28 There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see, hear, eat, or smell.

Read full chapter

28 There you will worship man-made gods(A) of wood and stone,(B) which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.(C)

Read full chapter

Their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.(A)

Read full chapter

But their idols are silver and gold,(A)
    made by human hands.(B)

Read full chapter

10 Who makes a god or casts a metal image
for no profit?(A)
11 Look, all its worshipers will be put to shame,
and the craftsmen are humans.
They all will assemble and stand;
they all will be startled and put to shame.

12 The ironworker labors over the coals,
shapes the idol with hammers,
and works it with his strong arm.
Also he grows hungry and his strength fails;
he doesn’t drink water and is faint.
13 The woodworker stretches out a measuring line,
he outlines it with a stylus;
he shapes it with chisels
and outlines it with a compass.
He makes it according to a human likeness,(B)
like a beautiful person,
to dwell in a temple.
14 He cuts down[a] cedars for his use,
or he takes a cypress or an oak.
He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest.
He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow.
15 It serves as fuel for man.
He takes some of it and warms himself;
also he kindles a fire and bakes bread;
he even makes it into a god and worships it;
he makes an idol from it and bows down to it.
16 He burns half of it in a fire,
and he roasts meat on that half.
He eats the roast and is satisfied.
He warms himself and says, “Ah!
I am warm, I see the blaze.”
17 He makes a god or his idol with the rest of it.
He bows down to it and worships;
He prays to it,(C) “Save me, for you are my god.”
18 Such people[b] do not comprehend
and cannot understand,
for He has shut their eyes[c] so they cannot see,
and their minds so they cannot understand.
19 No one reflects,
no one has the perception or insight to say,
“I burned half of it in the fire,
I also baked bread on its coals,
I roasted meat and ate.
I will make something detestable(D) with the rest of it,
and I will bow down to a block of wood.”
20 He feeds on[d] ashes.
His deceived mind has led him astray,
and he cannot deliver himself,
or say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”(E)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 44:14 Lit To cut down for himself
  2. Isaiah 44:18 Lit They
  3. Isaiah 44:18 Or for their eyes are shut
  4. Isaiah 44:20 Or He shepherds

10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,(A)
    which can profit nothing?(B)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;(C)
    such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
    they will be brought down to terror and shame.(D)

12 The blacksmith(E) takes a tool
    and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
    he forges it with the might of his arm.(F)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
    he drinks no water and grows faint.(G)
13 The carpenter(H) measures with a line
    and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
    and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,(I)
    human form in all its glory,
    that it may dwell in a shrine.(J)
14 He cut down cedars,
    or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
    or planted a pine,(K) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(L) for burning;
    some of it he takes and warms himself,
    he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships(M) it;
    he makes an idol and bows(N) down to it.
16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
    over it he prepares his meal,
    he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
    “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.(O)
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.(P)
He prays(Q) to it and says,
    “Save(R) me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand(S) nothing;
    their eyes(T) are plastered over so they cannot see,
    and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one stops to think,
    no one has the knowledge or understanding(U) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;(V)
    I even baked bread over its coals,
    I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable(W) thing from what is left?
    Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”(X)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;(Y) a deluded(Z) heart misleads him;
    he cannot save himself, or say,
    “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?(AA)

Read full chapter

for the customs of the peoples are worthless.
Someone cuts down a tree from the forest;
it is worked by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel.

Read full chapter

For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
    they cut a tree out of the forest,
    and a craftsman(A) shapes it with his chisel.(B)

Read full chapter

29 Being God’s offspring then, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.(A)

Read full chapter

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.(A)

Read full chapter

About eating food offered to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.”(A)

Read full chapter

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols:(A) We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world”(B) and that “There is no God but one.”(C)

Read full chapter

20 The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands to stop worshiping demons(A) and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which are not able to see, hear, or walk.(B)

Read full chapter

20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent(A) of the work of their hands;(B) they did not stop worshiping demons,(C) and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.(D)

Read full chapter