Septuagint Bible w/ Apocrypha LXX
New Revised Standard w/ Apocrypha NRSA
1 Again, one preparing himself to sail, and about to pass through the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more rotten than the vessel that carrieth him.
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Again, one preparing to sail and about to voyage over raging waves calls upon a piece of wood more fragile than the ship that carries him.
2 For verily desire of gain devised that, and the workman built it by his skill.
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For it was desire for gain that planned that vessel, and wisdom was the artisan who built it;
3 But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way in the sea, and a safe path in the waves;
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but it is your providence, O Father, that steers its course, because you have given it a path in the sea, and a safe way through the waves,
4 Shewing that thou canst save from all danger: yea, though a man went to sea without art.
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showing that you can save from every danger, so that even a person who lacks skill may put to sea.
5 Nevertheless thou wouldest not that the works of thy wisdom should be idle, and therefore do men commit their lives to a small piece of wood, and passing the rough sea in a weak vessel are saved.
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It is your will that works of your wisdom should not be without effect; therefore people trust their lives even to the smallest piece of wood, and passing through the billows on a raft they come safely to land.
6 For in the old time also, when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world governed by thy hand escaped in a weak vessel, and left to all ages a seed of generation.
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For even in the beginning, when arrogant giants were perishing, the hope of the world took refuge on a raft, and guided by your hand left to the world the seed of a new generation.
7 For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.
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For blessed is the wood by which righteousness comes.
8 But that which is made with hands is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: he, because he made it; and it, because, being corruptible, it was called god.
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But the idol made with hands is accursed, and so is the one who made it— he for having made it, and the perishable thing because it was named a god.
9 For the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God.
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For equally hateful to God are the ungodly and their ungodliness;
10 For that which is made shall be punished together with him that made it.
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for what was done will be punished together with the one who did it.
11 Therefore even upon the idols of the Gentiles shall there be a visitation: because in the creature of God they are become an abomination, and stumblingblocks to the souls of men, and a snare to the feet of the unwise.
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Therefore there will be a visitation also upon the heathen idols, because, though part of what God created, they became an abomination, snares for human souls and a trap for the feet of the foolish.
12 For the devising of idols was the beginning of spiritual fornication, and the invention of them the corruption of life.
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For the idea of making idols was the beginning of fornication, and the invention of them was the corruption of life;
13 For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.
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for they did not exist from the beginning, nor will they last forever.
14 For by the vain glory of men they entered into the world, and therefore shall they come shortly to an end.
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For through human vanity they entered the world, and therefore their speedy end has been planned.
15 For a father afflicted with untimely mourning, when he hath made an image of his child soon taken away, now honoured him as a god, which was then a dead man, and delivered to those that were under him ceremonies and sacrifices.
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For a father, consumed with grief at an untimely bereavement, made an image of his child, who had been suddenly taken from him; he now honored as a god what was once a dead human being, and handed on to his dependents secret rites and initiations.
16 Thus in process of time an ungodly custom grown strong was kept as a law, and graven images were worshipped by the commandments of kings.
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Then the ungodly custom, grown strong with time, was kept as a law, and at the command of monarchs carved images were worshiped.
17 Whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they took the counterfeit of his visage from far, and made an express image of a king whom they honoured, to the end that by this their forwardness they might flatter him that was absent, as if he were present.
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When people could not honor monarchs in their presence, since they lived at a distance, they imagined their appearance far away, and made a visible image of the king whom they honored, so that by their zeal they might flatter the absent one as though present.
18 Also the singular diligence of the artificer did help to set forward the ignorant to more superstition.
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Then the ambition of the artisan impelled even those who did not know the king to intensify their worship.
19 For he, peradventure willing to please one in authority, forced all his skill to make the resemblance of the best fashion.
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For he, perhaps wishing to please his ruler, skillfully forced the likeness to take more beautiful form,
20 And so the multitude, allured by the grace of the work, took him now for a god, which a little before was but honoured.
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and the multitude, attracted by the charm of his work, now regarded as an object of worship the one whom shortly before they had honored as a human being.
21 And this was an occasion to deceive the world: for men, serving either calamity or tyranny, did ascribe unto stones and stocks the incommunicable name.
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And this became a hidden trap for humankind, because people, in bondage to misfortune or to royal authority, bestowed on objects of stone or wood the name that ought not to be shared.
22 Moreover this was not enough for them, that they erred in the knowledge of God; but whereas they lived in the great war of ignorance, those so great plagues called they peace.
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Then it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but though living in great strife due to ignorance, they call such great evils peace.
23 For whilst they slew their children in sacrifices, or used secret ceremonies, or made revellings of strange rites;
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For whether they kill children in their initiations, or celebrate secret mysteries, or hold frenzied revels with strange customs,
24 They kept neither lives nor marriages any longer undefiled: but either one slew another traitorously, or grieved him by adultery.
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they no longer keep either their lives or their marriages pure, but they either treacherously kill one another, or grieve one another by adultery,
25 So that there reigned in all men without exception blood, manslaughter, theft, and dissimulation, corruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, perjury,
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and all is a raging riot of blood and murder, theft and deceit, corruption, faithlessness, tumult, perjury,
26 Disquieting of good men, forgetfulness of good turns, defiling of souls, changing of kind, disorder in marriages, adultery, and shameless uncleanness.
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confusion over what is good, forgetfulness of favors, defiling of souls, sexual perversion, disorder in marriages, adultery, and debauchery.
27 For the worshipping of idols not to be named is the beginning, the cause, and the end, of all evil.
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For the worship of idols not to be named is the beginning and cause and end of every evil.
28 For either they are mad when they be merry, or prophesy lies, or live unjustly, or else lightly forswear themselves.
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For their worshipers either rave in exultation, or prophesy lies, or live unrighteously, or readily commit perjury;
29 For insomuch as their trust is in idols, which have no life; though they swear falsely, yet they look not to be hurt.
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for because they trust in lifeless idols they swear wicked oaths and expect to suffer no harm.
30 Howbeit for both causes shall they be justly punished: both because they thought not well of God, giving heed unto idols, and also unjustly swore in deceit, despising holiness.
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But just penalties will overtake them on two counts: because they thought wrongly about God in devoting themselves to idols, and because in deceit they swore unrighteously through contempt for holiness.
31 For it is not the power of them by whom they swear: but it is the just vengeance of sinners, that punisheth always the offence of the ungodly.
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For it is not the power of the things by which people swear, but the just penalty for those who sin, that always pursues the transgression of the unrighteous.
The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.