Wisdom 15

¹But thou, our God, art gracious and true, patient, and ordering all things in mercy.

²For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy greatness: and if we sin not, we know that we are counted with thee.

³For to know thee is perfect justice: and to know thy justice, and thy power, is the root of immortality.

⁴For the invention of mischievous men hath not deceived us, nor the shadow of a picture, a fruitless labour, a graven figure with divers colours,

⁵The sight whereof enticeth the fool to lust after it, and he loveth the lifeless figure of a dead image.

⁶The 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.

⁷The 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.

⁸And 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.

⁹But 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.

¹⁰For his heart is ashes, and his hope vain earth and his life more base than clay:

¹¹Forasmuch as he knew not his maker, and him that inspired into him the soul that worketh, and that breathed into him a living spirit.

¹²Yea, 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.

¹³For that man knoweth that he offendeth above all others, who of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels, and graven gods.

¹⁴But all the enemies of thy people that hold them in subjection, are foolish, and unhappy, and proud beyond measure:

¹⁵For 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.

¹⁶For man made them: and he that borroweth his own breath, fashioned them. For no man can make a god like to himself.

¹⁷For 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.

¹⁸Moreover, they worship also the vilest creatures: but things without sense, compared to these, are worse than they.

¹⁹Yea, neither by sight can any man see good of these beasts. But they have fled from the praise of God, and from his blessing.

Wisdom 15

¹But thou, O God, art gracious and true, longsuffering, and in mercy ordering all things,

²For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy power: but we will not sin, knowing that we are counted thine.

³For to know thee is perfect righteousness: yea, to know thy power is the root of immortality.

⁴For neither did the mischievous invention of men deceive us, nor an image spotted with divers colours, the painter’s fruitless labour;

⁵The sight whereof enticeth fools to lust after it, and so they desire the form of a dead image, that hath no breath.

⁶Both 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.

⁷For 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.

⁸And 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.

⁹Notwithstanding 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.

¹⁰His heart is ashes, his hope is more vile than earth, and his life of less value than clay:

¹¹Forasmuch as he knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active soul, and breathed in a living spirit.

¹²But 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.

¹³For this man, that of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels and graven images, knoweth himself to offend above all others.

¹⁴And all the enemies of thy people, that hold them in subjection, are most foolish, and are more miserable than very babes.

¹⁵For 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.

¹⁶For man made them, and he that borrowed his own spirit fashioned them: but no man can make a god like unto himself.

¹⁷For 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.

¹⁸Yea, they worshipped those beasts also that are most hateful: for being compared together, some are worse than others.

¹⁹Neither are they beautiful, so much as to be desired in respect of beasts: but they went without the praise of God and his blessing.