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You shall not worship them. For I am the Lord. Everyone who sacrifices to other gods shall be utterly destroyed. You shall not bring an abomination into your house, and you shall be anathema like it. The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. The gods, who did not make heaven and earth, let them perish from the earth. and from under this heaven. Vain are all men, in whom there was ignorance of God, and from the good things that are seen they were unable to know the one who is; nor by attending to the works did they recognize the artisan; but either fire, or wind, or swift air, or the circle of the stars, or violent water, or the luminaries of heaven, they considered gods, the rulers of the world; of which if they, delighted by their beauty, supposed these things, let them know how much better the Lord of these things is. For the author of the world's origin created these things. But if, being struck by their power and energy, let them understand from them how much more powerful is He who made them. For from the greatness and beauty of created things their originator is seen by analogy. But wretched are they, and their hopes are in the dead, who called gods the works of human hands, gold and silver, the studies of art, and likenesses of animals, or useless stones. The handmade thing is accursed, and he who made it, because he made it, and the corruptible thing, he named God. Equally hateful to God are both the impious man and his impiety. For both the thing done and the one who did it will be utterly destroyed. 95.1280 The potter is a judge, and the wretched toiler, fashions a vain god from the same clay; who a little while ago was born from earth, after a little while goes to the earth from which he was taken, when the debt of his soul is demanded back. But his care is not that he is about to toil, nor that he has a short life; but he vies with goldsmiths and silversmiths, and imitates coppersmiths, and thinks it a glory that he fashions counterfeit things. His heart is ash, and his hope is cheaper than earth, and his life more worthless than clay, because he was ignorant of the one who formed him, and the one who breathed into him an active soul, and blew into him a life-giving spirit; but they considered our life to be a game, and our livelihood a profitable festival. A spectacle of foods set beside a tomb; what use is an offering to an idol? For it will neither eat, nor will it smell. Some worshiped the sun, others the moon, others the multitude of stars, others heaven itself along with these, others the elements, without which it is not possible for human life to exist. But I think that some, cultivating power, and praising strength, and admiring beauty, in time made a god of the thing honored. And the more passionate of them also named the passions gods. There are some who curse the stars, when they are angry at a person, saying, Woe to your star. Others say: He was born of a good star, for which reason all things are in conjunction for him. And woe to those who say these things. I know many who pray to the sun, and the moon, and they offer supplication to the sun, saying, Have mercy on me; and woe to them. Why, leaving the maker of the sun, do you worship the sun? One must not worship the creation rather than the Creator. For it is written: Cursed is everyone who worships the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and any other creation rather than the creator. Many, being deluded, say that the moon comes down. When, they say, a man is drained of blood, having bewitched it, he brings it down. And woe to those who say these things. Who was able, by bewitching, to ascend into heaven? Simon the magician wished to, but falling, he was dashed to pieces. For no one is able to move a small or great star of heaven, which God founded by His own power. Again they say that sorcerers produce clouds and rains, and this is foolish talk. What man is able to turn aside a command of God by sorcery? For the clouds, according to God's command, pour out the rain upon the earth.

