17
When people could not honor monarchs in their presence, since they lived at a distance, they imagined their appearance far away, and made a visible image of the king whom they honored, so that by their zeal they might flatter the absent one as though present.
18
Then the ambition of the artisan impelled even those who did not know the king to intensify their worship.
19
For he, perhaps wishing to please his ruler, skillfully forced the likeness to take more beautiful form,
20
and the multitude, attracted by the charm of his work, now regarded as an object of worship the one whom shortly before they had honored as a human being.
21
And this became a hidden trap for humankind, because people, in bondage to misfortune or to royal authority, bestowed on objects of stone or wood the name that ought not to be shared.
22
Then it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but though living in great strife due to ignorance, they call such great evils peace.
23
For whether they kill children in their initiations, or celebrate secret mysteries, or hold frenzied revels with strange customs,
24
they no longer keep either their lives or their marriages pure, but they either treacherously kill one another, or grieve one another by adultery,
25
and all is a raging riot of blood and murder, theft and deceit, corruption, faithlessness, tumult, perjury,
26
confusion over what is good, forgetfulness of favors, defiling of souls, sexual perversion, disorder in marriages, adultery, and debauchery.
27
For the worship of idols not to be named is the beginning and cause and end of every evil.