Idolatry Is Ridiculous

• 9 All those who form an idol are nothing, and their delightful things do not profit.
• And their witnesses do not see or know,
  • so they will be ashamed.
  • 10 Who would form a god and cast an image of which he cannot profit?
  • 11 Look! all his companions shall be ashamed, and the artisans are human!
• Let all of them assemble;
  • let them stand up.
• They shall tremble;[fn]
  • they shall be ashamed together.
  • 12 The ironsmith[fn] works in the coals with his tool and forms it with hammers.
• And he makes it with his strong arm ;[fn]
  • indeed, he becomes hungry, and he lacks[fn] strength;
  • he does not drink water, and he is faint.
  • 13 The woodworker[fn] stretches out a line; he makes an outline of it with a marker.
• He makes it with a knife
  • and makes an outline of it with a compass.
• He makes it like the image of a man,
  • like the beauty of a human, to dwell in a temple.[fn]
  • 14 Cutting down cedars for himself, he chooses[fn] a holm tree and an oak,
• and he lets it grow strong for him among the trees of the forest.
  • He plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow.
  • 15 And it becomes fuel for a human ,[fn] and he takes some of it and grows warm;
  • also, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
• Also, he makes a god and bows in worship;
  • he makes himself an image and bows down to it!
  • 16 He burns half of it in the fire; he eats meat over half of it;
  • he roasts a roast and is satisfied.
• Also he grows warm and says, “Ah!
  • I am warm! I see the fire!”
• 17 And he makes the remainder of it into a god!He bows down to his idol,
  • and he bows in worship and prays to him,
  • and he says, “Save me, for you are my god!”
  • 18 They do not know, and they do not understand,
• for their eyes are besmeared so that they cannot see ,[fn]
  • their minds[fn] so that they have no insight .[fn]
  • 19 And no one takes it to heart ,[fn] and there is no knowledge and no understanding to say, “I burned half of it in the fire
• and also I baked bread on its coals;
  • I roasted meat, and I have eaten.
• And I shall make the rest of it into an abomination!
  • I shall bow down to a block of wood!”
  • 20 He feeds on ashes; a deceived mind[fn] misleads him. And he cannot save himself ,[fn] and he cannot say,
    • “Is this not an illusion in my right hand?”