§25ἄνευ ποδῶν ἐπʼ ὀμοις φέρονται ἐνδεικνύμενοι τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀτιμίαν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, αἰσχύνονταί τε καὶ οἱ θεραπεύοντες αὐτά,
Having no feet, they are borne upon shoulders, declaring their own shame unto men.
§26διὰ τό, μὴ ποτε ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν πέσῃ, δι᾿ αὐτῶν ἀνίστασθαι· μήτε ἐάν τις αὐτὸ ὀρθὸν στήσῃ, δι᾿ ἑαυτοῦ κινηθήσεται, μήτε ἐὰν κλιθῇ, οὐ μὴ ὀρθωθῇ, ἀλλʼ ἶσπερ νεκροῖς τὰ δώρα αὐτοῖς παρατίθεται.
And they also that serve them are ashamed: for if they fall to the ground at any time, they cannot rise up again of themselves; neither, if one set them upright, can they move of themselves; neither, if they be bowed down, can they make themselves straight: but they set gifts before them, as unto dead men.
§27τὰς δὲ θυσίας αὐτῶν ἀποδόμενοι οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτῶν καταχρῶνται· ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ταριχεύουσαι οὕτε πτωχῷ οὕτε ἀδυνάτῳ μὴ μεταδώσιν·
As for the things that are sacrificed unto them, their priests sell them and abuse them; in like manner their wives also lay up part thereof in salt; but unto the poor and impotent they give nothing thereof.
§28τῶυ θυσιῶν αὐτῶν ἀποκαθημένη καὶ λεχὼς ἄπτονται.
For the menstruous woman and the woman in childbed touch their sacrifices.
γνόντες οὗν ἀπὸ τούτων ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν θεοί, μὴ φοβηθῆτε αὐτοὺς.
Knowing therefore by these things that they are no gods, fear them not.
§29Πόθεν γὰρ κληθείησαν θεοί; ὅτι γυναῖκες παρατιθέασιν θεοῖς ἀργυροῖς καὶ χρυσοῖς καὶ ξυλίνοις·
For how can they be called gods? because women set gifts before the gods of silver, gold, and wood.
§30καὶ ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις αὐτῶν οἱ ἱερεῖς διφρεύουσιν, ἔχοντες τοὺς χιτῶνας διερραωγότας καὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς καὶ τοὺς πώγωνας ἐξυρημένους, ὧν αἱ κεφαλαὶ ἀκάλυπτοί εἰσιν, §31ὠρύονται δέ βοώντες ἐναντίον τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν ώσπερ τινές ἐν περιδείπνῳ νεκροῦ.
And the priests sit in their temples, having their clothes rent, and their heads and beards shaven, and nothing upon their heads; they roar and cry before their gods, as men do at the feast when one is dead.
§32ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱματισμοῦ αὐτῶν ἀφελόμενοι οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐνδύσουσιν τὰς γυναίκας αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ παιδία·
The priests take of their garments, and clothe their wives and children.
§33οδτε ἐὰν κακὸν πάθωσιν ὑπό τινος οὕτε ἐὰν ἀγαθόν, δυνήσονται ἀνταποδοῦναι· οὕτε καταστῆσαι βασιλέα δύνανται οὕτε ἀφελέσθαι.
Whether it be evil that they suffer of any, or good, they are not able to recompense it: they can neither set up a king, nor put him down.
§34ὁὡσαύτως οὕτε πλοῦτον οὐτε χαλκὸν οὐ μὴ δύνωνται διδόναι· ἐάν τις αὐτοῖς εὐχὴν εὐξάμενος μὴ ἀποδῷ, οὐ μὴ ἐπιζητήσωσιν·
In like manner they can neither give riches nor money: if a man make a vow unto them, and keep it not, they will not require it.
§35ἐκ θανάτου ἄνθρωπον οὐ μὴ όύσωνται, οὐτε ἥττονα ἀπὸ ἰσχυροῦ μὴ ἐξέλωνται·
They can save no man from death, neither deliver the weak from the mighty.
§36Μνθρωπον τυφλὸυ εἰς ὄρασιν οὐ μὴ περιστήσωσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκῃ ἄνθρωπον ὄντα οὐ μὴ ἐξέλωνται·
They cannot restore a blind man to his sight, nor help any man in his distress.
§37χήραν οὐ μὴ ἐλεήσωσιν, οὕτε ὀρφανὸν εὗ ποιήσουσιν.
They cannot show mercy to the widow, nor do good to the fatherless.
§38τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους λίθοις ὡμοιωμένοι εἰσὶν τὰ ξύλινα καὶ τὰ περίχρυσα καὶ τὰ περιάργυρα, οἱ δῆ θεραπεύοντες αὐτὰ καταισχυνθήσονται.
Their gods of wood, and which are overlaid with gold and silver, are like the stones that be hewn out of the mountain: they that worship them shall be confounded.
§39πώς οὗν νομιστέον ἤ κλητέον αὐτοὺς ὑπάρχειν θεούς;
How should a man then think or say that they are gods?
§40Ἐτι δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν Χαλδαίων ἀτιμαζόντων αὐτά, oζ ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἐνεὸν οὐ δυνάμενον λαλῆσαι, προσενεγκάμενοι τὸν Βῆλον ἀξιοῦσιν φωνῆσαι, ὡς δυνατοῦ ὄντος αὐτοῦ αἰσθέσθαι,
Moreover the Chaldeans themselves dishonour them: who when they see one dumb that cannot speak, they bring him and entreat Bel that he would speak, as though he were able to understand.
§41καὶ οὐ δύνανται αὐτοὶ νοήσαντες καταλιπεῖν αὐτά, αἵσθησιν γὰρ οὐκ ἔχουσιν.
And they themselves, understanding this, cannot leave them: for they have no knowledge.
§42αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες περιθέμεναι σχοινία ἐν ταῖς οδοῖς ενκαθηνται, θυμιῶσαι τὰ πίτυρα· §43ὅταν δέ τις αὐτῶν ἐφελκυσθεῖσα ὑπό τινος τῶν παραπορευομένων κοιμηθῇ, τὴν πλησίον ὀνειδίζει, ὅτι οὐκ ἠξίωται ὥσπερ καὶ αὐτὴ οὕτε τὸ σχοινίον αὐτῆς διερράγη.
The women also with cords about them sit in the ways, burning bran for incense: but if any of them, drawn by some that passeth by, lie with him, she reproacheth her fellow, that she was not thought as worthy as herself, nor her cord broken.
§44πάντα τὰ γενόμενα αὐτοῖς ἐστὶν ψευδῆ. πῶς οὗν νομιστέον ἡ κλητέον ὡς θεοὺς αὐτοὺς ὑπάρχειν
Whatsoever is done among them is false: how may it then be thought or said that they are gods?
§45Ὑπὸ τεκτόνων καὶ χρυσοχόων κατασκευασμένα εἰσίν· οὐθὲν ἄλλο μὴ γένηται ἤ ὃ βούλονται οἱ τεχνῖται αὐτὰ γενέσθαι.
They are made by carpenters and goldsmiths: they can be nothing else than the craftsmen will have them to be.
§46φὐτοί τε οἱ κατασκευάζοντες αὐτὰ οὐ μὴ γένωνται πολυχρόνιοι· §47πῶς τε δὴ μέλλει τὰ ὑπʼ αὐτῶν κατασκευασθέντα; κατέλιπον γὰρ ψεύδη καὶ ὄνειδος τοῖς ἐπιγινομένοις.
And they that make them cannot live long themselves; how then should the things that are made by them be gods? for they left lies and reproaches to them that come after.
§48ὅταν γὰρ ἐπέλθῃ ἐπʼ αὐτὰ πόλεμος καὶ κακά, βουλεύονται πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς οἱ ἱερεῖς ποῦ συναποκρυβῶσι μετʼ αὐτῶν.
For when there cometh any war or plague upon them, the priests consult with themselves, where they may hide themselves with them.
§49πῶς οὗν οὐκ ἔστιν αἰσθέσθαι ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν θεοί, οἱ οδτε σώζουσιν ἑαυτοὺς ἐκ πολέμου οὕτε ἐκ κακῶν;
How then cannot men perceive that they be no gods, which can neither save themselves from war, nor from plague?