1Surely 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;
2But 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.
3With 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 has created them.
10But 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 show are in, and resemblances of beasts, or a stone good for nothing, the work of an ancient hand.
11Now a carpenter that fells timber, after he has sawn down a tree meet for the purpose, and taken off all the bark skilfully round about, and has wrought it handsomely, and made a vessel thereof fit for the service of man's life;
13And taking the very refuse among those which served to no use, being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, has 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;
18For health he calls upon that which is weak: for life prays to that which is dead; for aid humbly implores that which has least means to help: and for a good journey he asks of that which can’t set a foot forward:
