1 Vani autem sunt natura omnes homines,
in quibus non subest scientia Dei;
et de his, quae videntur bonis,
non potuerunt intellegere eum, qui est,
neque operibus attendentes agnoverunt artificem.
2 Sed aut ignem aut spiritum aut citatum aerem
aut gyrum stellarum aut violentam aquam aut luminaria caeli,
rectores orbis terrarum, deos putaverunt.
3 Quorum si specie delectati, illa deos putaverunt,
sciant quanto his dominator eorum melior est:
speciei enim principium et auctor constituit ea.
4 Si autem virtutem et operationem eorum mirati,
intellegant ab illis quanto, qui haec fecit, fortior est illis:
5 a magnitudine enim et pulchritudine creaturarum
cognoscibiliter potest creator horum videri.
6 Sed tamen in his minor est querela, et hi enim fortasse errant
Deum quaerentes et volentes invenire.
7 Etenim, cum in operibus illius conversentur, inquirunt
et credunt visui,
quoniam pulchra sunt, quae videntur.
8 Iterum autem nec his potest ignosci:
9 si enim tantum valuerunt scire, ut possent aestimare saeculum,
quomodo huius Dominum non facilius invenerunt?
10 Infelices autem, et in rebus mortuis sunt spes illorum,
qui appellaverunt deos opera manuum hominum,
aurum et argentum, artis inventionem
et similitudines animalium
aut lapidem inutilem, opus manus antiquae.

1 For all men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature;
and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know him who exists,
nor did they recognize the craftsman while paying heed to his works;
2 but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air,
or the circle of the stars,
or turbulent water,
of the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world.
3 If through delight in the beauty of these things men* assumed them to be gods,
let them know how much better than these is their Lord,
for the author of beauty created them.
4 And if men* were amazed at their power and working,
let them perceive from them how much more powerful is he who formed them.
5 For from the greatness and beauty of created things
comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.
6 Yet these men are little to be blamed,
for perhaps they go astray while seeking God and desiring to find him.
7 For as they live among his works they keep searching,
and they trust in what they see,
because the things that are seen are beautiful.
8 Yet again, not even they are to be excused;
9 for if they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world,
how did they fail to find sooner the Lord of these things?
10 But miserable, with their hopes set on dead things,
are the men who give the name "gods" to the works of men's hands,
gold and silver fashioned with skill,
and likenesses of animals,
or a useless stone,
the work of an ancient hand.

(Wisdom 13:1-10)