The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 30: Baruch
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Unknown >> The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 30: Baruch
6:27. The things that are sacrificed to them, their priests sell and
abuse: in like manner also their wives take part of them, but give
nothing of it either to the sick, or to the poor.
6:28. The childbearing and menstruous women touch their sacrifices:
knowing, therefore, by these things that they are not gods, fear them
not.
6:29. For how can they be called gods? because women set offerings
before the gods of silver, and of gold, and of wood:
6:30. And priests sit in their temples, having their garments rent, and
their heads and beards shaven, and nothing upon their heads.
6:31. And they roar and cry before their gods, as men do at the feast
when one is dead.
6:32. The priests take away their garments, and clothe their wives and
their children.
6:33. And whether it be evil that one doth unto them, or good, they are
not able to recompense it: neither can they set up a king, nor put him
down:
6:34. In like manner they can neither give riches, nor requite evil. If
a man make a vow to them, and perform it not: they cannot require it.
6:35. They cannot deliver a man from death, nor save the weak from the
mighty.
6:36. They cannot restore the blind man to his sight: nor deliver a man
from distress.
36:7. They shall not pity the widow, nor do good to the fatherless.
6:38. Their gods, of wood, and of stone, and of gold, and of silver, are
like the stones that are hewn out of the mountains: and they that
worship them shall be confounded.
6:39. How then is it to be supposed, or to be said, that they are gods?
6:40. Even the Chaldeans themselves dishonor them: who when they here of
one dumb that cannot speak, they present him to Bel, entreating him,
that he may speak.
6:41. As though they could be sensible that have no motion themselves:
and they, when they shall perceive this, will leave them: for their gods
themselves have no sense.
6:42. The women also, with cords about them, sit in the ways, burning
olive-stones.
6:43. And when any one of them, drawn away by some passenger, lieth with
him, she upbraideth her neighbor, that she was not thought as worthy as
herself, nor her cord broken.
6:44. But all things that are done about them, are false: how is it then
to be thought, or to be said, that they are gods?
6:45. And they are made by workmen, and by goldsmiths. They shall be
nothing else but what the priests will have them to be.
6:46. For the artificers themselves that make them, are of no long
continuance. Can those things then that are made by them, be gods?
6:47. But they have left false things and reproach to them that come
after.
6:48. For when war cometh upon them, or evils: the priests consult with
themselves, where they may hide themselves with them.
6:49. How then can they be thought to be gods, that can neither deliver
themselves from war, nor save themselves from evils?
6:50. For seeing they are but of wood, and laid over with gold, and with
silver, it shall be known hereafter that they are false things, by all
nations, and kings: and it shall be manifest that they are no gods, but
the work of men's hands, and that there is no work of God in them.
6:51. Whence, therefore, is it known that they are not gods, but the
work of men's hands, and no work of God is in them?
6:52. They cannot set up a king over the land, nor give rain to men.
6:53. They determine no causes, nor deliver countries from oppression:
because they can do nothing, and are as daws between heaven and earth.
6:54. For when fire shall fall upon the house of these gods of wood, and
of silver, and of gold, their priests indeed will flee away, and be
saved: but they themselves shall be burnt in the midst like beams.
6:55. And they cannot withstand a king and war. How then can it be
supposed, or admitted, that they are gods?
6:56. Neither are these gods of wood, and of stone, and laid over with
gold, and with silver, able to deliver themselves from thieves or
robbers: they that are stronger than them,
They that are stronger than them... That is, robbers and thieves are
stronger than these idols, being things without life or motion.
6:57. Shall take from them the gold, and silver, and the raiment
wherewith they are clothed, and shall go their way, neither shall they
help themselves.
6:58. Therefore it is better to be a king that sheweth his power: or
else a profitable vessel in the house, with which the owner thereof will
be well satisfied: or a door in the house, to keep things safe that are
therein, than such false gods.
6:59. The sun, and the moon, and the stars being bright, and sent forth
for profitable uses, are obedient.
6:60. In like manner the lightning, when it breaketh forth, is easy to
be seen: and after the same manner the wind bloweth in every country.
6:61. And the clouds, when God commandeth them to go over the whole
world, do that which is commanded them.
6:62. The fire also being sent from above to consume mountains, and
woods, doth as it is commanded. But these neither in shew, nor in power,
are alike to any one of them.
6:63. Wherefore it is neither to be thought, nor to be said, that they
are gods: since they are neither able to judge causes, nor to do any
good to men.
6:64. Knowing, therefore, that they are not gods, fear them not.
6:65. For neither can they curse kings, nor bless them.
6:66. Neither do they shew signs in the heaven to the nations, nor shine
as the sun, nor give light as the moon.
6:67. Beasts are better than they, which can fly under a covert, and
help themselves.
6:68. Therefore there is no manner of appearance that they are gods: so
fear them not.
6:69. For as a scarecrow in a garden of cucumbers keepeth nothing, so
are their gods of wood, and of silver, and laid over with gold.
6:70. They are no better than a white thorn in a garden, upon which
every bird sitteth. In like manner also their gods of wood, and laid
over with gold, and with silver, are like to a dead body cast forth in
the dark.
6:71. By the purple also and the scarlet which are motheaten upon them,
you shall know that they are not gods. And they themselves at last are
consumed, and shall be a reproach in the country.
6:72. Better, therefore, is the just man that hath no idols: for he
shall be far from reproach.