DB1 | The foolishness of Worshipping Idols. EpJr (v.Bar).6.40-73 | RSV Contents | notes| 6 | Revised Standard Version | Passage | Old Testament in Greek (Septuagint) |
| 40 | Why then must any one think that they are gods, or call them gods? Besides, even the Chaldeans themselves dishonor them; | The foolishness of Worshipping Idols. EpJr (v.Bar).6.40-73 | πῶς οὖν νομιστέον ἢ κλητέον αὐτοὺς ὑπάρχειν θεούς; |
| 41 | for when they see a dumb man, who cannot speak, they bring him and pray Bel that the man may speak, as though Bel were able to understand. | Ἔτι δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν Χαλδαίων ἀτιμαζόντων αὐτά, οἵ, ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἐνεὸν οὐ δυνάμενον λαλῆσαι, προσενεγκάμενοι τὸν Βῆλον ἀξιοῦσιν φωνῆσαι, ὡς δυνατοῦ ὄντος αὐτοῦ αἰσθέσθαι, | |
| 42 | Yet they themselves cannot perceive this and abandon them, for they have no sense. | καὶ οὐ δύνανται αὐτοὶ νοήσαντες καταλιπεῖν αὐτά, αἴσθησιν γὰρ οὐκ ἔχουσιν. | |
| 43 | And the women, with cords about them, sit along the passageways, burning bran for incense; and when one of them is led off by one of the passers-by and is lain with, she derides the woman next to her, because she was not as attractive as herself and her cord was not broken. | αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες περιθέμεναι σχοινία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἐγκάθηνται θυμιῶσαι τὰ πίτυρα· | |
| 44 | Whatever is done for them is false. Why then must any one think that they are gods, or call them gods? | ὅταν δέ τις αὐτῶν ἐφελκυσθεῖσα ὑπό τινος τῶν παραπορευομένων κοιμηθῇ, τὴν πλησίον ὀνειδίζει, ὅτι οὐκ ἠξίωται ὥσπερ καὶ αὐτὴ οὔτε τὸ σχοινίον αὐτῆς διερράγη. | |
| 45 | They are made by carpenters and goldsmiths; they can be nothing but what the craftsmen wish them to be. | πάντα τὰ γινόμενα αὐτοῖς ἐστιν ψευδῆ· πῶς οὖν νομιστέον ἢ κλητέον ὥστε θεοὺς αὐτοὺς ὑπάρχειν; | |
| 46 | The men that make them will certainly not live very long themselves; how then can the things that are made by them be gods? | Ὑπὸ τεκτόνων καὶ χρυσοχόων κατεσκευασμένα εἰσίν· οὐθὲν ἄλλο μὴ γένωνται ἢ ὃ βούλονται οἱ τεχνῖται αὐτὰ γενέσθαι. | |
| 47 | They have left only lies and reproach for those who come after. | αὐτοί τε οἱ κατασκευάζοντες αὐτὰ οὐ μὴ γένωνται πολυχρόνιοι· πῶς τε δὴ μέλλει τὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν κατασκευασθέντα εἶναι θεοί; | |
| 48 | For when war or calamity comes upon them, the priests consult together as to where they can hide themselves and their gods. | κατέλιπον γὰρ ψεύδη καὶ ὄνειδος τοῖς ἐπιγινομένοις. | |
| 49 | How then can one fail to see that these are not gods, for they cannot save themselves from war or calamity? | ὅταν γὰρ ἐπέλθῃ ἐπ' αὐτὰ πόλεμος καὶ κακά, βουλεύονται πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς οἱ ἱερεῖς ποῦ συναποκρυβῶσι μετ' αὐτῶν. | |
| 50 | Since they are made of wood and overlaid with gold and silver, it will afterward be known that they are false. | πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἔστιν αἰσθέσθαι ὅτι οὔκ εἰσιν θεοί, οἳ οὔτε σῴζουσιν ἑαυτοὺς ἐκ πολέμου οὔτε ἐκ κακῶν; | |
