The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

For thou shewest thy power, when men will not believe thee to be absolute in power, and thou convincest the boldness of them that know thee not.

But thou being master of power, judgest with tranquillity, and with great favour disposest of us: for thy power is at hand when thou wilt.

But thou hast taught thy people by such works, that they must be just and humane, and hast made thy children to be of a good hope: because in judging, thou givest place for repentance for sins.

For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy servants, and that deserved to die, with so great deliberation, giving them time and place whereby they might be changed from their wickedness:

With what circumspection hast thou judged thy own children, to whose parents thou hast sworn, and made covenants of good promises?

Therefore whereas thou chastisest us, thou scourgest our enemies very many ways, to the end that when we judge we may think on thy goodness: and when we are judged, we may hope for thy mercy.

Wherefore thou hast also greatly tormented them, who, in their life, have lived foolishly and unjustly, by the same things which they worshipped.

For they went astray for a long time in the ways of error, holding those things for gods which are the most worthless among beasts, living after the manner of children without understanding.

Therefore thou hast sent a judgment upon them, as senseless children, to mock them.

But they that were not amended by mockeries and reprehensions, experienced the worthy judgment of God.

For seeing, with indignation, that they suffered by those very things which they took for gods, when they were destroyed by the same, they acknowledged him the true God, whom in time past they denied that they knew: for which cause the end also of their condemnation came upon them.

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:

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.

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.

Or if they admired their power, and their effects, let them understand by them, that he that made them, is mightier than they:

For by the greatness of the beauty, and of the creature, the creator of them may be seen, so as to be known thereby.

But yet as to these they are less to be blamed. For they perhaps err, seeking God, and desirous to find him.

For being conversant among his works, they search: and they are persuaded that the things are good which are seen.

But then again they are not to be pardoned.

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?

But unhappy are they, and their hope is among the dead, who have called gods the works of the hand of men, gold and silver, the inventions of art, and the resemblances of beasts, or an unprofitable stone the work of an ancient hand.

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,

And useth the chips of his work to dress his meat:

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:

Or the resemblance of some beast, laying it over with vermilion, and painting it red, and covering every spot that is in it:

And maketh a convenient dwelling place for it, and setting it in a wall, and fastening it with iron,

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.

And then maketh prayer to it, enquiring concerning his substance, and his children, or his marriage. And he is not ashamed to speak to that which hath no life:

And for health he maketh supplication to the weak, and for life prayeth to that which is dead, and for help calleth upon that which is unprofitable:

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.

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.

For this the desire of gain devised, and the workman built it by his skill.

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,

Shewing that thou art able to save out of all things, yea, though a man went to sea without art.

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.

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.

For blessed is the wood, by which justice cometh

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.

But to God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike.

For that which is made, together with him that made it, shall suffer torments.

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.

For the beginning of fornication is the devising of idols: and the invention of them is the corruption of life.

For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.

For by the vanity of men they came into the world: and therefore they shall be found to come shortly to an end.

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.

Then, in process of time, wicked custom prevailing, this error was kept as a law, and statues were worshipped by the commandment of tyrants.

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.

And to the worshipping of these, the singular diligence also of the artificer helped to set forward the ignorant.

For he being willing to please him that employed him, laboured with all his art to make the resemblance in the best manner.

And the multitude of men, carried away by the beauty of the work, took him now for a god, that little before was but honoured as a man.

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.

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.

For either they sacrifice their own children, or use hidden sacrifices, or keep watches full of madness,

So that now they neither keep life, nor marriage undefiled, but one killeth another through envy, or grieveth him by adultery:

And all things are mingled together, blood, murder, theft, and dissimulation, corruption and unfaithfulness, tumults and perjury, disquieting of the good,

Forgetfulness of God, defiling of souls, changing of nature, disorder in marriage, and the irregularity of adultery and uncleanness.

For the worship of abominable idols is the cause, and the beginning and end of all evil.

For either they are mad when they are merry: or they prophesy lies, or they live unjustly, or easily forswear themselves.

For whilst they trust in idols, which are without life, though they swear amiss, they look not to be hurt.

But for both these 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.

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.

But thou, our God, art gracious and true, patient, and ordering all things in mercy.

For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy greatness: and if we sin not, we know that we are counted with thee.

