21. And this was the deception of human life: that men, serving either their own inclination or their kings, assigned the unutterable name to stones and wood.
22. And it was not enough for them to go astray concerning the knowledge of God, but also, while living in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and such great evils 'peace.'
23. For either they sacrifice their own sons, or they make dark sacrifices, or they hold vigils full of madness,
24. so that now they neither protect life, nor preserve a clean marriage, but one kills another through envy, or grieves him by adultery.
25. And all things are mixed together: blood, murder, theft and fraud, corruption and infidelity, disturbances and perjury, disorder within good things,
26. forgetfulness of God, pollution of souls, alteration of procreation, inconstancy of marriage, unnatural adultery and homosexuality.
27. For the worship of unspeakable idols is the cause, and the beginning and the end, of all evil.
28. For they either act with madness while happy, or they insistently speak wild lies, or they live unjustly, or they are quick to commit perjury.
29. For, while they trust in idols, which are without a soul, vowing evil, they hope not to be harmed themselves.
30. Therefore, from both sides it will fittingly happen, because they have thought evil of God, paying attention to idols, and because they have sworn unjustly, in guile despising justice.
31. For swearing is not virtue, but sinning always comes around to a punishment according to the transgression of the unjust.