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1 But all men are vain, in whom there is
not the knowledge of God: and who by these good things that are seen, could
not understand him that is, neither by attending to the works have
acknowledged who was the workman:
2 But have
imagined either the fire, or the wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the
stars, or the great water, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the
world.
3 With
whose beauty, if they, being delighted, took them to be gods: let them know
how much the Lord of them is more beautiful than they: for the first author
of beauty made all those things.
4 Or if
they admired their power and their effects, let them understand by them, that
he that made them, is mightier than they:
5 For by the
greatness of the beauty, and of the creature, the creator of them may be
seen, so as to be known thereby.
6 But yet
as to these they are less to be blamed. For they perhaps err, seeking God,
and desirous to find him.
7 For
being conversant among his works, they search: and they are persuaded that
the things are good which are seen.
8 But then
again they are not to be pardoned.
9 For if
they were able to know so much as to make a judgment of the world: how did
they not more easily find out the Lord thereof?
10 But
unhappy are they, and their hope is among the dead, who have called gods the
works of the hands of men, gold and silver, the inventions of art, and the
resemblances of beasts, or an unprofitable stone the work of an ancient hand.
11 Or if an
artist, a carpenter, hath cut down a tree proper for his use in the wood, and
skilfully taken off all the bark thereof, and with
his art, diligently formeth a vessel profitable for
the common uses of life,
12 And useth the chips of his work to dress his meat:
13 And
taking what was left thereof, which is good for nothing, being a crooked
piece of wood, and full of knots, carveth it
diligently when he hath nothing else to do, and by the skill of his art fashioneth it and maketh it
like the image of a man:
14 Or the
resemblance of some beast, laying it over with vermillion, and painting it
red, and covering every spot that is in it:
15 And maketh a convenient dwelling place for it, and setting it
in a wall, and fastening it with iron,
16 Providing
for it, lest it should fall, knowing that it is unable to help itself: for it
is an image, and hath need of help.
17 And then
maketh prayer to it, inquiring concerning his
substance, and his children, or his marriage. And he is not ashamed to speak
to that which hath no life:
18 And for
health he maketh suspplication
to the weak, and for life prayeth to that which is
dead, and for help calleth upon that which is
unprofitable:
19 And for a
good journey he petitioneth him that cannot walk:
and for getting, and for working, and for the event of all things he asketh him that is unable to do any
thing.
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1- ان جميع الذين لم يعرفوا الله
هم حمقى من طبعهم لم يقدروا ان يعلموا الكائن من الخيرات المنظورة و لم يتاملوا
المصنوعات حتى يعرفوا صانعها.
2- لكنهم حسبوا النار او الريح او الهواء
اللطيف او مدار النجوم او لجة المياه او نيري السماء الهة تسود العالم.
3- فان كانوا انما اعتقدوا هذه الهة لانهم
خلبوا بجمالها فليتعرفوا كم ربها احسن منها اذ الذي خلقها هو مبدا كل جمال.
4- او لانهم دهشوا من قوتها و فعلها فليتفهموا
بها كم منشئها اقوى منها.
5- فانه بعظم جمال المبروءات يبصر فاطرها على
طريق المقايسة.
6- غير ان لهؤلاء وجها من العذر لعلهم ضلوا في
طلبهم لله و رغبتهم في وجدانهم.
7- اذ هم يبحثون عنه مترددين بين مصنوعاته
فيغرهم منظرها لان المنظورات ذات جمال.
8- مع ذلك ليس لهم من مغفرة.
9- لانهم ان كانوا قد بلغوا من العلم ان
استطاعوا ادراك كنه الدهر فكيف لم يكونوا اسرع ادراكا لرب الدهر.
10- اما الذين سموا اعمال ايدي
الناس الهة الذهب و الفضة و ما اخترعته الصناعة و تماثيل الحيوان و الحجر الحقير
مما صنعته يد قديمة فهم اشقياء و رجاؤهم في الاموات.
11- يقطع نجار شجرة من الغابة طوع العمل و
يجردها بحذقه من قشرها كله ثم بحسن صناعته يصنعها الة تصلح لخدمة العيش.
12- و يستعمل نفايتها وقودا لاعداد طعامه.
13- ثم ياخذ قطعة من نفايتها لا
تصلح لشيء خشبة ذات اعوجاج و عقد و يعتني بنقشها في اوان فراغه و يصورها بخبرة
صناعته على شكل انسان.
14- او يمثل بها حيوان خسيسا و يدهنها
بالاسفيداج و يحمر لونها بالزنجفر و يطلي كل لطخة بها.
15- و يجعل لها مقاما يليق بها و
يضعها في الحائط و يوثقها بالحديد.
16- و يتحفظ عليها ان لا تسقط لعلمه بانها لا
تقوم بمعونة نفسها اذ هي تمثال يفتقر الى من يعينه.
17- ثم يتضرع اليها عن امواله و
ازواجه و بنيه و لا يخجل ان يخاطب من لا روح له.
18- فيطلب العافية من السقيم و يسال الميت
الحياة و يستغيث بمن هو اعجز شيء عن الاغاثة.
19- و يتوسل من اجل السفر الى من لا يستطيع
المشي و يلتمس النصرة في الكسب و التجارة و نجح المساعي ممن هو اقصر موجود باعا
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