Wisdom of Solomon 13 – search, read, and compare multiple versions of the Bible

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World English Bible Classic
[1] For truly all men who had no perception of God were foolish by nature,
and didn’t gain power to know him who exists from the good things that are seen.
They didn’t recognize the architect from his works.
[2] But they thought that either fire, or wind, or swift air,
or circling stars, or raging water, or luminaries of heaven
were gods that rule the world.
[3] If it was through delight in their beauty that they took them to be gods,
let them know how much better their Sovereign Lord is than these,
for the first author of beauty created them.
[4] But if it was through astonishment at their power and influence,
then let them understand from them how much more powerful he who formed them is.
[5] For from the greatness of the beauty of created things,
mankind forms the corresponding perception of their Maker.§
[6] But yet for these men there is but small blame,
for they too perhaps go astray
while they are seeking God and desiring to find him.
[7] For they diligently search while living among his works,
and they trust their sight that the things that they look at are beautiful.
[8] But again even they are not to be excused.
[9] For if they had power to know so much,
that they should be able to explore the world,
how is it that they didn’t find the Sovereign Lord sooner? [10] But they were miserable, and their hopes were in dead things,
who called them gods which are works of men’s hands,
gold and silver, skillfully made, and likenesses of animals,
or a useless stone, the work of an ancient hand.
[11] Yes and some§ woodcutter might saw down a tree that is easily moved,
skillfully strip away all its bark,
and fashion it in attractive form, make a useful vessel to serve his life’s needs.
[12] Burning the scraps from his handiwork to cook his food,
he eats his fill.
[13] Taking a discarded scrap which served no purpose,
a crooked piece of wood and full of knots,
he carves it with the diligence of his idleness,
and shapes it by the skill of his idleness.
He shapes it in the image of a man,
[14] or makes it like some worthless animal,
smearing it with something red, painting it red,
and smearing over every stain in it.
[15] Having made a worthy chamber for it,
he sets it in a wall, securing it with iron.
[16] He plans for it that it may not fall down,
knowing that it is unable to help itself
(for truly it is an image, and needs help).
[17] When he makes his prayer concerning goods and his marriage and children,
he is not ashamed to speak to that which has no life.
[18] Yes, for health, he calls upon that which is weak.
For life, he implores that which is dead.
For aid, he supplicates that which has no experience.
For a good journey, he asks that which can’t so much as move a step.
[19] And for profit in business and good success of his hands,
he asks ability from that which has hands with no ability.

