- WISDOM OF SOLOMON
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CHAPTER 14
1 Again another man thinking to sail in a ship [or another thinking to sail], and beginning to make journey through fierce waves, inwardly calleth a tree more frail than the tree that beareth him.
2 For why covetousness to get money[or winning] found that idol; and a craftsman made it by his wisdom.
3 But thou, Father, governest by purveyance, for thou gavest way in the sea [or thou hast given in the sea way], and a most steadfast path among waves;
4 showing that thou art mighty to make whole of [or to heal] all things, yea, if a man goeth to the sea without ship;
5 but that the works of thy wisdom should not be void, for this thing men betake their lives, yea, to a little tree, and they pass the sea, and be delivered by a ship.
6 But at the beginning, when proud giants perished, the hope of the world fled to a ship, and sent again seed of birth to the world, which was governed by thine hand.
7 For why blessed is the tree, by which rightfulness was made [or by the which is done rightwiseness].
8 But the idol which is made by hand is cursed, both it, and he that made it, for soothly he wrought great trespass [or unbelievefulness]; soothly that idol, when it was frail, was named God.
9 Forsooth in like manner the wicked man and his wickedness, [or the unpious and the unpiousness of him], be hateful to God.
10 For why that that is made shall suffer torments, with him that made it.
11 For this thing and to the idols of nations shall not be beholding [or reward]; for the creatures of God be made into hatred, and into temptation to the soul of men, and into a trap [or a mouse-catch], to the feet of unwise men.
12 For the beginning of fornication, that is, idolatry, which is ghostly fornication, is the seeking out of idols, and the finding of those idols is the corruption of life.
13 Forsooth those were not at the beginning, neither those shall be without end. [Forsooth they were not from the beginning, nor shall be into without end.]
14 For why the voidness of men found these idols into the world; and therefore the end of those is found shortly.
15 For why the father making sorrow with bitter mourning, made soon to him an image of the son that was ravished; and began to worship him now as a god, that was dead then as a man; and he ordained holy things [or temples] and sacrifices among his servants.
16 Afterward in time coming betwixt, when the wicked custom was strong, this error was kept as a law, and images were worshipped by lordship of tyrants.
17 The figure of them was brought from afar, which the men might not honour [or worship] in open, for they were [a] far; and they made an open image of the king, whom they would honour; that by their busyness they should worship him as present, that was absent.
18 Forsooth the noble [or the great] diligence of a craftsman brought in also them, that knew not, to the worshipping of these things or of these kings.
19 For he willing more to please the king, that took him, that is, chose him to make an image to the king, travailed perfectly by his craft, to make a likeness into better, that is, in making the king fairer.
20 Soothly the multitude of men, deceived by the fairness of work, guessed [or esteemed] him now a god, that was honoured as a man before that time.
21 And this was the deceit [or the deceiving] of man’s life; for why men serving greatly, either to affection, either to kings, putted to stones and trees the name that may not be communed [or the uncommunicable name].
22 And it sufficed not, that they erred about the knowing of God; but also they living in great battle of unknowing, call so many and so great evils peace.
23 For either they slaying their sons in sacrifice, either making dark sacrifices, either having wakings [or having watches] full of madness,
24 keep now neither clean life, neither clean weddings [or spousals]; but also one man slayeth another man by envy, either doing adultery maketh sorry his neighbor.
25 And all things be meddled [or mingled] together, blood, manslaying [or manslaughter], theft, and feigning, corruption, unfaithfulness, disturbing, and forswearing,
26 noise, forgetting of goods of the Lord, defouling of souls, changing of birth, unsteadfastness of weddings, unordaining of lechery and of unchastity. [strife, the unminding of the goods of the Lord, the defouling of souls, the mis-changing of birth, the unstableness of bridals, the unordaining of lechery and of uncleanness.]
27 For why the worshipping of cursed idols is the cause, and the beginning, and the end, of all evil.
28 For why either they wax mad, while they be glad; either certainly they prophesy false things, either they live unjustly, either they forswear soon.
29 For the while they trust in idols, that be without soul, they swear evil, and hope not, that they shall be annoyed.
30 Therefore ever either shall come to them worthily; for they deemed evil of God, and gave attention to idols [or taking heed to maumets], and they swore unjustly in an idol, and they despised rightfulness [or rightwiseness].
31 For why an oath is not virtue, but the pain of sinners goeth forth ever-[more], into the breaking of just [or rightwise] things.

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© 2001,2010,2011,2012,2013,2015 Terry Noble