Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁹ All who make idols are nothing. Their precious treasures are worthless. Their own witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame. ¹⁰ Nothing comes from making gods or casting metal idols. ¹¹ Everyone associated with the gods will be put to shame. The craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all get together and take their stand. They will be frightened and ashamed together.

¹² Blacksmiths shape iron into tools. They work them over the coals and shape them with hammers, working them with their strong arms. They get hungry, and their strength fails. If they don’t drink water, they will faint.

¹³ Carpenters measure blocks of wood with ⌞chalk⌟ lines. They mark them with pens. They carve them with chisels and mark them with compasses. They carve them into forms of people, beautiful people, so the idols can live in shrines.

¹⁴ They cut down cedars for themselves. Then they choose fir trees or oaks. They let them grow strong among the trees in the forest. Then they plant cedars, and the rain makes them grow. ¹⁵ These trees become ⌞fuel⌟ for people to burn. So they take some of them and warm themselves with them. They start fires and bake bread. They also make gods from these trees and worship them. They make them into carved statues and bow in front of them. ¹⁶ Half of the wood they burn in the fire. Over this half they roast meat that they can eat until they are full. They also warm themselves and say, “Ah! We are warm. We can see the fire!” ¹⁷ But the rest of the wood they make into gods, carved statues. They bow to them and worship them. They pray to them, saying, “Rescue us, because you are our gods.”

¹³ God made a promise to Abraham. Since he had no one greater on whom to base his oath, he based it on himself. ¹⁴ He said, “I will certainly bless you and give you many descendants.” ¹⁵ So Abraham received what God promised because he waited patiently for it.

¹⁶ When people take oaths, they base their oaths on someone greater than themselves. Their oaths guarantee what they say and end all arguments. ¹⁷ God wouldn’t change his plan. He wanted to make this perfectly clear to those who would receive his promise, so he took an oath. ¹⁸ God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given. ¹⁹ We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the ⌞holy⌟ place behind the curtain ²⁰ where Jesus went before us on our behalf. He has become the chief priest forever in the way Melchizedek was a priest.