Footnotes

  1. § 13:5 Gr. is the first maker of them seen.
  2. § 13:11 Gr. carpenter who is a woodcutter.
King James Version
Book not available in King James Version
Septuaginta
[1] Μάταιοι G3152 μὲν G3303 γὰρ G1063 πάντες G3956 ἄνθρωποι G444 φύσει, G5449 οἷς G3739 παρῆν G3918 θεοῦ G2316 ἀγνωσία G56 καὶ G2532 ἐκ G1537 τῶν G3588 ὁρωμένων ἀγαθῶν G18 οὐκ G3756 ἴσχυσαν G2480 εἰδέναι G1492 τὸν G3588 ὄντα G5607 οὔτε G3777 τοῖς G3588 ἔργοις G2041 προσέχοντες G4337 ἐπέγνωσαν G1921 τὸν G3588 τεχνίτην, G5079 [2] ἀλλ’ G235 ἢ G2228 πῦρ G4442 ἢ G2228 πνεῦμα G4151 ἢ G2228 ταχινὸν G5031 ἀέρα G109 ἢ G2228 κύκλον G2945 ἄστρων G798 ἢ G2228 βίαιον G972 ὕδωρ G5204 ἢ G2228 φωστῆρας G5458 οὐρανοῦ G3772 πρυτάνεις κόσμου G2889 θεοὺς G2316 ἐνόμισαν. G3543 [3] Ὧν G3739 εἰ G1487 μὲν G3303 τῇ G3588 καλλονῇ τερπόμενοι ταῦτα G5023 θεοὺς G2316 ὑπελάμβανον, G5274 γνώτωσαν G1097 πόσῳ G4214 τούτων G5130 ὁ G3588 δεσπότης G1203 ἐστὶ G2076 βελτίων, G957 ὁ G3588 γὰρ G1063 τοῦ G3588 κάλλους γενεσιάρχης ἔκτισεν G2936 αὐτά· G846 [4] εἰ G1487 δὲ G1161 δύναμιν G1411 καὶ G2532 ἐνέργειαν G1753 ἐκπλαγέντες, G1605 νοησάτωσαν G3539 ἀπ’ G575 αὐτῶν G846 πόσῳ G4214 ὁ G3588 κατασκευάσας G2680 αὐτὰ G846 δυνατώτερός G1415 ἐστιν· G2076 [5] ἐκ G1537 γὰρ G1063 μεγέθους G3174 καὶ G2532 καλλονῆς κτισμάτων G2938 ἀναλόγως ὁ G3588 γενεσιουργὸς αὐτῶν G846 θεωρεῖται. G2334 [6] Ἀλλ’ G235 ὅμως G3676 ἐπὶ G1909 τούτοις G5125 μέμψις ἐστὶν G2076 ὀλίγη, G3641 καὶ G2532 γὰρ G1063 αὐτοὶ G846 τάχα G5029 πλανῶνται G4105 θεὸν G2316 ζητοῦντες G2212 καὶ G2532 θέλοντες G2309 εὑρεῖν· G2147 [7] ἐν G1722 γὰρ G1063 τοῖς G3588 ἔργοις G2041 αὐτοῦ G846 ἀναστρεφόμενοι G390 διερευνῶσιν καὶ G2532 πείθονται G3982 τῇ G3588 ὄψει, G3799 ὅτι G3754 καλὰ G2570 τὰ G3588 βλεπόμενα. G991 [8] Πάλιν G3825 δ’ G1161 οὐδ’ G3761 αὐτοὶ G846 συγγνωστοί· [9] εἰ G1487 γὰρ G1063 τοσοῦτον G5118 ἴσχυσαν G2480 εἰδέναι G1492 ἵνα G2443 δύνωνται G1410 στοχάσασθαι τὸν G3588 αἰῶνα, G165 τὸν G3588 τούτων G5130 δεσπότην G1203 πῶς G4459 τάχιον G5032 οὐχ G3756 εὗρον; G2147 [10] Ταλαίπωροι G5005 δὲ G1161 καὶ G2532 ἐν G1722 νεκροῖς G3498 αἱ G3588 ἐλπίδες G1680 αὐτῶν, G846 οἵτινες G3748 ἐκάλεσαν G2564 θεοὺς G2316 ἔργα G2041 χειρῶν G5495 ἀνθρώπων, G444 χρυσὸν G5557 καὶ G2532 ἄργυρον G696 τέχνης G5078 ἐμμελέτημα καὶ G2532 ἀπεικάσματα ζῴων G2226 ἢ G2228 λίθον G3037 ἄχρηστον G890 χειρὸς G5495 ἔργον G2041 ἀρχαίας. G744 [11] Εἰ G1487 δὲ G1161 καί G2532 τις G5100 ὑλοτόμος τέκτων G5045 εὐκίνητον φυτὸν ἐκπρίσας περιέξυσεν εὐμαθῶς πάντα G3956 τὸν G3588 φλοιὸν αὐτοῦ G846 καὶ G2532 τεχνησάμενος εὐπρεπῶς κατεσκεύασεν G2680 χρήσιμον G5539 σκεῦος G4632 εἰς G1519 ὑπηρεσίαν ζωῆς, G2222 [12] τὰ G3588 δὲ G1161 ἀποβλήματα τῆς G3588 ἐργασίας G2039 εἰς G1519 ἑτοιμασίαν G2091 τροφῆς G5160 ἀναλώσας G355 ἐνεπλήσθη, G1705 [13] τὸ G3588 δὲ G1161 ἐξ G1537 αὐτῶν G846 ἀπόβλημα εἰς G1519 οὐθὲν G3762 εὔχρηστον, G2173 ξύλον G3586 σκολιὸν G4646 καὶ G2532 ὄζοις συμπεφυκός, G4855 λαβὼν G2983 ἔγλυψεν ἐν G1722 ἐπιμελείᾳ G1958 ἀργίας αὐτοῦ G846 καὶ G2532 ἐμπειρίᾳ συνέσεως G4907 ἐτύπωσεν αὐτό, G846 ἀπείκασεν αὐτὸ G846 εἰκόνι G1504 ἀνθρώπου G444 [14] ἢ G2228 ζῴῳ G2226 τινὶ G5100 εὐτελεῖ ὡμοίωσεν G3666 αὐτὸ G846 καταχρίσας μίλτῳ καὶ G2532 φύκει ἐρυθήνας χρόαν αὐτοῦ G846 καὶ G2532 πᾶσαν G3956 κηλῖδα τὴν G3588 ἐν G1722 αὐτῷ G846 καταχρίσας [15] καὶ G2532 ποιήσας G4160 αὐτῷ G846 αὐτοῦ G846 ἄξιον G514 οἴκημα G3612 ἐν G1722 τοίχῳ G5109 ἔθηκεν G5087 αὐτὸ G846 ἀσφαλισάμενος G805 σιδήρῳ. G4604 [16] Ἵνα G2443 μὲν G3303 οὖν G3767 μὴ G3361 καταπέσῃ, G2667 προενόησεν G4306 αὐτοῦ G846 εἰδὼς G1492 ὅτι G3754 ἀδυνατεῖ G101 ἑαυτῷ G1438 βοηθῆσαι· G997 καὶ G2532 γάρ G1063 ἐστιν G2076 εἰκὼν G1504 καὶ G2532 χρείαν G5532 ἔχει G2192 βοηθείας. G996 [17] Περὶ G4012 δὲ G1161 κτημάτων G2933 καὶ G2532 γάμων G1062 αὐτοῦ G846 καὶ G2532 τέκνων G5043 προσευχόμενος G4336 οὐκ G3756 αἰσχύνεται G153 τῷ G3588 ἀψύχῳ G895 προσλαλῶν G4354 καὶ G2532 περὶ G4012 μὲν G3303 ὑγιείας τὸ G3588 ἀσθενὲς G772 ἐπικαλεῖται, G1941 [18] περὶ G4012 δὲ G1161 ζωῆς G2222 τὸ G3588 νεκρὸν G3498 ἀξιοῖ, G515 περὶ G4012 δὲ G1161 ἐπικουρίας G1947 τὸ G3588 ἀπειρότατον G552 ἱκετεύει, περὶ G4012 δὲ G1161 ὁδοιπορίας G3597 τὸ G3588 μηδὲ G3366 βάσει G939 χρῆσθαι G5530 δυνάμενον, G1410 [19] περὶ G4012 δὲ G1161 πορισμοῦ G4200 καὶ G2532 ἐργασίας G2039 καὶ G2532 χειρῶν G5495 ἐπιτυχίας τὸ G3588 ἀδρανέστατον ταῖς G3588 χερσὶν G5495 εὐδράνειαν αἰτεῖται. G154
Septuaginta, in place of Byzantine Greek New Testament