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1 Surely vain are all men by nature, who are ignorant of God, and could not out of the good things that
are seen know him that is: neither by considering the works did they acknowledge the workmaster;
2 But deemed either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the violent water,
or the lights of heaven, to be the gods which govern the world.
3 With whose beauty if they being delighted took them to be gods; let them know how much better the Lord
of them is: for the first author of beauty hath created them.
4 But if they were astonished at their power and virtue, let them understand by them, how much mightier
he is that made them.
6 But yet for this they are the less to be blamed: for they peradventure err, seeking God, and desirous
to find him.
7 For being conversant in his works they search him diligently, and believe their sight: because the things
are beautiful that are seen.
9 For if they were able to know so much, that they could aim at the world; how did they not sooner find
out the Lord thereof?
10 But miserable are they, and in dead things is their hope, who call them gods, which are the works of
men’s hands, gold and silver, to shew art in, and resemblances of beasts, or a stone good for nothing,
the work of an ancient hand.
11 Now a carpenter that felleth timber, after he hath sawn down a tree meet for the purpose, and taken off
all the bark skilfully round about, and hath wrought it handsomely, and made a vessel thereof fit for
the service of man’s life;
13 And taking the very refuse among those which served to no use, being a crooked piece of wood, and full
of knots, hath carved it diligently, when he had nothing else to do, and formed it by the skill of his
understanding, and fashioned it to the image of a man;
14 Or made it like some vile beast, laying it over with vermilion, and with paint colouring it red, and
covering every spot therein;
16 For he provided for it that it might not fall, knowing that it was unable to help itself; for it is an
image, and hath need of help:
17 Then maketh he prayer for his goods, for his wife and children, and is not ashamed to speak to that which
hath no life.