Wisdom 14

Wycliffe Bible

14 Again another man thinking to sail in a ship [or Again another thinking to sail], and beginning to make journey through fierce waves, inwardly calleth (upon) a tree (or a piece of wood) more frail than the tree (or the piece of wood) that beareth him.

² For why covetousness to get money found (or was the reason to create) that idol; and a craftsman made it by his wisdom. [That forsooth covetousness of winning or purchasing thought out; and a craftsman forged (it) by his wisdom.]

³ But thou, Father, governest by purveyance, for thou gavest (a) way in the sea [or for thou hast given in the sea way], and a most steadfast path among (the) waves;

⁴ showing that thou art mighty to make whole of [or to heal] all things, yea, (even) if a man goeth to the sea without (a) ship;

⁵ but that the works of thy wisdom should not be void, for this thing men betake their lives, yea, to a little tree, and they pass (over) the sea, and be delivered (or saved) by a ship. [but that the works of thy wisdom were not be void, for that also men taking their lives to a little tree, and passing (over) the sea, by a ship be delivered.]

⁶ But at the beginning, when proud giants perished, the hope of the world fled to a ship, and sent again seed of birth to the world, which was governed by thine hand. [But from the beginning, when proud giants perished, the hope of the roundness of earths to a ship fleeing, and sent again to the world seed of birth, that by thine hand was governed.]

⁷ For why blessed is the tree (or the wood), by which rightfulness was made. [Blessed forsooth is the tree, by the which is done rightwiseness.]

⁸ But the idol which is made by hand(s) is cursed, both it, and he that made it, for soothly he wrought great trespass; soothly that idol, when it was frail, was named God (or a god). [The maumet forsooth, that is made by hands, is cursed, and it, and he that made it, for he wrought unbelievefulness; that forsooth, when it was brittle, is named God.]

⁹ Forsooth in like manner the wicked man and his wickedness be hateful to God. [(In) Like manner forsooth to hate be to God the unpious, and the unpiousness of him.]

¹⁰ For why that that is made shall suffer torments, with him that made it.

¹¹ For this thing and to the idols of nations shall not be (a) beholding [or (a) reward]; for the creatures of God be made into hatred, and into temptation to the soul of men, and into a trap, [or a mouse-catch], to the feet of unwise men.

¹² For the beginning of fornication, that is, idolatry, which is ghostly (or spiritual) fornication, is the seeking out of idols, and the finding of those idols is the corruption of life. [The beginning forsooth of fornication is the out-seeking of maumets, and the finding of them is corruption of life.]

¹³ Forsooth those were not at the beginning, neither those shall be without end. [Forsooth they were not from the beginning, nor shall be into without end.]

¹⁴ For why the voidness of men found (or brought) these idols into the world; and therefore the end of those is (or shall be) found short(ly) (or soon). [The overvoidness forsooth of men these things found into the roundness of earths; and therefore short the end of them is found.]

¹⁵ For why the father making sorrow with bitter mourning, made soon to him an image of the son that was ravished; and began to worship (or to honour) him now as a god, that was dead then as a man; and he ordained holy things and sacrifices among his servants. [Forsooth with bitter wailing the father sorrowing, soon of the ravished son made an image; and him, that then as a man was dead, now as a god he beginneth to praise; and ordained among his servants temples and sacrifices.]

¹⁶ Afterward in time coming betwixt, when the wicked custom was strong, this error was kept as a law, and images were worshipped by (the) lordship (or under the commands) of tyrants. [Afterward in the mean coming time waxing shrewd (or depraved) custom, this error as a law is kept, and by commandments of tyrants false works be praised.]

¹⁷ The figure of them was brought from (a)far, which the men might not honour in open, for they were far (off); and they made an open image of the king, whom they would honour; that by their busyness they should worship him as present, that was absent. [These whom in open men might not worship, for that afar they were, from afar the figure of them is brought; the evident image of the king, whom worship they would, they made; that him that was afar, as present they should praise with busyness.]

¹⁸ Forsooth the noble diligence of a craftsman brought in also them, that knew not, to the worshipping of these things, or of these kings. [Forsooth the great diligence of the craftsman drew to the praising of them and them, that unknew.]

¹⁹ For he willing (or desiring) more to please the king, that took him, that is, chose him to make an image to (or of) the king, travailed perfectly by his craft, to make a likeness into better, that is, in making the king (appear) fairer. [He forsooth willing more to please to him, that him took, travailed out by his craft, that the likeness into better he should figure.]

²⁰ Soothly the multitude of men, deceived by the fairness of (the) work, guessed [or esteemed] him now a god, that was honoured as a man before that time.

²¹ And this was the deceit of man’s life; for why men serving greatly, either to affection, either to kings, putted to stones and trees the name that may not be communed, (or communicated). [And this was deceiving of man’s life; for to affection, or to king’s men deserving, the uncommunicable name to stones and trees they put.]

²² And it sufficed not, that they erred about the cunning (or the knowing) of God; but also they living in great battle of uncunning, call so many and so great evils peace.

²³ For either they slaying their sons in sacrifice, either making dark sacrifices, either having wakings full of madness, [Or forsooth their sons sacrificing, or dark sacrifices making, or having full watches of madness,]

²⁴ keep now neither clean life, neither clean weddings; but also one man slayeth another man by envy, either (by) doing adultery maketh sorry his neighbor. [nor life, nor clean spousals now they keep; but another another by envy slayeth, or adultery sorroweth.]

²⁵ And all things be meddled, [or mingled], (or mixed) together, blood, manslaying [or manslaughter], theft, and feigning, corruption, unfaithfulness, disturbing (or troubling), and forswearing,

²⁶ noise, forgetting of goods of the Lord (or of the good things from the Lord), defouling of souls, changing of birth (or gender), unsteadfastness of weddings, unordaining of lechery and of unchastity. [strife, the unminding of the goods of the Lord, the defouling of souls, the mis-changing of birth, the unstableness of bridals, the unordaining of lechery and of uncleanness.]

²⁷ For why the worshipping of cursed idols is the cause, and the beginning, and the end, of all evil.

²⁸ For why either they wax mad, while they be glad; either [or] certainly they prophesy false things, either [or] they live unjustly, either [or] they forswear soon.

²⁹ For the while they trust in idols, that be without soul, they swear evil, and hope not, that they shall be annoyed (or harmed). [While forsooth they trust in maumets, that be without soul, evil swearing, they hope not themselves to be annoyed (or harmed).]

³⁰ Therefore ever either shall come to them worthily; for they deemed evil of God, and gave attention to idols, and they swore unjustly in an idol, and they despised rightfulness. [Either than to them come worthily; for evil they feeled of God, taking heed to maumets, and swore unrightwisely in the maumet, despising rightwiseness.]

³¹ For why an oath is not virtue, but the pain of sinners goeth forth (for)ever(more), into the breaking of just things. [Forsooth of men swearing the oath is not virtue, but the pain of sinners through goeth evermore, into the law breaking of rightwise things.]