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Everyone who makes a carved image is vain.
    The things that they delight in will not profit.
    Their own witnesses don’t see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.
10 Who has fashioned a god,
    or molds an image that is profitable for nothing?
11 Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed;
    and the workmen are mere men.
Let them all be gathered together.
    Let them stand up.
    They will fear.
    They will be put to shame together.

12 The blacksmith takes an ax,
    works in the coals,
    fashions it with hammers,
    and works it with his strong arm.
He is hungry,
    and his strength fails;
he drinks no water,
    and is faint.
13 The carpenter stretches out a line.
    He marks it out with a pencil.
    He shapes it with planes.
    He marks it out with compasses,
    and shapes it like the figure of a man,
    with the beauty of a man,
    to reside in a house.
14 He cuts down cedars for himself,
    and takes the cypress and the oak,
    and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest.
He plants a cypress tree,
    and the rain nourishes it.
15 Then it will be for a man to burn;
    and he takes some of it, and warms himself.
    Yes, he burns it, and bakes bread.
Yes, he makes a god, and worships it;
    he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
16 He burns part of it in the fire.
    With part of it, he eats meat.
    He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
Yes, he warms himself,
    and says, “Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire.”
17 The rest of it he makes into a god,
    even his engraved image.
He bows down to it and worships,
    and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me; for you are my god!”

18 They don’t know, neither do they consider:
    for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see;
    and their hearts, that they can’t understand.
19 No one thinks,
    neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say,
    “I have burned part of it in the fire.
    Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals.
    I have roasted meat and eaten it.
    Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination?
    Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”
20 He feeds on ashes.
    A deceived heart has turned him aside;
    and he can’t deliver his soul,
    nor say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”

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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?

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 44:9 Or, confusion
  2. Isaiah 44:11 Or, all that join themselves thereto
  3. Isaiah 44:12 Or, sharpeneth a tool
  4. Isaiah 44:13 Or, red ochre
  5. Isaiah 44:14 Or, an ash
  6. Isaiah 44:16 Or, the half
  7. Isaiah 44:16 Or, the half
  8. Isaiah 44:18 Hebrew daubed.