his care is, not that he shall have much labour, nor that his life is short: but striveth to excel goldsmiths and silversmiths, and endeavoureth to do like the workers in brass, and counteth it his glory to make counterfeit things.

His heart is ashes, his hope is more vile than earth, and his life of less value than clay:

Forasmuch as he knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active soul, and breathed in a living spirit.

But they counted our life a pastime, and our time here a market for gain: for, say they, we must be getting every way, though it be by evil means.

For this man, that of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels and graven images, knoweth himself to offend above all others.

And all the enemies of thy people, that hold them in subjection, are most foolish, and are more miserable than very babes.

For they counted all the idols of the heathen to be 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 go.

For man made them, and he that borrowed his own spirit fashioned them: but no man can make a god like unto himself.

For being mortal, he worketh a dead thing with wicked hands: for he himself is better than the things which he worshippeth: whereas he lived once, but they never.

Yea, they worshipped those beasts also that are most hateful: for being compared together, some are worse than others.

Neither are they beautiful, so much as to be desired in respect of beasts: but they went without the praise of God and his blessing.