13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil.[a] He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. (A)He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 (B)He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. (C)He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 44:13 Hebrew stylus

13 The carpenter(A) 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,(B)
    human form in all its glory,
    that it may dwell in a shrine.(C)
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,(D) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(E) 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(F) it;
    he makes an idol and bows(G) 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.(H)
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.(I)
He prays(J) to it and says,
    “Save(K) me! You are my god!”

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