The Wisdom of Solomon
Chapter 14
1. Should someone preparing to sail
preparing to transverse raging seas
call on a piece of wood
more rotten than the boat
that will carry them?
2. Surely it was desire for gain
that motivated its making
by the wood worker who built it
through his skill.
3. Yet it is through providence
by the control of the Almighty
that has led you to the sea
and provided a safe path
through the waves.
4. Showing that one is saved
from all types of danger
even one who went to sea
without the skill to do so.
5. Even if Your wisdom
is not utilized
and some commit their lives
to a small piece of wood
and sail through rough seas
in a weak vessel
many still are saved.
6. For in the ancient times
when the proud giants perished
worldly dreams guided by You
did escape in weak vessels
leaving their offspring
to the coming ages.
7. For blessed is the wood
from which righteousness comes.
8. But cursed is that which
is made with hands
because those who made them
are themselves flawed
even if they are called god.
9. For the ungodly and ungodliness
are similarly opposed to God.
10. And those who do these
shall face consequences together
with those who made them.
11. Therefore even the idols
of the atheists are visited
because within the world of God
they have become an abomination
and have become stumbling blocks
to the souls of people
and have become snares
to the soles of the unwise.
12. For the production of idols
began a spiritual impunity
and their invention
was a corruption of life.
13. And neither did they exist
from the beginning
nor do they last for ever.
14. Only by the vanity of people
did they come into the world
and thus met with a swift end.
15. Like a father afflicted
with an untimely passing
and the image of his child
was quickly taken away
only to be honored as a god
even though a dead man
and delivered to others
which came after him
for rituals and sacrifices.
16. In time this unseemly custom
grew strong and written into law.
So engraved images were worshipped
through the instructions of kings.
4. Those who didn’t receive honor
because they lived too far away
were considered imitation effigies
to make a discrete image of a ruler
who then received their honor.
For this they received nobility
by flattering those that were absent
as if they were present.
18. But due to their persistent fraud
they produced more ignorance
because of heightened superstition.
19. For those who were willing
to please those with authority
were forced to use their skills
to make effigies of great quality.
20. Thus those who were attracted
by the beauty of the effigies
mistook them to be gods
while only just a little before
had received honor.
21. And this deceives the world
to those who serve disaster
and subscribe to stones
ascribed by unspoken names.
19. Yet this was insufficient
due to misunderstandings of God
because they took residence
in the great battle of ignorance
against the great plagues of peace.
23. While they killed their children
in sacrifices and secret ceremonies
or reveled during strange rituals
24. They neglected lives and marriages
and killed one another without valor
or offended them with infidelity.
25. This ruled over the people
causing murder and manslaughter
theft and deception
corruption and lying
violence and perjury.
26. This led to distress of good people
forgetfulness of good deeds
defiling of the spiritual person
changing of the types
discord among marriages
adultery and brazen impurity.
27. Thus the worship of unnamed idols
is the beginning and the cause
and the end of all wickedness.
28. For either are they crazy
when they are merry
or their prophesy lies
or they live dishonorably
or they simply abandon themselves.
29. Because they trust in idols
which are not alive
even if they swear falsehoods
they seem to have no damage.
30. They shall suffer the consequences
not only for despising God
but for following idols
and wickedly swearing
deceiving and despising holiness.
31. For they do not swear
by their own power.
It is the vengeance of the wicked
and their eventual consequences
that provides offences for the ungodly.
