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world, and therefore fhall | god, which a little before they come fhortly to an end. was but honoured as a 15 For a father afflicted man. with untimely mourning, when he hath made an image of his child foon taken away, now honoured him as a god, which was then a dead man, and delivered to thofe that were under him ceremonies and facrifices.

21 And this was an occafion to deceive the world; for men ferving either calamity or tyranny, did afcribe unto ftones and stocks the incommunicable name.

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

16 Thus in process of time an ungodly custom grown ftrong, was kept as a law, and graven images were ignorance, thofe fo great worshipped by the command-plagues called they peace. ments of kings.

17. Whom men could not honour in prefence, because they dwelt far off, they took the counterfeit of his vifage from far, and made an exprefs image of a king whom they honoured, to the end that by this their forwardness they might flatter him that was abfent, as if he were prefent.

18 Alfo the fingular diligence of the artificer did help to fet forward the ignorant to more fuperftition.

19 For he, peradventure, willing to please one in authority, forced all his fkill to make the refemblance of the best fashion.

20 And fo the multitude, allured by the grace of the work, took him now for a

23 For whilft they flew their children in facrifices, or used fecret ceremonies, or made revellings of ftrange rites;

24 They kept neither lives nor marriages any longer undefiled: but either one flew another traiteroufly, or grieved him by adultery.

25 So that there reigned in all men without exception, blood, manslaughter, theft, and diffimulation, corruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, perjury.

26 Difquieting of good men, forgetfulness of good turns, defiling of fouls, changing of kind, diforder in marriages, adultery, and fhameless uncleanness,

27 For the worshipping of idols not to be named, is

the

the beginning, the cause, and the end of all evil.

28 For either they are mad when they be merry, or prophefy lies, or live unjuftly, or elfe lightly forfwear themselves.

29 For infomuch as their truft is in idols, which have no life; though they fwear falfely, yet they look not to be hurt.

30 Howbeit, for both caufes fhall they be juftly punished both because they thought not well of God, giving heed unto idols, and alfo unjustly fwore in deceit, defpifing holiness;

4 For neither did the mifchievous invention of men deceive us, nor an image fpotted with divers colours, the painter's fruitlefs labour;

5 The fight whereof enticeth fools to luft after it, and fo they defire the form of a dead image that hath no breath.

6 Both they that make them, they that defire them, and they that worship them, are lovers of evil things, and are worthy to have fuch things to trust upon.

7 For the potter tempering foft earth, fashioneth every veffel with much labour for our fervice: yea, of the fame clay he maketh both the veffels that serve for clean ufes, and likewife alfo

31 For it is not the power of them by whom they fwear, but it is the juft vengeance of finners that punifheth always the offence of the un-all fuch as ferve to the con

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trary: but what is the use of either fort, the potter himfelf is the judge.

8 And employing his labours lewdly, he maketh a vain god of the fame clay, even he which a little before was made of earth himself, and within a little while after returneth to the same out of the which he was taken, when his life which was lent him fhall be demanded,

9 Notwithstanding, his care is not that he shall have Kk much

much labour, nor that his | 16 For man made them, life is fhort: but ftriveth to and he that borrowed his excel goldfmiths, and filver-own spirit fashioned them: fmiths, and endeavoureth to but no man can make a god do like the workers in brafs, like unto himself. and counteth it his glory to make counterfeit things.

10 His heart is afhes, his hope is more vile than earth, and his life of lefs value than clay:

II Forafmuch as he knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active foul, and breathed in a living fpirit.

12 But they counted our life a paftime, and our time here a market for gain: for, fay they, We must be getting every way, though it be by

evil means.

13 For this man that of earthly matter maketh brittle veffels, and graven images, knoweth himfelf to offend above all others.

14 And all the enemies of thy people that hold them in fubjection are moft foolish, and are more miferable than very babes.

15 For they counted all the idols of the heathen to be gods: which neither have the use of eyes to fee, nor Hofes to draw breath, nor ears to hear, nor fingers of hands to handle; and as for their feet, they are flow to

go.

17 For being mortal, he worketh a dead thing with wicked hands: for he himfelf is better than the things which he worshippeth:whereas he lived once, but they never.

