1
Πλοῦν τις πάλιν στελλόμενος, καὶ ἄγρια μέλλων διοδεύειν κύματα, τοῦ φέροντος αὐτὸν πλοίου σαθρότερον ξύλον ἐπιβοᾶται.
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, τεχνίτης δὲ σοφίᾳ κατεσκεύασεν·
For verily desire of gain devised that, And the workman built it by his skill.
3
ἡ δὲ σὴ, Πάτερ, διακυβερνᾷ πρόνοια, ὅτι ἔδωκας καὶ ἐν θαλάσσῃ ὁδὸν καὶ ἐν κύμασι τρίβον ἀσφαλῆ·
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 κᾂν ἄνευ τέχνης τις ἐπιβῇ.
Showing that thou canst save from all danger: Yea, though a man went to sea without art.
5
Θέλεις δὲ μὴ ἀργὰ εἶναι τὰ τῆς σοφίας σου ἔργα, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐλαχίστῳ ξύλῳ πιστεύουσιν ἄνθρωποι ψυχὰς, καὶ διελθόντες κλύδωνα σχεδίᾳ διεσώθησαν.
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.
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 διʼ οὗ γίνεται δικαιοσύνη.
For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.
8
Τὸ χειροποίητον δέ ἐπικατάρατον αὐτὸ, καὶ ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὸ, ὅτι ὁ μὲν εἰργάζετο, τὸ δὲ φθαρτὸν θεὸς ὠνομάσθη.
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.
For the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God.
10
Καὶ γὰρ τὸ πραχθὲν σὺν τῷ δράσαντι κολασθησεται.
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 ποσὶνἀφρόνων.
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 stumbling blocks to the souls of men, And a snare to the feet of the unwise.
12
Ἀρχὴ γὰρ πορνείας ἐπίνοια εἰδώλων, εὕρεσις δὲ αὐτῶν φθορὰ ζωῆς.
For the devising of idols was the beginning of [spiritual] fornication, And the invention of them the corruption of life.
13
Οὔτε γὰρ ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, οὔτε εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔσται.
For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be forever.
14
Κενοδοξίᾳ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων εἰσῆλθεν εἰς κόσμον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο σύντομον αὐτῶν τέλος ἐπενοήθη.
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 πατὴρ, τοῦ ταχέως ἀφαιρεθέντος τέκνου εἰκόνα ποιήσας, τὸν τότε νεκρὸν ἄνθρωπον, νῦν ὡς θεὸν ἐτίμησεν, καὶ παρέδωκε τοῖς ὑποχειρίοις μυστήρια καὶ τελετάς.
For a father afflicted with untimely mourning, When he hath made an image of his child soon taken away, Now honored 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,
Thus in process of time an ungodly custom grown strong was kept as a law, And graven images were worshiped by the commandments of kings.
17
καὶ τυράννων ἐπιταγαῖς ἐθρησκεύετο τὰ γλυπτά· οὓς ἐν ὄψει μὴ δυνάμενοι τιμᾷν ἄνθρωποι διὰ τὸ μακρὰν οἰκεῖν, τὴν πόῤῥωθεν ὄψιν ἀνατυπωσάμενοι, ἐμφανῆ εἰκόνα τοῦ τιμωμένου βασιλέως ἐποίησαν, ἵνα τὸν ἀπόντα ὡς παρόντα κολακεύωσι διὰ τῆς σπουδῆς.
Whom men could not honor 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 honored, 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.
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.
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.
And so the multitude, allured by the grace of the work, Took him now for a god, which a little before was but honored 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.
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
Εἶτʼ οὐκ ἤρκεσε τὸ πλανᾶσθαι περὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ γνῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγάλῳ ζῶντες ἀγνοίας πολέμῳ, τὰ τοσαῦτα κακὰ εἰρήνην προσαγορεύουσιν.
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,
For while they slew their children in sacrifices, or used secret ceremonies, Or made revelings of strange rites;
24
οὔτε βίους οὔτε γάμους καθαροὺς ἔτι φυλάσσουσιν, ἕτερος δʼ ἕτερον ἢ λοχῶν ἀναιρεῖ, ἢ νοθεύων ὀδυνᾷ.
They kept neither lives nor marriages any longer undefiled: But either one slew another traitorously or grieved him by adultery.
25
Πάντα δʼ ἐπιμὶξ ἔχει αἷμα καὶ φόνος, κλοπὴ καὶ δόλος, φθορὰ, ἀπιστία, ταραχὴ, ἐπιορκία,
So that there reigned in all men without exception, blood, manslaughter, theft, and dissimulation, Corruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, perjury,
26
θόρυβος ἀγαθῶν, χάριτος ἀμνησία, ψυχῶν μιασμὸς, γενέσεως ἐναλλαγὴ, γάμων ἀταξία, μοιχεία, καὶ ἀσέλγεια.
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.
For the worshiping of idols not to be named Is the beginning, the cause, and the end, of all evil.
28
Ἢ γὰρ εὐφραινόμενοι μεμῄνασιν, ἢ προφητεύουσι ψευδῆ, ἢ ζῶσιν ἀδίκως, ἢ ἐπιορκοῦσι ταχέως.
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.
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.
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, ἀλλʼ ἡ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων δίκη ἐπεξέρχεται ἀεὶ τὴν τῶν ἀδίκων παράβασιν.
For it is not the power of them by whom they swear: But it is the just vengeance of sinners, That punisheth always the offense of the ungodly.