17 “Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;
    every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.
The images he makes are a fraud;(A)
    they have no breath in them.

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17 Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

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18 “Of what value(A) is an idol(B) carved by a craftsman?
    Or an image(C) that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
    he makes idols that cannot speak.(D)
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
    Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’(E)
Can it give guidance?
    It is covered with gold and silver;(F)
    there is no breath in it.”(G)

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18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

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14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;
    every goldsmith is shamed(A) by his idols.
The images he makes are a fraud;(B)
    they have no breath in them.

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14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

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18 They know nothing, they understand(A) nothing;
    their eyes(B) 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(C) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;(D)
    I even baked bread over its coals,
    I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable(E) thing from what is left?
    Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”(F)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;(G) a deluded(H) heart misleads him;
    he cannot save himself, or say,
    “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?(I)

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18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.

19 And none considereth in his heart, 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, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

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The Lord looks down from heaven(A)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(B)
    any who seek God.(C)

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The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

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19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[a](A)

20 Where is the wise person?(B) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?(C) Has not God made foolish(D) the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world(E) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save(F) those who believe.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:19 Isaiah 29:14

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

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20 For 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,(A) so that people are without excuse.(B)

21 For 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.(C) 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools(D) 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images(E) made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

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20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

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“Announce and proclaim(A) among the nations,
    lift up a banner(B) and proclaim it;
    keep nothing back, but say,
‘Babylon will be captured;(C)
    Bel(D) will be put to shame,(E)
    Marduk(F) filled with terror.
Her images will be put to shame
    and her idols(G) filled with terror.’

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Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.

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17 They have ears, but cannot hear,
    nor is there breath(A) in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

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17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.

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Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

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They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

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They have mouths, but cannot speak,(A)
    eyes, but cannot see.

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They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:

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Psalm 53[a](A)

For the director of music. According to mahalath.[b] A maskil[c] of David.

The fool(B) says in his heart,
    “There is no God.”(C)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
    there is no one who does good.

God looks down from heaven(D)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(E)
    any who seek God.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 53:1 In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.
  2. Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term

53 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.

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How great are your works,(A) Lord,
    how profound your thoughts!(B)
Senseless people(C) do not know,
    fools do not understand,

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O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.

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