18 Yea, they worshipped thofe beafts also that are most hateful: for being compared together fome are worse than others.

19 Neither are they beautiful, fo much as to be defired in respect of beasts: but they went without the praise of God, and his bleffing.

T

CHAP. XVI.

Herefore by the like were they punished worthily, and by the multitude of beasts tormented.

2¶ Instead of which punifhment, dealing graciously with thine own people, thou preparedft for them meat of a ftrange taste, even quails to ftir up their appetite;

3 To the end, that they defiring food might, for the ugly fight of the beafts fent among them, loathe even that which they must needs defire; but these fuffering

penury

penury for a fhort fpace, might be made partakers of a strange taste.

4 For it was requifite, that upon them exercifing tyranny, fhould come penury, which they could not avoid: but to these it should only be fhewed how their enemies were tormented.

5 For when the horrible fierceness of beafts came upon these, and they perifhed with the ftings of crooked ferpents, thy wrath endured not for ever.

6 But they were troubled for a small season, that they might be admonished, having a fign of falvation, to put them in remembrance of the commandment of thy law.

gons overcame: for thy mer cy was ever by them, and healed them.

11 For they were pricked that they fhould remember thy words, and were quickly faved, that not falling into deep forgetfulness, they might be continually mindful of thy goodness.

12 For it was neither herb, nor mollifying plaifter that restored them to health: but thy word, O Lord, which healeth all things.

13 For thou hast power of life and death: thou leadeft to the gates of hell and bringest up again.

14 A man indeed killeth through his malice: and the fpirit, when it is gone forth, returneth not; neither the foul received up, cometh again.

7 For he that turned himfelf towards it, was not faved by the thing that he faw: 15 But it is not poffible but by thee that art the Sa-to escape thine hand. viour of all.

8 And in this thou madeft thine enemies confefs, that it is thou who delivereft from all evil :

9 For them the bitings of grafhoppers and flies killed, neither was there found any remedy for their life for they were worthy to be punished by fuch.

10 But thy fons not the very teeth of venomous dra

16 For the ungodly that denied to know thee, were fcourged by the ftrength of thine arm : with ftrange rains, hails, and fhowers were they perfecuted, that they could not avoid, and through fire were they consumed.

17 For, which is most to be wondered at, the fire had more force in the water, that quencheth all things for the world fighteth for the

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righteous.

righteous.

ferveth thee who art the Mak18 For fometime the flame er, increaseth his ftrength awas mitigated, that it might gainft the unrighteous for not burn up the beafts that their punishment, and abatwere fent against the ungod-eth his ftrength for the bely: but themselves might fee nefit of fuch as put their trust and perceive, that they were in thee. perfecuted with the judg ment of God.

25 Therefore even then was it altered into all fafhions, and was obedient to

19 And at another time it burneth even in the midft of thy grace that nourisheth all water, above the power of things according to the defire, that it might deftroy the fruits of an unjuft land.

fire of them that had need:

26 That thy children, O Lord, whom thou loveft, might know, that it is not the growing of fruits that nourisheth man: but that it is thy word, which preferveth them that put their trust

20 Inftead whereof thou feddeft thine own people with angels' food, and didft fend them from heaven bread prepared without their labour, able to content every man's delight, and agreeing to every in thee. tafte. 21 For thy fuftenance de-not deftroyed of the fire, beclared thy fweetness unto thy ing warmed with a little funchildren, and ferving to the beam, foon melted away: appetite of the eater, tempered itself to every man's liking.

22 But fnow and ice endured the fire, and melted not, that they might know that fire burning in the hail, and sparkling in the rain, did deftroy the fruits of the enemies.

23 But this again did even forget his own strength, that the righteous might be nourifhed.

24 For the creature that

27 For that which was

28 That it might be known, that we must prevent the fun to give thee thanks, and at the day-spring pray unto thee.

29 For the hope of the unthankful fhall melt away as the winter's hoar froft, and fhall run away as unprofitable water.

CHAP. XVII. OR great are thy judgments, and cannot be expreffed: therefore unnur

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tured

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