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1 Again, another designing to sail, and
beginning to make his voyage through the raging waves, calleth
upon a piece of wood more frail than the wood that carrieth
him.
2 For this the desire of gain devised, and
the workman built it by his skill.
3 But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way even in the sea,
and a most sure path among the waves,
4 Shewing that thou art able to save out of all
things, yea though a man went to sea without art.
5 But that the works of thy wisdom might not
be idle: therefore men also trust their lives even to a little wood, and
passing over the sea by ship are saved.
6 And from the beginning also when the
proud giants perished, the hope of the world fleeing to a vessel, which was
governed by thy hand, left to the world seed of generation.
7 For blessed is the wood, by which justice
cometh.
8 But the idol that is made by hands, is
cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he because he made it; and it because
being frail it is called a god.
9 But to God the wicked and his wickedness
are hateful alike.
10 For that which is made, together with him
that made it, shall suffer torments.
11 Therefore there shall be no respect had even to
the idols of the Gentiles: because the creatures of God are turned to an
abomination, and a temptation to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of
the unwise.
12 For the beginning of fornication is the
devising of idols: and the invention of them is the corruption of life.
13 For neither were they from the beginning,
neither shall they be for ever.
14 For by the vanity of men they came into the
world: and therefore they shall be found to come shortly to an end.
15 For a father being afflicted with bitter
grief, made to himself the image of his son who was quickly taken away: and
him who then had died as a man, he began now to worship as a god, and
appointed him rites and sacrifices among his servants.
16 Then in process of time, wicked custom
prevailing, this error was kept as a law, and statues were worshipped by the
commandment of tyrants.
17 And those whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they
brought their resemblance from afar, and made an express image of the king
whom they had a mind to honour: that by this their
diligence, they might honour as present, him that
was absent.
18 And to worshipping of these, the singular
diligence also of the artificer helped to set forward the ignorant.
19 For he being willing to please him that
employed him, laboured with all his art to make the
resemblance in the best manner.
20 And the multitude of men, carried away by
the beauty of the work, took him now for a god that a little before was but honoured as a man.
21 And this was the occasion of deceiving
human life: for men serving either their affection, or their kings, gave the
incommunicable name to stones and wood.
22 And it was not enough for them to err about
the knowledge of God, but whereas they lived in a great war of ignorance,
they call so many and so great evils peace.
23 For either they sacrifice their own
children, or use hidden sacrifices, or keep watches full of madness,
24 So that now they neither keep life, nor marriage
undefiled, but one killeth another through envy, or
grieveth him by adultery:
25 And all things are mingled together,
blood, murder, theft and dissimulation, corruption and unfaithfulness,
tumults and perjury, disquieting of the good,
26 Forgetfulness of God, defiling of souls,
changing of nature, disorder in marriage, and the irregularity of adultery
and uncleaness.
27 For the worship of abominable idols is the
cause, and the beginning and end of all evil.
28 For either they are mad when they are
merry: or they prophesy lies, or they live unjustly, or easily forswear
themselves.
29 For whilst they trust in idols, which are
without life, though they swear amiss, they look not to be hurt.
30 But for two things they shall be justly punished,
because they have thought not well of God, giving heed to idols, and have
sworn unjustly, in guile despising justice.
31 For it is not the power of them, by whom
they swear, but the just vengeance of sinners always punisheth
the transgression of the unjust.
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1- و اخر قبل ان يركب البحر و
يسير على الامواج المعربدة يستغيث بخشب هو اقصف من المركب الذي يحمله.
2- لان المركب اخترعه حب الكسب و صنعته الحكمة
المهندسة.
3- لكن عنايتك ايها الاب هي التي تدبره لانك
انت الذي فتحت في البحر طريقا و في الامواج مسلكا امنا.
4- و بينت انك قادر ان تخلص من
كل خطر و لو ركب البحر من يجهل صناعته.
