But thou, O our God, art gracious and true, longsuffering, and ordering all things in mercy. For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy power: but we will not sin, knowing that we are accounted thine:

For if we sin, we are in thy hand; and we know thy power; but we will not sin, because we know that we are accounted thine.

For to know thee is perfect righteousness: and to know thy power is the root of immortality.

For neither did the mischievous invention of men deceive us, nor the unprofitable work of painters, a stained image with divers colours;

The sight whereof enticeth fools to lust after a dead image that hath no breath.

Because those that make them are worthy of all reproach, as well as those that love them, and those that worship them; for they delight in evil things, and their hopes are in such as these.

For the potter, tempering soft earth, fashioneth every vessel with much labour for our service: yea, of the same clay he maketh both the vessels that serve for clean uses, and likewise also all such as serve for contrary uses: but what is the use of each of these, the potter himself is the judge.

And being but of few years, this man, out of the same substance, hath fashioned a vain god. For a little while he was made of earth, and shortly shall return unto the earth from whence he was taken, when he shall render what is due for his soul.

But his care is not that he shall have much labour, nor that his life is short; but he striveth to excel goldsmiths, and to imitate silversmiths, and to contend with workers in brass, and accounteth it his glory that he maketh of vile things.

For his heart is ashes, his hope is more vile than earth, and his life more base than clay:

Because he knew not him that formed him, and breathed into him an active soul, and a living spirit.

But he thought his life to be a pastime, and his time here a market for gain: for, said he, I must get gain by all means, even by evil.

For he knoweth that he offends above all, because he maketh of earth brittle vessels, and graven images.

But all the enemies of thy people, who were set over them, are most foolish, and more miserable than very babes.

For they counted all the idols of the nations to be gods: which neither have use of eyes for seeing, nor noses for smelling air, nor ears for hearing, nor hands for handling, and as for their feet, they are slow to go.

For a man made them, and one whose spirit is borrowed, formed them: for no man can make a god like himself.

Neither is there in them the alluring beauty of other animals, that one might desire them: but they failed of God's praise and blessing.