Wisdom of Solomon 14

BrentonFor verily desire of gain devised that, and the workman built it by his skill.

BrentonBut thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way in the sea, and a safe path in the waves;

Brentonshewing that thou canst save from all danger: yea, though a man went to sea without art.

BrentonNevertheless thou wouldest not that the works of thy wisdom should be idle, and therefore do men commit their lives to a small piece of wood, and passing the rough sea in a weak vessel are saved.

BrentonFor blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.

BrentonFor the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God.

BrentonFor that which is made shall be punished together with him that made it.

BrentonTherefore even upon the idols of the Gentiles shall there be a visitation: because in the creature of God they are become an abomination, and stumblingblocks to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the unwise.

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

BrentonFor by the vain glory of men they entered into the world, and therefore shall they come shortly to an end.

BrentonFor a father afflicted with untimely mourning, when he hath made an image of his child soon taken away, now honoured him as a god, which was then a dead man, and delivered to those that were under him ceremonies and sacrifices.

BrentonThus in process of time an ungodly custom grown strong was kept as a law, and graven images were worshipped by the commandments of kings.

BrentonWhom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they took the counterfeit of his visage from far, and made an express image of a king whom they honoured, to the end that by this their forwardness they might flatter him that was absent, as if he were present.

BrentonFor he, peradventure willing to please one in authority, forced all his skill to make the resemblance of the best fashion.

BrentonAnd so the multitude, allured by the grace of the work, took him now for a god, which a little before was but honoured as a man.

BrentonAnd this was an occasion to deceive the world: for men, serving either calamity or tyranny, did ascribe unto stones and stocks the incommunicable name.

BrentonFor whilst they slew their children in sacrifices, or used secret ceremonies, or made revellings of strange rites;

Brentonthey kept neither lives nor marriages any longer undefiled: but either one slew another traiterously or grieved him by adultery.

BrentonSo that there reigned in all men without exception, blood, manslaughter, theft, and dissimulation, corruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, perjury,

Brentondisquieting of good men, forgetfulness of good turns, defiling of souls, changing of kind, disorder in marriages, adultery, and shameless uncleanness.

BrentonFor the worshipping of idols not to be named is the beginning, the cause, and the end, of all evil.

BrentonFor either they are mad when they be merry, or prophesy lies, or live unjustly, or else lightly forswear themselves.

BrentonFor insomuch as their trust is in idols which have no life, though they swear falsely, yet they look not to be hurt.

BrentonFor it is not the power of them by whom they swear: but it is the just vengeance of sinners, that punisheth always the offence of the ungodly.