¹

Πλοῦν τις πάλιν στελλόμενος καὶ ἄγρια μέλλων διοδεύειν κύματα, τοῦ φέροντος αὐτὸν πλοίου σαθρότερον ξύλον ἐπιβοᾶται.

¹

Again, one preparing himself to sail, and about to pass through the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more rotten than the vessel that carrieth him.

²

ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ ὄρεξις πορισμῶν ἐπενόησε, τεχνῖτις δὲ σοφίᾳ κατεσκεύασεν·

²

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

³

ἡ δὲ σή, πάτερ, διακυβερνᾷ πρόνοια, ὅτι ἔδωκας καὶ ἐν θαλάσσῃ ὁδὸν καὶ ἐν κύμασι τρίβον ἀσφαλῆ,

³

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

⁴

δεικνὺς ὅτι δύνασαι ἐκ παντὸς σώζειν, ἵνα κἂν ἄνευ τέχνης τις ἐπιβῇ.

⁴

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

⁵

θέλεις δὲ μή ἀργὰ εἶναι τὰ τῆς σοφίας σου ἔργα, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐλαχίστῳ ξύλῳ πιστεύουσιν ἄνθρωποι ψυχὰς καὶ διελθόντες κλύδωνα σχεδίᾳ διεσώθησαν.

⁵

Nevertheless 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.

⁶

καὶ ἀρχῆς γὰρ ἀπολλυμένων ὑπερηφάνων γιγάντων, ἡ ἐλπὶς τοῦ κόσμου ἐπὶ σχεδίας καταφυγοῦσα ἀπέλιπεν αἰῶνι σπέρμα γενέσεως τῇ σῇ κυβερνηθεῖσα χειρί.

⁶

For in the old time also, when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world governed by thy hand escaped in a weak vessel, and left to all ages a seed of generation.

⁷

εὐλόγηται γὰρ ξύλον, δι᾿ οὗ γίνεται δικαιοσύνη·

⁷

For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.

⁸

τὸ χειροποίητον δέ, ἐπικατάρατον αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ ποιήσας αὐτό, ὅτι ὁ μὲν εἰργάζετο, τὸ δὲ φθαρτὸν θεὸς ὠνομάσθη.

⁸

But that which is made with hands is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he, because he made it: and it, because, being corruptible, it was called God.

⁹

ἐν ἴσῳ γὰρ μισητὰ Θεῷ καὶ ὁ ἀσεβῶν καὶ ἡ ἀσέβεια αὐτοῦ·

⁹

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

¹⁰

καὶ γὰρ τὸ πραχθὲν σὺν τῷ δράσαντι κολασθήσεται.

¹⁰

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

¹¹

διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν εἰδώλοις ἐθνῶν ἐπισκοπὴ ἔσται, ὅτι ἐν κτίσματι Θεοῦ εἰς βδέλυγμα ἐγενήθησαν καὶ εἰς σκάνδαλα ψυχαῖς ἀνθρώπων καὶ εἰς παγίδα ποσὶν ἀφρόνων.

¹¹

Therefore 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.

¹²

᾿Αρχὴ γὰρ πορνείας ἐπίνοια εἰδώλων, εὕρεσις δὲ αὐτῶν φθορὰ ζωῆς.

¹²

For the devising of idols was the beginning of spiritual fornication, and the invention of them the corruption of life.

¹³

οὔτε γὰρ ἦν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς, οὔτε εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔσται·

¹³

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

¹⁴

κενοδοξίᾳ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων εἰσῆλθεν εἰς κόσμον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο σύντομον αὐτῶν τέλος ἐπενοήθη.

¹⁴

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

¹⁵

ἀώρῳ γὰρ πένθει τρυχόμενος πατήρ, τοῦ ταχέως ἀφαιρεθέντος τέκνου εἰκόνα ποιήσας, τὸν τότε νεκρὸν ἄνθρωπον νῦν ὡς Θεὸν ἐτίμησε καὶ παρέδωκε τοῖς ὑποχειρίοις μυστήρια καὶ τελετάς.

¹⁵

For 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.

¹⁶

εἶτα ἐν χρόνῳ κρατυνθὲν τὸ ἀσεβὲς ἔθος ὡς νόμος ἐφυλάχθη, καὶ τυράννων ἐπιταγαῖς ἐθρησκεύετο τὰ γλυπτά,

¹⁶

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

¹⁷

οὓς ἐν ὄψει μὴ δυνάμενοι τιμᾶν ἄνθρωποι διὰ τὸ μακρὰν οἰκεῖν, τὴν πόρρωθεν ὄψιν ἀνατυπωσάμενοι, ἐμφανῆ εἰκόνα τοῦ τιμωμένου βασιλέως ἐποίησαν, ἵνα τὸν ἀπόντα ὡς παρόντα κολακεύωσι διὰ τῆς σπουδῆς.