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μὴ λατρεύσῃς αὐτοῖς. Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι Κύριος. Πᾶς θυσιάζων θεοῖς ἑτέροις, ἐξολοθρευθήσεται. Οὐκ εἰσοίσεις βδέλυγμα εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, καὶ ἔσῃ ἀνάθεμα ὥσπερ τοῦτο. Τὰ εἴδωλα τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον, ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων. Θεοὶ, οἳ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν οὐκ ἐποίησαν, ἀπολέσθωσαν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς. καὶ ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τούτου. Μάταιοι πάντες ἄνθρωποι, οἷς παρῆν Θεοῦ ἀγνωσία, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμένων ἀγαθῶν οὐκ ἴσχυσαν εἰδέναι τὸν ὄντα· οὔτε τοῖς ἔργοις προστρέχοντες ἐπέγνωσαν τὸν τεχνίτην· ἀλλ' ἢ πῦρ, ἢ πνεῦμα, ἢ ταχινὸν ἀέρα, ἢ κύκλον ἀστέρων, ἢ βίαιον ὕδωρ, ἢ φωστῆρας οὐρανοῦ, πρυτάνεις κόσμου θεοὺς ἐνόμισαν· ὧν εἰ μὲν τὴν καλλονὴν τερπόμενοι, ταῦτα ὑπελάμβανον, γνώτωσαν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ τούτων ∆εσπότης ἐστὶ βελτίων. Ὁ γὰρ τοῦ κόσμου γενεσιάρχης ἔκτισε ταῦτα. Εἰ δὲ δύναμιν καὶ ἐνέργειαν ἐκπλαγέντες, νοησάτωσαν ἀπ' αὐτῶν, πόσῳ ὁ κατασκευάσας αὐτὰ δυνατώτερός ἐστιν. Ἐκ γὰρ μεγέθους καὶ καλλονῆς κτισμάτων ἀναλόγως ὁ γενεσιουργὸς αὐτῶν θεωρεῖται. Ταλαίπωροι δὲ, καὶ ἐν νεκροῖς αἱ ἐλπίδες αὐτῶν, οἵτινες ἐκάλεσαν θεοὺς ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων, χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον, τέχνης ἐμμελετήματα, καὶ ἀπεικάσματα ζώων, ἢ λίθων ἀχρήστων. Τὸ χειροποίητον ἐπικατάρατον, καὶ ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὸ, ὅτι ὁ μὲν εἰργάσατο, τὸ δὲ φθαρτὸν, Θεὸν ὠνόμασεν. Ἐν ἴσῳ μισητὰ Θεῷ, καὶ ὁ ἀσεβῶν, καὶ ἡ ἀσέβεια αὐτοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ πραχθὲν σὺν τῷ δράσαντι ἐξολοθρευθήσονται. 95.1280 Κριτὴς ὁ πηλουργὸς, καὶ ὁ κακόμοχθος, θεὸν μάταιον ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πλάσσει πηλοῦ· ὃς πρὸ μικροῦ ἐκ γῆς γεννηθεὶς, μετ' ὀλίγον πορεύεται εἰς γῆν ἐξ ἧς ἐλήφθη, τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπαιτηθεὶς χρέος. Ἀλλ' ἔστιν αὐτῷ φροντὶς, οὐχ ὅτι μέλλει κάμνειν, οὐδ' ὅτι βραχυτελῆ βίον ἔχει· ἀλλ' ἀντερείδεται μὲν χρυσουργοῖς καὶ ἀργυροχόοις, χαλκοπλάστας τε μιμεῖται, καὶ δόξαν ἡγεῖται, ὅτι κίβδηλα πλάσσει. Σποδὸς ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, καὶ γῆς εὐτελεστέρα ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ, πηλοῦ τε ἀτιμώτερος ὁ βίος αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἠγνόησε τὸν πλάσαντα αὐτὸν, καὶ τὸν ἐμπνεύσαντα αὐτῷ ψυχὴν ἐνεργοῦσαν, καὶ ἐμφυσήσαντα αὐτῷ πνεῦμα ζωτικόν· ἀλλ' ἐλογίσαντο παίγνιον εἶναι τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸν βίον ἡμῶν πανηγυρισμὸν ἐπικερδῆ. Θέαμα βρωμάτων παρακειμένων ἐπὶ τάφῳ· τί συμφέρει κάρπωσις εἰδώλῳ; οὔτε γὰρ ἔδεται, οὔτε μὴ ὀσφρανθῇ. Οἱ μὲν ἥλιον, οἱ δὲ σελήνην, οἱ δὲ ἀστέρων πλῆθος, οἱ δὲ οὐρανὸν αὐτὸν ἅμα τούτοις ἐσεβάσθησαν, οἱ δὲ τὰ στοιχεῖα, ὧν ἄνευ οὐ δυνατὸν συστῆναι τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον. Οἶμαι δὲ, καὶ δυναστείαν τινὲς θεραπεύοντες, καὶ ῥώμην ἐπαινέσαντες, καὶ κάλλος θαυμάσαντες, θεὸν ἐποίησαν τῷ χρόνῳ τὸ τιμώμενον. Οἱ ἐμπαθέστεροι δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ πάθη θεοὺς ὠνόμασαν. Εἰσί τινες καταρώμενοι τοὺς ἀστέρας, ὅτε κατὰ ἀνθρώπου ὀργίζονται λέγοντες, Οὐαὶ τῷ ἄστρῳ σου. Ἄλλοι λέγουσιν· Καλοῦ ἄστρου ἐγεννήθη, διὸ καὶ συναστρεῖ αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα. Καὶ οὐαὶ τοῖς αὐτὰ λέγουσι. Πολλοὺς οἶδα εὐχομένους εἰς τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ τὴν σελήνην, καὶ ἱκεσίαν προσφέρουσι τῷ ἡλίῳ λέγοντες, Ἐλέησόν με· καὶ οὐαὶ τούτοις. Τί ἀφιεὶς τὸν ποιητὴν τοῦ ἡλίου, τὸν ἥλιον προσκυνεῖς; οὐ δεῖ λατρεύειν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν Κτίσαντα. Γέγραπται γάρ· Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς προσκυνῶν τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ τὴν σελήνην, καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας, καὶ εἴ τι ἕτερον ποίημα παρὰ τὸν ποιητήν. Πολλοὶ φανταζόμενοι λέγουσι τὴν σελήνην κατέρχεσθαι. Ὅταν, φασὶν, ἐξαιματοῦται ἄνθρωπος καταγοητεύσας αὐτὴν καταφέρει. Καὶ οὐαὶ τοῖς ταῦτα λέγουσιν. Τίς ἠδυνήθη καταγοητεύσας ἀναβαίνειν εἰς οὐρανόν; ἠβουλήθη Σίμων ὁ μάγος, ἀλλὰ πεσὼν διεῤῥάγη. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται οὐ μικρὸν, οὐ μέγα σαλεῦσαι ἄστρον οὐρανοῦ, ἃ ὁ Θεὸς τῇ ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει ἐθεμελίωσεν. Πάλιν δὲ λέγουσιν, ὅτι νεφέλας καὶ ὑετοὺς παράγουσι γόητες ἄνθρωποι, καὶ τοῦτο ματαιολογοῦσι. Τίς ἀνθρώπων δύναται πρόσταγμα Θεοῦ ἀποστρέψαι γοητείᾳ; τὰ γὰρ νέφη κατὰ πρόσταξιν Θεοῦ ἐκχέουσι τὸν ὑετὸν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.