Isaiah 44:9-20
American Standard Version
9 They that fashion a graven image are all of them [a]vanity; and the things that they delight in shall not profit; and their own witnesses see not, nor know: that they may be put to shame. 10 Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, [b]all his fellows shall be put to shame; and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be put to shame together.
12 The smith [c]maketh an axe, and worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with his strong arm: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; he drinketh no water, and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretcheth out a line; he marketh it out with [d]a pencil; he shapeth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compasses, and shapeth it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the holm-tree and the oak, and strengtheneth for himself one among the trees of the forest: he planteth [e]a fir-tree, and the rain doth nourish it. 15 Then shall it be for a man to burn; and he taketh thereof, and warmeth himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread: yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16 He burneth [f]part thereof in the fire; with [g]part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied; yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire. 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image; he falleth down unto it and worshippeth, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
18 They know not, neither do they consider: for he hath [h]shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. 19 And none calleth to mind, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? 20 He feedeth on ashes; a deceived heart hath turned him aside; and he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Isaiah 44:9 Or, confusion
- Isaiah 44:11 Or, all that join themselves thereto
- Isaiah 44:12 Or, sharpeneth a tool
- Isaiah 44:13 Or, red ochre
- Isaiah 44:14 Or, an ash
- Isaiah 44:16 Or, the half
- Isaiah 44:16 Or, the half
- Isaiah 44:18 Hebrew daubed.
Isaiah 44:9-20
Lexham English Bible
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;[a]
they shall be ashamed together.
12 The ironsmith[b] works in the coals with his tool
and forms it with hammers.
And he makes it with his strong arm;[c]
indeed, he becomes hungry, and he lacks[d] strength;
he does not drink water, and he is faint.
13 The woodworker[e] 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.[f]
14 Cutting down cedars for himself,
he chooses[g] 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,[h]
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,[i]
their minds[j] so that they have no insight.[k]
19 And no one takes it to heart,[l] 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[m] misleads him.
And he cannot save himself,[n] and he cannot say,
“Is this not an illusion in my right hand?”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 44:11 Or “be startled”
- Isaiah 44:12 Literally “craftsman of iron”
- Isaiah 44:12 Literally “the arm of his strength”
- Isaiah 44:12 Literally “there is no”
- Isaiah 44:13 Literally “craftsman of wood”
- Isaiah 44:13 Or “house”
- Isaiah 44:14 Literally “takes”
- Isaiah 44:15 Literally “will become for a man as burning”
- Isaiah 44:18 Literally “from seeing”
- Isaiah 44:18 Literally “hearts”
- Isaiah 44:18 Literally “from having insight”
- Isaiah 44:19 Literally “he does not bring back to his heart”
- Isaiah 44:20 Literally “heart deceived”
- Isaiah 44:20 Literally “his soul”
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