Isaiah 44:12-20

New International Version

¹²The blacksmith^(A) 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.^(B)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
    he drinks no water and grows faint.^(C)
¹³The carpenter^(D) 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,^(E)
    human form in all its glory,
    that it may dwell in a shrine.^(F)
¹⁴He cut down cedars,
    or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
    or planted a pine,^(G) and the rain made it grow.
¹⁵It is used as fuel^(H) 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^(I) it;
    he makes an idol and bows^(J) down to it.
¹⁶Half 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.^(K)”
¹⁷From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.^(L)
He prays^(M) to it and says,
    “Save^(N) me! You are my god!”
¹⁸They know nothing, they understand^(O) nothing;
    their eyes^(P) are plastered over so they cannot see,
    and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
¹⁹No one stops to think,
    no one has the knowledge or understanding^(Q) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;^(R)
    I even baked bread over its coals,
    I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable^(S) thing from what is left?
    Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”^(T)
²⁰Such a person feeds on ashes;^(U) a deluded^(V) heart misleads him;
    he cannot save himself, or say,
    “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?^(W)”

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Romans 1:18-25

New International Version

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

¹⁸The wrath of God^(A) is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.^(B) ²⁰For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,^(C) so that people are without excuse.^(D)

²¹For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.^(E) ²²Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools^(F) ²³and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images^(G) made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴Therefore God gave them over^(H) in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.^(I) ²⁵They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,^(J) and worshiped and served created things^(K) rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.^(L) Amen.^(M)

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Romans 1:26-32

New International Version

²⁶Because of this, God gave them over^(A) to shameful lusts.^(B) Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.^(C) ²⁷In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.^(D)

²⁸Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over^(E) to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. ²⁹They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,^(F) ³⁰slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;^(G) ³¹they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love,^(H) no mercy. ³²Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,^(I) they not only continue to do these very things but also approve^(J) of those who practice them.

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Romans 1:16

New International Version

¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the gospel,^(A) because it is the power of God^(B) that brings salvation to everyone who believes:^(C) first to the Jew,^(D) then to the Gentile.^(E)