| 51 | It will be manifest to all the nations and kings that they are not gods but the work of men's hands, and that there is no work of God in them. | ὑπάρχοντα γὰρ ξύλινα καὶ περίχρυσα καὶ περιάργυρα γνωσθήσεται μετὰ ταῦτα ὅτι ἐστὶν ψευδῆ· τοῖς ἔθνεσι πᾶσι τοῖς τε βασιλεῦσι φανερὸν ἔσται ὅτι οὔκ εἰσι θεοὶ ἀλλὰ ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ οὐδὲν θεοῦ ἔργον ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐστιν. | |
| 52 | Who then can fail to know that they are not gods? | τίνι οὖν γνωστέον ἐστὶν ὅτι οὔκ εἰσιν θεοί; | |
| 53 | For they cannot set up a king over a country or give rain to men. | Βασιλέα γὰρ χώρας οὐ μὴ ἀναστήσωσιν οὔτε ὑετὸν ἀνθρώποις οὐ μὴ δῶσιν | |
| 54 | They cannot judge their own cause or deliver one who is wronged, for they have no power; they are like crows between heaven and earth. | κρίσιν τε οὐ μὴ διακρίνωσιν αὐτῶν οὐδὲ μὴ ῥύσωνται ἀδικούμενον ἀδύνατοι ὄντες· ὥσπερ γὰρ κορῶναι ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς. | |
| 55 | When fire breaks out in a temple of wooden gods overlaid with gold or silver, their priests will flee and escape, but the gods will be burnt in two like beams. | καὶ γὰρ ὅταν ἐμπέσῃ εἰς οἰκίαν θεῶν ξυλίνων ἢ περιχρύσων ἢ περιαργύρων πῦρ, οἱ μὲν ἱερεῖς αὐτῶν φεύξονται καὶ διασωθήσονται, αὐτοὶ δὲ ὥσπερ δοκοὶ μέσοι κατακαυθήσονται. | |
| 56 | Besides, they can offer no resistance to a king or any enemies. Why then must any one admit or think that they are gods? | βασιλεῖ δὲ καὶ πολεμίοις οὐ μὴ ἀντιστῶσιν. | |
| 57 | Gods made of wood and overlaid with silver and gold are not able to save themselves fromthieves and robbers. | πῶς οὖν ἐκδεκτέον ἢ νομιστέον ὅτι εἰσὶν θεοί; | |
| 58 | Strong men will strip them of their gold and silver and of the robes they wear, and go off with his booty, and they will not be able to help themselves. | Οὔτε ἀπὸ κλεπτῶν οὔτε ἀπὸ λῃστῶν οὐ μὴ διασωθῶσιν θεοὶ ξύλινοι καὶ περιάργυροι καὶ περίχρυσοι, ὧν οἱ ἰσχύοντες περιελοῦνται τὸ χρυσίον καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ τὸν ἱματισμὸν τὸν περικείμενον αὐτοῖς ἀπελεύσονται ἔχοντες, οὔτε ἑαυτοῖς οὐ μὴ βοηθήσωσιν· | |
| 59 | So it is better to be a king who shows his courage, or a household utensil that serves its owner's need, than to be these false gods; better even the door of a house that protects its contents, than these false gods; better also a wooden pillar in a palace, than these false gods. | ὥστε κρεῖσσον εἶναι βασιλέα ἐπιδεικνύμενον τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀνδρείαν ἢ σκεῦος ἐν οἰκίᾳ χρήσιμον, ἐφ' ᾧ χρήσεται ὁ κεκτημένος, ἢ οἱ ψευδεῖς θεοί· ἢ καὶ θύρα ἐν οἰκίᾳ διασῴζουσα τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ ὄντα ἢ οἱ ψευδεῖς θεοί, καὶ ξύλινος στῦλος ἐν βασιλείοις ἢ οἱ ψευδεῖς θεοί. | |
| 60 | For sun and moon and stars, shining and sent forth for service, are obedient. | ἥλιος μὲν γὰρ καὶ σελήνη καὶ ἄστρα ὄντα λαμπρὰ καὶ ἀποστελλόμενα ἐπὶ χρείας εὐήκοά εἰσιν· | |
