So they are not really gods at all. What they do does not amount to anything. They are as useless as wind.

看哪，他们和他们的工作都是虚空，且是虚无。他们所铸的偶像都是风，都是虚的。”

看哪，他们尽是麻烦，所做的工都属虚无；所铸的偶像是风，是虚空。

看哪，他们尽是麻烦，所做的工都属虚无；所铸的偶像是风，是虚空。

看啊，它们全是假的，毫无作为，虚空如风。

看哪！他们都是无有，他们所作的都是虚无；他们所铸的偶像都是风，都是虚空。

看哪，它们全是虚空，它们的作为是虚无，它们的铸像是风，都是空虚！

看哪，他們和他們的工作都是虛空，且是虛無。他們所鑄的偶像都是風，都是虛的。

看哪，他們盡是麻煩，所做的工都屬虛無；所鑄的偶像是風，是虛空。

看哪，他們盡是麻煩，所做的工都屬虛無；所鑄的偶像是風，是虛空。

看啊，它們全是假的，毫無作為，虛空如風。

看哪！他們都是無有，他們所作的都是虛無；他們所鑄的偶像都是風，都是虛空。

看哪，他們都是無有，他們的工作都是虛無；他們的鑄像都是風、都是虛空。

看哪，它們全是虛空，它們的作為是虛無，它們的鑄像是風，都是空虛！

彼乃虛無、所行空曠、所鑄之偶、有若飄風、等於空氣、

金鑄之偶、空洞無物、譬諸飄風、俱為虛妄、悉歸烏有。

彼俱虛偽、所作虛無、所鑄之偶像、盡如虛氣、空浮而已、

See, they are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing; their images are but wind and confusion.

Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind.

See, they are all foolish, worthless things. All your idols are as empty as the wind.

Look, all of them are a delusion; their works are nonexistent; their images are wind and emptiness.

Behold, all of them are false; Their works are nothing, Their cast metal images are wind and emptiness.

Indeed they are all worthless; Their works are nothing; Their molded images are wind and confusion.

Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.

Look, all of them are a delusion; their works are nonexistent; their images are wind and emptiness.

Behold, they[ are] all vanity; their works[ are] nothing: their molten images[ are] wind and confusion.

Look, all of them are nothing, their accomplishments are nonexistent; their metal images lack any real substance.

Behold, all of their deeds are vanity and nothing. Their molten images are wind and confusion.

But you false gods are less than nothing. Your actions are completely worthless. I hate it when people worship you.

The prophets are nothing but wind. Their message doesn’t come from the Lord. So let what they say will happen be done to them.”

But the statues of their gods are made out of silver and gold. They are made by human hands.They have mouths but can’t speak. They have eyes but can’t see.They have ears but can’t hear. They have noses but can’t smell.They have hands but can’t feel. They have feet but can’t walk. They have throats but can’t say anything.Those who make statues of gods will be like them. So will all those who trust in them.

“ If someone carves a statue of a god, what is it worth? What value is there in a god that teaches lies? The one who trusts in this kind of god worships his own creation. He makes statues of gods that can’t speak.

The statues of the nations’ gods are made out of silver and gold. They are made by human hands.They have mouths but can’t speak. They have eyes but can’t see.They have ears but can’t hear. They have mouths but can’t breathe.Those who make statues of gods will be like them. So will all those who trust in them.

He says,“ Do not follow the practices of other nations. Do not be terrified by warnings in the sky. Do not be afraid, even though the nations are terrified by them.The practices of these nations are worthless. People cut a tree out of the forest. A skilled worker shapes the wood with a sharp tool.Others decorate it with silver and gold. They use a hammer to nail it to the floor. They want to keep it from falling down.The statues of their gods can’t speak. They are like scarecrows in a field of cucumbers. Their statues have to be carried around because they can’t walk. So do not be afraid of their gods. They can’t do you any harm. And they can’t do you any good either.”Lord, no one is like you. You are great. You are mighty and powerful.King of the nations, everyone should have respect for you. That’s what people should give you. Among all the wise leaders of the nations there is no one like you. No one can compare with you in all their kingdoms.All of them are foolish. They don’t have any sense. They think they are taught by worthless wooden gods.Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish. Gold is brought from Uphaz. People skilled in working with wood and gold make a statue. Then they put blue and purple clothes on it. The whole thing is made by skilled workers.But you are the only true God. You are the only living God. You are the King who rules forever. When you are angry, the earth trembles with fear. The nations can’t stand up under your anger.The Lord speaks to the Jews living in Babylon. He says,“ Here is what you must tell the people of the nations. Tell them,‘ Your gods did not make the heavens and the earth. In fact, these gods will disappear from the earth. They will vanish from under the heavens.’ ”But God used his power to make the earth. His wisdom set the world in place. His understanding spread out the heavens.When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar. He makes clouds rise from one end of the earth to the other. He sends lightning along with the rain. He brings the wind out from his storerooms.No one has any sense or knows anything at all. Everyone who works with gold is put to shame by his gods. The metal gods he has made are fakes. They can’t even breathe.They are worthless things that people make fun of. When the Lord judges them, they will be destroyed.The God of Jacob is not like them. He gives his people everything they need. He made everything that exists. And that includes Israel. They are the people who belong to him. His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.

Those who make statues of gods don’t amount to anything. And the statues they think so much of are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind. They don’t know anything. So they will be put to shame.People make statues of gods. But those gods can’t do any good.People who do that will be put to shame. Those who make statues of gods are mere human beings. Let all of them come together and state their case. They will be terrified and put to shame.A blacksmith gets his tool. He uses it to shape metal over the burning coals. He uses his hammers to make a statue of a god. He forms it with his powerful arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength. He doesn’t drink any water. He gets weaker and weaker.A carpenter measures a piece of wood with a line. He draws a pattern on it with a marker. He cuts out a statue with sharp tools. He marks it with compasses. He shapes it into the form of a beautiful human being. He does this so he can put it in a temple.He cuts down a cedar tree. Or perhaps he takes a cypress or an oak tree. It might be a tree that grew in the forest. Or it might be a pine tree he planted. And the rain made it grow.A man gets wood from trees to burn. He uses some of it to warm himself. He starts a fire and bakes bread. But he also uses some of it to make a god and worship it. He makes a statue of a god and bows down to it.He burns half of the wood in the fire. He prepares a meal over it. He cooks meat over it. He eats until he is full. He also warms himself. He says,“ Good! I’m getting warm. The fire is nice and hot.”From the rest of the wood he makes a statue. It becomes his god. He bows down and worships it. He prays to it. He says,“ Save me! You are my god!”People like that don’t even know what they are doing. Their eyes are shut so that they can’t see the truth. Their minds are closed so that they can’t understand it.No one even stops to think about this. No one has any sense or understanding. If anyone did, they would say,“ I used half of the wood for fuel. I even baked bread over the fire. I cooked meat. Then I ate it. Should I now make a statue of a god out of the wood that’s left over? Should I bow down to a block of wood? The Lord would hate that.”That’s as foolish as eating ashes! The mind of someone like that has led him astray. He can’t save himself. He can’t bring himself to say,“ This thing I’m holding in my right hand isn’t really a god at all.”