¹⁷

Whom 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.

¹⁸

εἰς ἐπίτασιν δὲ θρησκείας καὶ τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας ἡ τοῦ τεχνίτου προετρέψατο φιλοτιμία·

¹⁸

Also the singular diligence of the artificer did help to set forward the ignorant to more superstition.

¹⁹

ὁ μὲν γὰρ τάχα τῷ κρατοῦντι βουλόμενος ἀρέσαι, ἐξεβιάσατο τῇ τέχνῃ τὴν ὁμοιότητα ἐπὶ τὸ κάλλιον·

¹⁹

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

²⁰

τὸ δὲ πλῆθος ἐφελκόμενον διὰ τὸ εὔχαρι τῆς ἐργασίας, τὸν πρὸ ὀλίγου τιμηθέντα ἄνθρωπον νῦν σέβασμα ἐλογίσαντο.

²⁰

And 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.

²¹

καὶ τοῦτο ἐγένετο τῷ βίῳ εἰς ἔνεδρον, ὅτι ἢ συμφορᾷ ἢ τυραννίδι δουλεύσαντες ἄνθρωποι τὸ ἀκοινώνητον ὄνομα λίθοις καὶ ξύλοις περιέθεσαν.

²¹

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

²²

Εἶτ᾿ οὐκ ἤρκεσε τὸ πλανᾶσθαι περὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ γνῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγάλῳ ζῶντες ἀγνοίας πολέμῳ τὰ τοσαῦτα κακὰ εἰρήνην προσαγορεύουσιν.

²²

Moreover this was not enough for them, that they erred in the knowledge of God; but whereas they lived in the great war of ignorance, those so great plagues called they peace.

²³

ἢ γὰρ τεκνοφόνους τελετὰς ἢ κρύφια μυστήρια ἢ ἐμμανεῖς ἐξ ἄλλων θεσμῶν κώμους ἄγοντες,

²³

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

²⁴

οὔτε βίους οὔτε γάμους καθαροὺς ἔτι φυλάσσουσιν, ἕτερος δ᾿ ἕτερον ἢ λοχῶν ἀναιρεῖ ἢ νοθεύων ὀδυνᾷ.

²⁴

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

²⁵

πάντας δ᾿ ἐπιμὶξ ἔχει αἷμα καὶ φόνος, κλοπὴ καὶ δόλος, φθορά, ἀπιστία, ταραχή, ἐπιορκία, θόρυβος ἀγαθῶν,

²⁵

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

²⁶

χάριτος ἀμνησία, ψυχῶν μιασμός, γενέσεως ἐναλλαγή, γάμων ἀταξία, μοιχεία καὶ ἀσέλγεια.

²⁶

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

²⁷

ἡ γὰρ τῶν ἀνωνύμων εἰδώλων θρησκεία παντὸς ἀρχὴ κακοῦ καὶ αἰτία καὶ πέρας ἐστίν·

²⁷

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

²⁸

ἢ γὰρ εὐφραινόμενοι μεμήνασιν ἢ προφητεύουσι ψευδῆ ἢ ζῶσιν ἀδίκως ἢ ἐπιορκοῦσι ταχέως·

²⁸

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

²⁹

ἀψύχοις γὰρ πεποιθότες εἰδώλοις κακῶς ὀμόσαντες, ἀδικηθῆναι οὐ προσδέχονται.

²⁹

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

³⁰

ἀμφότερα δὲ αὐτοὺς μετελεύσεται τὰ δίκαια, ὅτι κακῶς ἐφρόνησαν περὶ Θεοῦ προσχόντες εἰδώλοις καὶ ἀδίκως ὤμοσαν ἐν δόλῳ καταφρονήσαντες ὁσιότητος·

³⁰

Howbeit for both causes shall they be justly punished: both because they thought not well of God, giving heed unto idols, and also unjustly swore in deceit, despising holiness.

³¹

οὐ γὰρ ἡ τῶν ὀμνυομένων δύναμις, ἀλλ᾿ ἡ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων δίκη ἐπεξέρχεται ἀεὶ τὴν τῶν ἀδίκων παράβασιν.

³¹

For 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.