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Again, one preparing to sail and about to voyage over raging waves calls upon a piece of wood more fragile than the ship which carries him.
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For it was desire for gain that planned that vessel, and wisdom was the craftsman who built it;
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but it is thy providence, O Father, that steers its course, because thou hast given it a path in the sea, and a safe way through the waves,
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showing that thou canst save from every danger, so that even if a man lacks skill, he may put to sea.
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It is thy will that works of thy wisdom should not be without effect; therefore men trust their lives even to the smallest piece of wood, and passing through the billows on a raft they come safely to land.
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For even in the beginning, when arrogant giants were perishing, the hope of the world took refuge on a raft, and guided by thy hand left to the world the seed of a new generation.
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For blessed is the wood by which righteousness comes.
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But the idol made with hands is accursed, and so is he who made it; because he did the work, and the perishable thing was named a god.
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For equally hateful to God are the ungodly man and his ungodliness,
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for what was done will be punished together with him who did it.