5- و انت تحب ان لا تكون اعمال حكمتك باطلة
فلذلك يودع الناس انفسهم خشبا صغيرا و يقطعون اللجة في سفينة و يخلصون.
6- و في البدء ايضا حين هلك الجبابرة
المتكبرون التجا رجاء العالم الى سفينة و ارشدته يديك فابقى للدهر ذرية تتوالد.
7- فالخشب الذي به يحصل البر هو مبارك.
8- اما الخشب المصنوع صنما
فملعون هو و صانعه اما هذا فلانه عمله و اما ذاك فلانه مع كونه فاسدا سمي الها.
9- فان الله يبغض المنافق و نفاقه على السواء.
10- فيصيب العقاب المصنوع و
الصانع.
11- لذلك ستفتقد اصنام الامم ايضا لانها صارت
في خلق الله رجسا و معثرة لنفوس الناس و فخا لاقدام الجهال.
12- لان اختراع الاصنام هو اصل الفسق و
وجدانها فساد الحياة.
13- و هي لم تكن في البدء و ليست تدوم الى
الابد.
14- لانها انما دخلت العالم بحب الناس للمجد
الفارغ و لذلك قد عزم على الغائها عن قريب.
15- و ذلك ان والدا قد فجع بثكل معجل فصنع
تمثالا لابنه الذي خطف سريعا و جعل يعبد ذلك الانسان الميت بمنزلة اله و رسم
للذين تحت يده شعائر و ذبائح.
16- ثم على ممر الزمان تاصلت تلك العادة
الكفرية فحفظت كشريعة و باوامر الملوك عبدت المنحوتات.
17- و الذين لم يستطع الناس اكرامهم بمحضرهم
لبعد مقامهم صوروا هيئاتهم الغائبة و جعلوا صورة الملك المكرم نصب العيون حرصا
على تملقه في الغيبة كانه حاضر.
18- ثم ان حب الصناع للمباهاة كان داعية
للجاهلين الى المبالغة في هذه العبادة.
19- فانهم رغبة في ارضاء الامر قد افرغوا وسعهم
في الصناعة لاخراج الصورة على غاية الكمال.
20- فاستميل الجمهور ببهجة ذلك
المصنوع حتى ان الذي كانوا قبل قليل يكرمونه كانسان عدوه الها.
21- و بهذا كان اقتناص الخلق فان رزيئة بعض
الناس او اقتسار الملوك استعبدهم حتى جعلوا على الحجر و الخشب الاسم الذي لا يشرك
فيه احد.
22- ثم لم يكتفوا بضلالهم في معرفة الله لكنهم
غاصوا في حرب الجهل الشديدة و هم يسمون مثل هذه الشرور سلاما.
23- فانهم يمارسون ذبائح من بنيهم و شعائر
خفية و مادب جنون على اساليب اخر.
24- لا يرعون حسن السيرة و لا طهارة الزواج
فيقتل الرجل صاحبه بالاغتيال و يمضه بالفاحشة.
25- شر متفاقم في كل موضع الدم و
القتل و السرقة و المكر و الفساد و الخيانة و الفتنة و الحنث و قلق الابرار.
26- و كفران النعمة و تدنس النفوس و التباس
المواليد و تشوش الزواج و الفسق و العهر.
27- لان عبادة الاصنام المكروهة هي علة كل شر
و ابتداؤه و غايته.
28- فانهم اذا فرحوا جنوا او تنباوا كذبوا او
عاملوا ظلموا او حالفوا اسرعوا الى الحنث.
29- و لتوكلهم على اصنام لا ارواح له لا
يتوقعون اذا اقسموا بالزور ان ينالهم الخسران.
30- فهناك امران يستحقون بهما حلول اعقاب سوء
اعتقادهم في الله اذ اتبعوا الاصنام و قسمهم بالظلم و المكر اذ استخفوا
بالقداسة.
31- لان معصية الظالمين انما يتعقبها القضاء
على الخطاة لا قدرة المقسم بهم
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