Wisdom 15

Wycliffe Bible

15 Forsooth thou, our God, art sweet, and true, and patient, and disposeth all things in mercy. [Thou forsooth, our God, sweet, and very, and patient, and in mercy disposing all things.]

² For if we sin, we be thine, and know thy greatness; and if we sin not, we know, that we be accounted at thee. [Forsooth if we sin, thine we be, knowing thy muchliness; and if we sin not, we know, for with thee we be counted.]

³ For why to know thee, is perfect rightfulness; and to know thy rightfulness, and virtue, is the root of undeadliness (or immortality). [Forsooth to have known thee, is full ended rightwiseness; and to know rightwiseness, and thy virtue, root is of undeadliness.]

⁴ Forsooth the thinking out of evil craft of men brought not us into error, neither the shadow of painture travail without fruit, an image graven by diverse colours; [Forsooth not into error in-led us the out-thinking of the evil craft of men, nor the shadow of painting travail without fruit, the graven likeness by diverse colours;]

⁵ whose beholding giveth covetousness to an unwise man, and he loveth the likeness of a dead image without (a) soul. [whose sight to the unwise giveth coveting, and loveth the likeness of the dead image without soul.]

⁶ The lovers of evils be worthy (of) the death, that have hope in such [things]; and they that make those, and they that love (them), and they that worship (them) be worthy (of) the death.

⁷ But also a potter, thrusting (or squeezing) [the] nesh earth, by great travail maketh each vessel to (or for) our uses; and (out) of the same clay he maketh vessels that be clean to use (or be for clean uses), and in like manner those that be contrary to these; forsooth what use is of these vessels, the potter is (the) judge.

⁸ And (then) he that was made of earth a little before, maketh a god of the same clay with vain travail; and the potter, asked to yield the debt of the soul which he had, leadeth himself after a little time (back) to the earth, from whence he was taken. [And with vain travail (a) god he maketh (out) of the same clay, he that a little before of earth was made; and after a little he leadeth himself (from) whence he is taken, again asked (for) the debt of the soul that he had.]

⁹ But he hath care, not for he shall travail, neither for his life is short, but he striveth with goldsmiths and silversmiths; but also he (pur)sueth workers of brass, and setteth before glory; for he maketh superfluous things. [But and there is care to him, not for he is to travail, nor for his life is short, but that men (dis)pute with goldsmiths and silversmiths; but and metal makers he followeth, and glory he beareth before; for things overvoid he maketh.]

¹⁰ For the heart of him is ashes, and superfluous earth is his hope, and his life is viler [or fouler] than clay.

¹¹ For he knew not God, that made him, and that inspired a soul (in)to him; and he loveth those things which he hath wrought; and he knew not God, that blowed in him a spirit of life. [For he knew not that made him, and that inspired to him a soul; and loveth that he wrought; and blew into him a lively spirit.]

¹² But they guessed fleshly delighting [or a playing place] to be our life, and the conversation of life to be made to (or for) winning, either covetousness, and that it behooveth to get on each side, yea, of (or by) evil.

¹³ Forsooth this man that maketh frail vessels, and graven images of the matter (or material) of earth, knoweth that he trespasseth above all men. [This forsooth knoweth himself over all men to trespass, that of the matter of earth brittle vessels and graven maketh.]

¹⁴ Forsooth, Lord, all (the) unwise men and cursed be proud over the measure of their soul, and be enemies of thy people, and upbraid it [or (be) mis-saying to it];

¹⁵ for they guessed all the idols of (the) nations to be gods, that have neither sight of eyes to see, neither nostrils to perceive a spirit, either wind, neither ears to hear, neither fingers of hands to touch, but also their feet be slow to go. [for all the maumets of nations gods they esteemed, to the which neither sight of eyes is to see, nor nostrils to perceive spirit, nor ears to hear, nor fingers of hands to grope, but and the feet of them slow to go.]

¹⁶ For why a man made those, and he that borrowed a spirit, made those; for why no man may make a god like himself. [A man forsooth made them, and that the spirit borrowed, he feigned them; no man forsooth may make a god like to him.]

¹⁷ For since he is deadly (or mortal), by wicked hands he maketh a dead idol; for he is better than these gods, which he worshippeth; for soothly he lived, when he was deadly (or mortal), but they lived never. [When forsooth he be deadly, the dead he maketh with wicked hands; better forsooth is he than these, that he praiseth; for he forsooth lived, when he was deadly, they forsooth never.]

¹⁸ But also most wretched men worship beasts; for why unreasonable beasts, comparisoned to these men, be worse than they. [But and they most wretched praised beasts; witless forsooth, comparisoned to these, be worse than those.]

¹⁹ But neither by sight any man may of these beasts behold goods; forsooth they have driven away the praising of God, and his blessing. [But neither with sight anything of these beasts may behold good things; forsooth they fled the praising of God, and the blessing of him.]