The True God Gives Immortality
1 But you, our God, are kind and true and patient. You rule the universe with mercy. 2 Even if we sin, we know your power and are still yours. But because we know that we belong to you, we will not sin. 3 Knowing you is perfect righteousness. Recognizing your power is where immortality begins. 4 We have not been misled by any evil product of human skill, by any useless object painted by some artist, or by any idol smeared with different colors. 5 The sight of such things arouses the passions of foolish people and makes them desire a dead, lifeless image. 6 Anyone who makes such a thing or desires it or worships it is in love with something evil, and gets what he deserves when he places his hopes in it.
The Foolishness of Worshiping Clay Idols
7 A potter works the soft clay and carefully shapes each object for our use. Some things he makes are put to good use, and some are not, but he makes them all from the same clay, and shapes them in the same manner. The potter himself decides which objects shall be used for what purposes. 8 He is a human being who was himself formed from earth only a short while earlier, and after a little while, when he must return the soul that was lent to him, he will go back to the same earth. He is a human being, but he wastes his labor shaping a useless god out of the same clay that he uses to make pots. 9 His life will be short, and he will soon have to die, but he is not concerned about that. He wants to compete with those who work in gold, silver, and bronze, and make things like they do. He takes great pride in the things he makes, but they are counterfeit. 10 His heart is made of ashes. His hope is cheaper than dirt. His life is not worth as much as his clay, 11 because he never came to know the God who shaped him, who breathed into him an active soul and a living spirit. 12 He thinks of human life as just a game, a market where he can make a profit. He believes that he must make money however he can, even by evil ways. 13 This man, who makes idols and fragile pots from the same clay, knows better than anyone else that he is sinning.
The Punishment of the Egyptians
14 But the most foolish of all people, showing less sense than babies, were the enemies who oppressed your people, O Lord. 15 They thought that all their pagan idols were gods, even though idols cannot see with their eyes, cannot breathe through their nose, cannot hear with their ears, cannot feel with their fingers, and cannot walk on their legs. 16 Someone whose spirit is only borrowed made them. No one can ever make a god that is equal to a human being. 17 Every person will sooner or later die, but anything he makes with his wicked hands is dead from the start. He himself is better than what he worships. He at least is alive, but what he worships is not, and never has been. 18 Such people worship the most disgusting animals, including even the least intelligent ones. 19 Even as animals they are not attractive enough to make anyone want them. God himself passed them by when he put his approval and blessing on the rest of creation.
1 Bet tu, mūsu Dievs, esi labs un patiess,
iecietīgs un žēlojot valdi visu,
2 jo, pat ja mēs grēkotu,
mēs esam tavi, apzinoties tavu spēku;
bet, zinot, ka tev piederam,
mēs negrēkosim;
3 tādēļ ka tevi pazīt – pilnīgs taisnīgums
un tavu spēku zināt – nemirstības avots.
4 Mūs neieveda maldos nedz cilvēku nekrietnā izdoma,
nedz ainu gleznotāju neauglīgie pūliņi –
tēls, notriepts daždažādām krāsām,
5 kā izskats uzbudina nesaprātīgos – viņš tvīkst pēc tēla,
kurā ietverts nedzīvais atveids un kurā nav dvašas.
6 Nelāgajā iemīlējušies un iecerēto paši pelnījuši
ir tie, kas tādu darina, kas alkst un godina.
7 Tā podnieks, mīkstu mālu mīcot, pūlēdamies
ik trauku veido mūsu vajadzībām,
no viena un tā paša māla visus vienādi darinot,
gan tīriem darbiem paredzētos, gan citur izmantojamos;
bet, kādai vajadzībai kalpos katrs, to izlemj podnieks.
8 Un, tukši pūlēdamies, no tā paša māla
viņš izveido muļķīgu dievu,
lai gan tik tikko pats no zemes radīts
un drīz vien atgriezīsies tajā, no kā ņemts,
kad dvēsele, ko viņš ir parādā, tiks atprasīta.
9 Bet viņam rūp ne tas, ka jāmirst,
ka īss ir viņa dzīves laiks,
bet gan kas cits – ar zeltkaļiem un sudrabkaļiem sacensties
un atdarināt bronzas lējējus,
par godu uzskata viņš veidot viltojumus.
10 Vien pelni – viņa sirds,
par smilti mazāk vērta cerība,
par māliem necilāka dzīve,
11 jo tas nepazina savu veidotāju,
kas darboties spējīgu dvēseli viņā iedvesis,
ar dzīvības garu piepildījis.
12 Turpretim viņi uzskatīja mūsu dzīvi par rotaļu
un mūžu par ienesīgiem svētkiem:
lai vai ar ļaunu, šis saka, ir jāpelnās.
13 Viņš pats gan labāk par citiem zina, ka grēko,
no zemes vielas darinādams veidolus,
ne trauslus traukus vien.
Elku un dzīvnieku pielūgsme Ēģiptē
14 Tomēr visnegudrākie,
vēl nožēlojamāki nekā bērna prātā,
ir tavas tautas naidnieki, tās apspiedēji.
15 Par dieviem viņi ieskatīja visus cittautiešu elkus,
kas nevar izmantot acis, lai redzētu,
nedz nāsis, lai ievilktu dvašu,
nedz ausis, lai dzirdētu,
nedz taustīšanai roku pirkstus,
bet kājas nav derīgas staigāšanai,
16 tādēļ ka tos ir darinājis cilvēks,
veidojis tāds, kam pašam ir aizdots gars, –
neviens cilvēks taču nespēj veidot dievu pēc savas līdzības.
17 Ar savām likuma nepazinējām rokām,
pats mirstīgs būdams, tas darina vienīgi nedzīvo
un pats ir pārāks par priekšmetiem, kurus godina,
jo viņš aizsāka dzīvot, bet tie ne.
18 Un vēl viņi godina dzīvo radību, turklāt visnīstamāko,
kas visu pārējo saprāta trūkumā pārspēj,
19 kam nav pat skaista, pievilcīga izskata,
kāds dzīvniekiem mēdz gadīties,
un kas no Dieva nav saņēmusi
nedz atzinību, nedz svētību.
