1
Μάταιοι μὲν γὰρ πάντες ἄνθρωποι φύσει, οἷς παρῆν Θεοῦ ἀγνωσία, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὁρομένων ἀγαθῶν οὐκ ἴσχυσαν εἰδέναι τὸν ὄντα, οὔτε τοῖς ἔργοις προσχόντες ἐπέγνωσαν τὸν τεχνίτην.
Surely vain are all men by nature, who are ignorant of God, And could not out of the good things that are seen know him that is: Neither by considering the works did they acknowledge the workmaster;
2
Ἀλλʼ ἢ πῦρ, ἢ πνεῦμα, ἢ ταχινὸν ἀέρα, ἢ κύκλον ἄστρων, ἢ βίαιον ὕδωρ, ἢ φωστῆρας οὐρανοῦ, πρυτάνεις κόσμου θεοὺς ἐνόμισαν.
But deemed either fire, or wind, or the swift air, Or the circle of the stars, or the violent water, Or the lights of heaven, to be the gods which govern the world.
3
Ὧν εἰ μὲν τῇ καλλονῇ τερπόμενοι, θεοὺς ὑπελάμβανον, γνώτωσαν πόσῳ τούτων ὁ δεσπότης ἐστὶ βελτίων· ὁ γὰρ τοῦ κάλλους γενεσιάρχης ἔκτισεν αὐτά.
With whose beauty if they being delighted took them to be gods; Let them know how much better the Lord of them is: For the first author of beauty hath created them.
4
Εἰ δὲ δύναμιν καὶ ἐνέργειαν ἐκπλαγέντες, νοησάτωσαν ἀπʼ αὐτῶν πόσῳ ὁ κατασκευάσας αὐτὰ δυνατώτερός ἐστιν.
But if they were astonished at their power and virtue, Let them understand by them, how much mightier he is that made them.
5
Ἐκ γὰρ μεγέθους καλλονῆς κτισμάτων ἀναλόγως ὁ γενεσιουργὸς αὐτῶν θεωρεῖται.
For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures Proportionably the maker of them is seen.
6
Ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐστὶ μέμψις ὀλίγη, καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ τάχα πλανῶνται Θεὸν ζητοῦντες, καὶ θέλοντες εὑρεῖν.
But yet for this they are the less to be blamed: For they peradventure err, Seeking God, and desirous to find him.
7
Ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ ἀναστρεφόμενοι διερευνῶσι, καὶ πείθονται τῇ ὄψει, ὅτι καλὰ τὰ βλεπόμενα.
For being conversant in his works they search [him] diligently, And believe their sight: because the things are beautiful that are seen.
8
Πάλιν δὲ οὐδʼ αὐτοὶ συγγνωστοί.
Howbeit neither are they to be pardoned.
9
Εἰ γὰρ τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσαν εἰδέναι, ἵνα δύνωνται στοχάσασθαι τὸν αἰῶνα, τὸν τούτων δεσπότην πῶς τάχιον οὐχ εὗρον;
For if they were able to know so much, That they could aim at the world; How did they not sooner find out the Lord thereof?
10
Ταλαίπωροι δὲ καὶ ἐν νεκροῖς αἱ ἐλπίδες αὐτων, οἵτινες ἐκάλεσαν θεοὺς ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων, χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον τέχνης ἐμμελέτημα, καὶ ἀπεικάσματα ζώων, ἢ λίθον ἄχρηστον χειρὸς ἔργον ἀρχαίας.
But miserable are they, and in dead things is their hope, Who called them gods, which are the works of men’s hands, Gold and silver, to show art in, And resemblances of beasts, Or a stone good for nothing, the work of an ancient hand.
11
Εἰ δὲ καί τις ὑλοτῦμος τέκτων εὐκίνητον φυτὸν ἐκπρίσας, περιέξυσεν εὐμαθῶς πάντα τὸν φλοιὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τεχνησέμενος εὐπρεπῶς κατεσκεύασε χρήσιμον σκεῦος εἰς ὑπηρεσίαν ζωῆς,
Now a carpenter that felleth timber, after he hath sawn down a tree meet for the purpose, And taken off all the bark skillfully round about, And hath wrought it handsomely, And made a vessel thereof fit for the service of man’s life;
12
τὰ δὲ ἀποβλήματα τῆς ἐργασίας εἰς ἑτοιμασίαν τροφῆς ἀναλώσας ἐνεπλήσθη,
And after spending the refuse of his work to dress his meat, hath filled himself;
13
τὸ δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπόβλημα εἰς οὐθὲν εὔχρηστον, ξύλον σκολιὸν, καὶ ὄζοις συμπεφυκὸς, λαβὼν ἔγλυψεν ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ ἀργίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐμπειρίᾳ συνέσεως ἐτύπωσεν αὐτὸ, ἀπείκασεν αὐτὸ εἰκόνι ἀνθρώπου,
And taking the very refuse among those which served to no use, Being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, Hath carved it diligently when he had nothing else to do, And formed it by the skill of his understanding, And fashioned it to the image of a man;
14
ἢ ζώῳ τινὶ εὐτελεῖ ὡμοίωσεν αὐτὸ, καταχρίσας μίλτῳ, καὶ φύκει ἐρυθῄνας χρόαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πᾶσαν κηλίδα τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ καταχρίσας.
Or made it like some vile beast, Laying it over with vermilion, and with paint coloring it red, And coloring every spot therein;
15
Καὶ ποιήσας αὐτῷ αὐτοῦ ἄξιον οἴκημα, ἐν τοίχῳ ἔθηκεν αὐτὸ ἀσφαλισάμενος σιδήρῳ·
And when he had made a convenient room for it, Set it in a wall, and made it fast with iron:
16
ἵνα μὲν οὖν μὴ καταπέσῃ, προενόησεν αὐτοῦ, εἰδὼς ὅτι ἀδυνατεῖ ἑαυτῷ βοηθῆσαι, καὶ γάρ ἐστιν εἰκὼν, καὶ χρείαν ἔχει βοηθείας.
For he provided for it that it might not fall, Knowing that it was unable to help itself; For it is an image, and hath need of help.
17
Περὶ δὲ κτημάτων καὶ γάμων αὐτοῦ καὶ τέκνων προσευχόμενος, οὐκ αἰσχύνεται τῷ ἀψύχῳ προσλαλῶν.
Then maketh he prayer for his goods, for his wife and children, And is not ashamed to speak to that which hath no life.
18
Καὶ περὶ μὲν ὑγείας τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἐπικαλεῖται, περὶ δὲ ζωῆς τὸν νεκρὸν ἀξιοῖ, περὶ δὲ ἐπικουρίας τὸν ἀπειρότατον ἱκετεύει, περὶ δὲ ὁδοιπορίας τὸ μηδὲ βάσει χρῆσθαι δυνάμενον,
For health he calleth upon that which is weak: For life prayeth to that which is dead: For aid humbly beseecheth that which hath least means to help: And for a good journey he asketh of that which cannot set a foot forward:
19
περὶ δὲ πορισμοῦ καὶ ἐργασίας καὶ χειρῶν ἐπιτυχίας τὸ ἀδρανέστατον ταῖς χερσὶν εὐδράνειαν αἰτεῖται.
And for gaining and getting, and for good success of his hands, Asketh ability to do of him, that is most unable to do anything.