Wooden Idols Compared with Noah's Wooden Boat
1 In the same way, a man getting ready to sail on the raging sea will call for help from a piece of wood that is not as strong as the ship he is about to board. 2 Someone designed the ship out of a desire for profit, and a craftsman built it with skill. 3 But it is your care, O Father, that steers it; you give it a safe path through the waves of the sea. 4 People may go to sea even if they have no skill, because you can save them from any danger. 5 It is your will that the things you have made by your wisdom should be put to use. And so people can cross the sea in a boat and come safely to land, because they trust their lives to that small piece of wood.
6 This was how it was in ancient times, when a proud race of giants was dying away. The hope of the world escaped on such a boat under your guidance and left the world a new generation to carry on the human race. 7 A blessing was on Noah's wooden boat that allowed righteousness to survive, 8 but a curse is on an idol made by human hands. A curse is also on the one who makes it, because he works on this perishable thing and then calls it a god. 9 Ungodly people and these ungodly things they make are equally hated by God, 10 who will punish both the things made and the people who made them. 11 And so God's judgment will fall on pagan idols, because, even though they are made from something God created, they became horrible things that trap the souls of foolish people.
The Origins of Idolatry
12 Sexual immorality began when idols were invented. They have corrupted human life ever since they were first made. 13 Idols have not always existed, nor will they exist forever. 14 It was human pride that brought them into the world, and that is why a quick end has been planned for them.
15 Once there was a father who was overwhelmed with grief at the untimely death of his child, so he made an image of that child who had been suddenly taken from him. He then honored a dead human being as a god, and handed on secret rituals and ceremonies to those who were under his authority. 16 As time went on, this ungodly custom became stronger. Finally it became law, and idols were being worshiped at the command of powerful rulers. 17 When people lived too far away to honor a ruler in his presence but were eager to pay honor to this absent king, they would imagine what he must look like, and would then make a likeness of him. 18 The ambitious artists who made these likenesses caused this worship to spread, even among people who did not know the king. 19 An artist might want to please some ruler, and so he would use his skill to make the likeness better looking than the actual person. 20 Then people would be so attracted by the work of art, that the one whom they had earlier honored now became the object of their worship. 21 So all this became a deadly trap, because people who were grieving, or under royal authority, would take objects of stone or wood, and give them the honor reserved for the One God.
The Results of Idolatry
22 One thing led to another. It was not enough to be wrong about the knowledge of God. They lived in a state of evil warfare, but they were so ignorant that they called it peace. 23 They murdered children in their initiation rituals, celebrated secret mysteries, and held wild ceremonial orgies with unnatural practices. 24 They no longer kept their lives or their marriages pure. A man might kill another by an act of treachery or cause him grief by committing adultery with his wife. 25 Everything was a complete riot of bloody murder, robbery, deceit, corruption, faithlessness, disorder, falsehood, 26 harassment of innocent people, ingratitude, moral decay, sexual perversion, broken marriages, adultery, and immorality. 27 The worship of idols, whose names should never be spoken, is the beginning and the end, the cause and the result of every evil. 28 People who worship them lose control of themselves in ecstasy, or pass off lies as prophecies, or live wickedly, or break their word without hesitation. 29 They tell lies under oath and expect no punishment, because the idols they put their trust in are lifeless. 30 But punishment will finally catch up with them, for two reasons: first, they were in error about God when they worshiped idols, and second, they had so little regard for holiness that they made false statements to deceive people. 31 When unrighteous people commit sin, they will be hunted down, not by the power of whatever thing they swear by, but by the punishment that sinners deserve.
1 Vai arī – jūrā pošoties un grasīdamies šķērsot nevaldāmas bangas,
cits piesauc koka gabalu,
kas trauslāks vēl par kuģi, kurā brauc;
2 jo tas gan darināts, lai gūtu peļņu,
bet gudrība to būvējusi, lietpratēja,
3 un tava apredzība, Tēvs, ir tā, kas vada stūri.
Pat jūrā tu esi izklājis ceļu un drošu taku bangās,
4 tā rādīdams, ka visās briesmās izglābt spēj,
un tādēļ ceļā doties var pat nepieredzējušais.
5 Turklāt tu vēlies,
lai tavas gudrības veikums nepaliktu bez augļiem;
tādēļ cilvēki uztic dzīvību pat nieka kokam
un, ar plostu šķērsojot bangu vālus, izglābjas.
