The Book of Wisdom or The Wisdom of Solomon 15

1But you, our God, are gracious and true, 2For even if we sin, we are your, knowing your dominion; 3For to be acquainted with you is perfect righteousness, Gr. entire. 4For we weren’t led astray by any evil plan of men’s, 5The sight whereof leads fools into lust: Some authorities read reproach. Their desire is for the breathless form of a dead image. 6Lovers of evil things, and worthy of such hopes as these, 7For a potter, kneading soft earth, vessel for our service: vessel of either sort, craftsman Gr. worker in clay. himself is the judge. 8And also, laboring to an evil end, he mouldeth a vain god out of the same clay, to the earth out of which he was taken, soul which was lent him. Or, life 9Howbeit he has anxious care, silversmiths, Gr. silver-founders. brass, Or, copper 10His heart is ashes, 11Because he was ignorant of him that moulded him, an active Gr. a soul that moveth to activity. soul, Or, life 12But he accounted our Some authorities read they accounted. very life to be a plaything, Or, sport lifetime a gainful Or, way of life fair; Or, keeping of festival 13For this man beyond all others knows that he sins, 14But most foolish Or, are were they all, and of feebler soul than a babe, Gr. more wretched than the soul of a babe. 15Because they even accounted all the idols of the nations to be gods; 16For a man made them, being a man, to mould a god like to himself, 17But, being mortal, he makes a dead thing by the work of lawless hands; Forasmuch as he indeed had life, but they never. Most authorities read Of which, he indeed. 18Yes, and the creatures that are most hateful do they worship, For, being compared as to lack of sense, these are worse than all others; The Greek text here is perhaps corrupt. 19Neither, as seen beside other creatures, are they beautiful, so that one should desire them,