| 61 | So also the lightning, when it flashes, is widely seen; and the wind likewise blows in every land. | ὡσαύτως καὶ ἀστραπή, ὅταν ἐπιφανῇ, εὔοπτός ἐστιν· τὸ δ' αὐτὸ καὶ πνεῦμα ἐν πάσῃ χώρᾳ πνεῖ· | |
| 62 | When God commands the clouds to go over the whole world, they carry out his command. | καὶ νεφέλαις ὅταν ἐπιταγῇ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπιπορεύεσθαι ἐφ' ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην, συντελοῦσι τὸ ταχθέν· τό τε πῦρ ἐξαποσταλὲν ἄνωθεν ἐξαναλῶσαι ὄρη καὶ δρυμοὺς ποιεῖ τὸ συνταχθέν. | |
| 63 | And the fire sent from above to consume mountains and woods does what it is ordered. But these idols are not to be compared with them in appearance or power. | ταῦτα δὲ οὔτε ταῖς ἰδέαις οὔτε ταῖς δυνάμεσιν αὐτῶν ἀφωμοιωμένα ἐστίν. | |
| 64 | Therefore one must not think that they are gods nor call them gods, for they are not able either to decide a case or to do good to men. | ὅθεν οὔτε νομιστέον οὔτε κλητέον ὑπάρχειν αὐτοὺς θεούς, οὐ δυνατῶν ὄντων αὐτῶν οὔτε κρίσιν κρῖναι οὔτε εὖ ποιεῖν ἀνθρώποις. | |
| 65 | Since you know then that they are not gods, do not fear them. | γνόντες οὖν ὅτι οὔκ εἰσιν θεοί, μὴ φοβηθῆτε αὐτούς. | |
| 66 | For they can neither curse nor bless kings; | Οὔτε γὰρ βασιλεῦσιν οὐ μὴ καταράσωνται οὔτε μὴ εὐλογήσωσι. | |
| 67 | they cannot show signs in the heavens and among the nations, or shine like the sun or give light like the moon. | σημεῖά τε ἐν ἔθνεσιν ἐν οὐρανῷ οὐ μὴ δείξωσιν οὐδὲ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος λάμψουσιν οὐδὲ φωτίσουσιν ὡς σελήνη. | |
| 68 | The wild beasts are better than they are, for they can flee to cover and help themselves. | τὰ θηρία ἐστὶν κρείττω αὐτῶν, ἃ δύνανται ἐκφυγόντα εἰς σκέπην ἑαυτὰ ὠφελῆσαι. | |
| 69 | So we have no evidence whatever that they are gods; therefore do not fear them. | κατ' οὐδένα οὖν τρόπον ἐστὶν ἡμῖν φανερὸν ὅτι εἰσὶν θεοί· διὸ μὴ φοβηθῆτε αὐτούς. | |
| 70 | Like a scarecrow in a cucumber bed, that guards nothing, so are their gods of wood, overlaid with gold and silver. | Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν σικυηράτῳ προβασκάνιον οὐδὲν φυλάσσον, οὕτως οἱ θεοὶ αὐτῶν εἰσιν ξύλινοι καὶ περίχρυσοι καὶ περιάργυροι. | |
| 71 | In the same way, their gods of wood, overlaid with gold and silver, and like a thorn bush in a garden, on which every bird sits; or like a dead body cast out in the darkness. | τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ τῇ ἐν κήπῳ ῥάμνῳ, ἐφ' ἧς πᾶν ὄρνεον ἐπικάθηται, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ νεκρῷ ἐρριμμένῳ ἐν σκότει ἀφωμοίωνται οἱ θεοὶ αὐτῶν ξύλινοι καὶ περίχρυσοι καὶ περιάργυροι. | |
| 72 | By the purple and linen that rot upon them you will know that they are not gods; and they will finally themselves be consumed, and be a reproach in the land. | ἀπό τε τῆς πορφύρας καὶ τῆς μαρμάρου τῆς ἐπ' αὐτοῖς σηπομένης γνώσεσθε ὅτι οὔκ εἰσιν θεοί· αὐτά τε ἐξ ὑστέρου βρωθήσονται, καὶ ἔσται ὄνειδος ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ. | |
| 73 | Better therefore is a just man who has no idols, for he will be far from reproach. | κρείσσων οὖν ἄνθρωπος δίκαιος οὐκ ἔχων εἴδωλα, ἔσται γὰρ μακρὰν ἀπὸ ὀνειδισμοῦ. | |