Chukmah Shalumah (Wisdom of Solomon) — 13

The Foolishness of Worshiping Nature 

1 For all men who were ignorant of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH were foolish by nature; and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH who exists, or did they recognize the craftsman while paying heed to his works;

2 but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air, or the circle of the stars, or turbulent water, or the luminaries of Shamaym were the mighty ones that rule the world.

3 If through delight in the beauty of these things men assumed them to be mighty ones, let them know how much better than these is their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, for the author of beauty created them.

4 And if men were amazed at their power and working, let them perceive from them how much more powerful is he who formed them.

5 For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.

6 Yet these men are little to be blamed, for perhaps they go astray while seeking 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and desiring to find Him.

7 For as they live among the works of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, they keep searching, and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are beautiful.

8 Yet again, they are to be excused;

9 for if they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world, how did they fail to find sooner the Creator of these things?

The Foolishness of Idolatry

10 But miserable, with their hopes set on dead things, are the men who give the name “deities” to the works of men’s hands, gold and silver fashioned with skill, and likenesses of animals, or a useless stone, the work of an ancient hand.

11 A skilled woodcutter may saw down a tree easy to handle and skilfully strip off all its bark, and then with pleasing workmanship make a useful vessel that serves life’s needs,

12 and burn the cast off pieces of his work to prepare his food, and eat his fill.

13 But a cast off piece from among them, useful for nothing, a stick crooked and full of knots, he takes and carves with care in his leisure, and shapes it with skill gained in idleness; he forms it like the image of a man,

14 or makes it like some worthless animal, giving it a coat of red paint and coloring its surface red and covering every blemish in it with paint;

15 then he makes for it a niche that befits it, and sets it in the wall, and fastens it there with iron.

16 So he takes thought for it, that it may not fall, because he knows that it cannot help itself, for it is only an image and has need of help.

17 When he prays about possessions and his marriage and children, he is not ashamed to address a lifeless thing.

18 For health he appeals to a thing that is weak; for life he prays to a thing that is dead; for aid he entreats a thing that is utterly inexperienced; for a prosperous journey, a thing that cannot take a step;

19 for money-making and work and success with his hand she asks strength of a thing whose hands have no strength.