For to know thee is perfect justice: and to know thy justice, and thy power, is the root of immortality.

For the invention of mischievous men hath not deceived us, nor the shadow of a picture, a fruitless labour, a graven figure with divers colours,

The sight whereof enticeth the fool to lust after it, and he loveth the lifeless figure of a dead image.

The lovers of evil things deserve to have no better things to trust in, both they that make them, and they that love them, and they that worship them.

The potter also tempering soft earth, with labour fashioneth every vessel for our service, and of the same clay he maketh both vessels that are for clean uses, and likewise such as serve to the contrary: but what is the use of these vessels, the potter is the judge.

And of the same clay by a vain labour he maketh a god: he who a little before was made of earth himself, and a little after returneth to the same out of which he was taken, when his life, which was lent him, shall be called for again.

But his care is, not that he shall labour, nor that his life is short, but he striveth with the goldsmiths and silversmiths: and he endeavoureth to do like the workers in brass, and counteth it a glory to make vain things.

For his heart is ashes, and his hope vain earth and his life more base than clay:

Forasmuch as he knew not his maker, and him that inspired into him the soul that worketh, and that breathed into him a living spirit.

Yea, and they have counted our life a pastime and the business of life to be gain, and that we must be getting every way, even out of evil.

For that man knoweth that he offendeth above all others, who of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels, and graven gods.

But all the enemies of thy people that hold them in subjection, are foolish, and unhappy, and proud beyond measure:

For they have esteemed all the idols of the heathens for gods, which neither have the use of eyes to see, nor noses to draw breath, nor ears to hear, nor fingers of hands to handle, and as for their feet, they are slow to walk.

For man made them: and he that borroweth his own breath, fashioned them. For no man can make a god like to himself.

For being mortal himself, he formeth a dead thing with his wicked hands. For he is better than they whom he worshippeth, because he indeed hath lived, though he were mortal, but they never.

Moreover, they worship also the vilest creatures: but things without sense, compared to these, are worse than they.

Yea, neither by sight can any man see good of these beasts. But they have fled from the praise of God, and from his blessing.

For these things, and by the like things to these, they were worthily punished, and were destroyed by a multitude of beasts.

Instead of which punishment, dealing well with thy people, thou gavest them their desire of delicious food, of a new taste, preparing for them quails for their meat:

To the end, that they indeed desiring food, by means of those things that were shewn and sent among them, might loath even that which was necessary to satisfy their desire. But these, after suffering want for a short time, tasted a new meat.

For it was requisite that inevitable destruction should come upon them that exercised tyranny: but to these it should only be shewn how their enemies were destroyed.

For when the fierce rage of beasts came upon these, they were destroyed by the bitings of crooked serpents.

But thy wrath endured not for ever, but they were troubled for a short time for their correction, having a sign of salvation, to put them in remembrance of the commandment of thy law.

For he that turned to it, was not healed by that which he saw, but by thee, the Saviour of all.

And in this thou didst shew to our enemies, that thou art he who deliverest from all evil.

For the bitings of locusts, and of flies, killed them, and there was found no remedy for their life: because they were worthy to be destroyed by such things.

But not even the teeth of venomous serpents overcame thy children: for thy mercy came and healed them.

For they were examined for the remembrance of thy words, and were quickly healed, lest falling into deep forgetfulness, they might not be able to use thy help.

For it was neither herb, nor mollifying plaster, that healed them, but thy word, O Lord, which healeth all things.

For it is thou, O Lord, that hast power of life and death, and leadest down to the gates of death, and bringest back again:

A man indeed killeth through malice, and when the spirit is gone forth, it shall not return, neither shall he call back the soul that is received:

But it is impossible to escape thy hand:

For the wicked that denied to know thee, were scourged by the strength of thy arm, being persecuted by strange waters, and hail, and rain, and consumed by fire.

And which was wonderful, in water, which extinguisheth all things, the fire had more force: for the world fighteth for the just.

For at one time the fire was mitigated, that the beasts which were sent against the wicked might not be burnt, but that they might see, and perceive that they were persecuted by the judgment of God.

And at another time the fire, above its own power, burnt in the midst of water, to destroy the fruits of a wicked land.

Instead of which things, thou didst feed thy people with the food of angels, and gavest them bread from heaven, prepared without labour; having in it all that is delicious, and the sweetness of every taste.