6 Tā arī aizsākumos, kad lepnie milzeņi gāja bojā,
pasaules cerība, patvērusies uz plosta,
ko stūrējot vadīja tava roka,
saglabāja nākamībai jaunas paaudzes sēklu.
7 Lai svētīts koks, ar kuru īstenojas taisnīgums!
8 Bet rokām darinātais lai ir nolādēts –
gan pats, gan tas, kurš to ir gatavojis:
viens tādēļ, ka to darinājis,
bet otrs – ka, būdams iznīcīgs, dēvēts par dievu.
9 Gan bezdievīgais Dievam nīstams,
gan viņa bezdievīgums;
10 gan darinātāju, gan darināto –
abus gaida sods,
11 kas tādēļ piemeklēs arī cittautiešu elkus,
jo tie no Dieva radītā ir kļuvuši par riebeklību,
par slazdu cilvēku dvēselēm,
nesaprātīgo kājām par cilpu.
12 Tādēļ ka laulības pārkāpšana sākās ar domu par elkiem,
to izdomāšana izpostīja dzīvību.
13 Nedz iesākumā tādi bija,
nedz mūžībā būs –
14 tukšas cilvēku iedomas dēļ pasaulē nākuši,
drīz vien tiem paredzēts gals.
15 Kāds tēvs, pāragru sēru mākts
par savu priekšlaicīgi laupītu bērnu,
darināja viņa atveidu;
un to, kas iepriekš bija tikai miris cilvēks,
tagad godināja kā dievu
un atstāja padotajiem mantojumā
iesvētīto noslēpumus un ritus.
16 Bezdievīgā ieraža ar laiku auga spēkā.
To sāka ievērot kā likumu,
un pēc patvaldnieka rīkojumiem
grebtos tēlus dievbijīgi godināja.
17 Ļaudis, kas, tālu dzīvojot,
nespēja godināt valdnieku pašu,
tālo attēlojot vaigā, darināja visiem redzamu
godinātā atveidu,
lai ar savu dedzību klāt neesošajam
kā klātesošam glaimotu.
18 Amatnieka godkārība rosināja arī nezinātājus
vēl vairāk izplatīt šo svētbijīgo godāšanu,
19 jo, vēlēdamies valdītājam drīzāk izpatikt,
ar savu prasmi tas pielāgoja daiļāku atveidu viņa tēlam,
20 bet ļaužu pūļi, darba dailes vilināti,
to, kuru nesen godāja kā cilvēku,
par pielūdzamu tagad uzskatīja.
21 Un pasaulei par slazdu kļuva tas,
ka, nelaimei vai patvaldnieka varai vergodami,
ļaudis vārdu, kurā nevar dalīties ar citiem,
deva koka gabalam vai akmenim.
22 Un vēl par maz tiem bija Dieva pazīšanā maldīties,
bet, dzīvojot lielā nezināšanas kurinātā karā,
viņi sveic kā mieru tik milzīgu ļaunumu,
23 proti, to, ka savos ritos, kur bērnus slepkavo,
vai slēgtās noslēpumu svinībās,
vai trakulīgās dzīrēs pēc svešiem priekšrakstiem
24 tie dzīves skaidrību un laulības šķīstumu zaudē,
no slēpņa uzbrūkot, viens otru nonāvē
vai pakļauj rūgtām ciešanām, ielaužoties cita laulībā;
25 ka visu savstarpējā sajaukumā noteic asinis un slepkavības, zagšana un viltus,
samaitātība un neuzticamība, kūdīšana, nepatiesi zvēresti,
26 satraukums krietno vidū, nepateicība,
dvēseļu sagandēšana, samainīšanās dzimumiem,
sajukums laulībās, laulības pārkāpšana un izlaidība.
27 Jo vārdā neminamu elku dievināšana
ir visa ļaunā aizsākums, pamats un kalngals,
28 bet ļauna darītāji vai nu līksmodami trako,
vai melodami pravieto, –
vai netaisni dzīvo, vai arī bārstās nepatiesiem zvērestiem,
29 jo, nedzīvajiem elkiem uzticēdamies,
nekādas nelaimes tie, nepatiesi zvērot, nebaidās.
30 Taču abu iemeslu dēļ viņus taisnība vajās:
gan tādēļ, ka, veltoties elkiem, ļauni sprieda par Dievu,
gan tādēļ, ka, svētbijību nicinot, netaisni ar viltu zvērējuši;
31 jo ne jau zvērot piesauktā spēks,
bet grēciniekiem paredzētā taisnība ir tā,
kas vienmēr soda netaisnīgo pārkāpumus.
