1 For all men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature; and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know him who exists, nor 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 heaven were the gods that rule the world.
3 If through delight in the beauty of these things men assumed them to be gods, let them know how much better than these is their Lord, 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 God and desiring to find him.
7 For as they live among his works they keep searching, and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are beautiful.
8 Yet again, not even 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 Lord of these things?
10 But miserable, with their hopes set on dead things, are the men who give the name "gods" 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 castoff pieces of his work to prepare his food, and eat his fill.
13 But a castoff 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 hands he asks strength of a thing whose hands have no strength.
Versículos relacionados com Wisdom of Solomon, 13:
Chapter 13 of the Wisdom Book addresses the foolishness of idolatry and how it opposes worship of the true God. The author points out that nature is a clear evidence of the existence of a Creator and that those who turn to idols are making a serious mistake. Below are five verses related to the topics addressed in Wisdom 13:
Exodus 20:3 - "You will not have other gods before me." This is the first of the ten commandments given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, which prohibits idolatry and emphasizes the exclusivity of worship to the Lord.
Isaiah 44:9 - "Those who model idols are all of them nothing, and their most beloved things take advantage of nothing. They witness themselves that they do not see or understand, so that they may be embarrassed." This verse condemns the practice of creating idols and highlights its uselessness.
Jeremiah 10:14 - "Every man is a fool, without knowledge; all goldsmith is embarrassed by his sculpture image, for his images of casting are falsehood, and in them there is no spirit." This verse emphasizes the foolishness of those who trust idols and regard them as gods.
Acts of the Apostles 17:24-25 - "The God who made the world and all in Him, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by human hands, nor is served by human hands, as if needed something , for he himself gives everyone life, his breath and all things. " This verse highlights the superiority of the true God in relation to the false gods created by men.
1 Corinthians 8:4 - "Thus, as for eating idols sacrificed to idols, we know that 'an idol is nothing in the world' and that 'there is no other God but one'." This verse emphasizes the importance of recognizing the futility of idols and worshiping only to the true God.
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