How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame.

制造雕刻偶像的尽都虚空；他们所喜悦的都无益处；他们的见证无所看见，无所知晓，他们便觉羞愧。

制造偶像的人尽都虚空，他们所喜悦的全无益处；偶像的见证人毫无所见，毫无所知，以致他们羞愧。

制造偶像的人尽都虚空，他们所喜悦的全无益处；偶像的见证人毫无所见，毫无所知，以致他们羞愧。

制造偶像的真是无用，他们珍爱的偶像毫无价值。拜神像的人目盲眼瞎，愚昧无知，自找羞辱。

制造偶像的人，尽都是虚空的，他们所喜爱的，都没有益处。他们的见证人，一无所见，一无所知，以致他们蒙羞。

塑造偶像的全都虚空，他们所喜爱的毫无益处；为偶像本身作见证的，一无所见，一无所知，他们都必蒙羞。

製造雕刻偶像的盡都虛空；他們所喜悅的都無益處；他們的見證無所看見，無所知曉，他們便覺羞愧。

製造偶像的人盡都虛空，他們所喜悅的全無益處；偶像的見證人毫無所見，毫無所知，以致他們羞愧。

製造偶像的人盡都虛空，他們所喜悅的全無益處；偶像的見證人毫無所見，毫無所知，以致他們羞愧。

製造偶像的真是無用，他們珍愛的偶像毫無價值。拜神像的人目盲眼瞎，愚昧無知，自找羞辱。

製造偶像的人，盡都是虛空的，他們所喜愛的，都沒有益處。他們的見證人，一無所見，一無所知，以致他們蒙羞。

製造雕像的盡都虛空；他們所喜愛的都沒有用處；他們的見證人毫無所見，毫無所知，以致自己失望。

塑造偶像的全都虛空，他們所喜愛的毫無益處；為偶像本身作見證的，一無所見，一無所知，他們都必蒙羞。

造雕像者、悉為虛妄、其所悅者無益、彼之證者不見不知、必致愧怍、

作偶像者、悉為虛妄、其所慕者無益、彼明知其不見不聞、當生愧怍。

作偶像者悉為虛妄、其所慕者無益、可自為證、彼不見不知、必致羞愧、

All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.

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.

All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame.

All who make idols are nothing, and what they treasure benefits no one. Their witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame.

Those who fashion an idol are all futile, and their treasured things are of no benefit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame.

Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.

They that fashion a graven image are all of them 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.

All who make idols are nothing, and what they treasure does not profit. Their witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame.

They that make a graven image[ are] all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they[ are] their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.

All who form idols are nothing; the things in which they delight are worthless. Their witnesses cannot see; they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.

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.

The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power.Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.

But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all. Those who choose you pollute themselves.

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

Those who worship idols are disgraced— all who brag about their worthless gods— for every god must bow to him.

Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over.Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”Lord, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power.Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like you.People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood!

Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.

So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God.

Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble! Nations from around the world will come to you and say,“ Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage, for they worshiped worthless idols.Can people make their own gods? These are not real gods at all!”

Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.

“ Gather together and come, you fugitives from surrounding nations. What fools they are who carry around their wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save!

So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting,“ O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.About noontime Elijah began mocking them.“ You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed,“ for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.Then Elijah called to the people,“ Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down.He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel,and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons.He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said,“ Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.”After they had done this, he said,“ Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said,“ Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said,and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed,“ O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command.O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out,“ The Lord— he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”Then Elijah commanded,“ Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.

“ It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations.And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all— only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it!They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can’t even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.

On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats,while they crawl away into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. They will try to escape the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty as he rises to shake the earth.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

‘ Cursed is anyone who carves or casts an idol and secretly sets it up. These idols, the work of craftsmen, are detestable to the Lord.’ And all the people will reply,‘ Amen.’

Instead of these, he will worship the god of fortresses— a god his ancestors never knew— and lavish on him gold, silver, precious stones, and expensive gifts.

Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.

To an image carved from a piece of wood they say,‘ You are my father.’ To an idol chiseled from a block of stone they say,‘ You are my mother.’ They turn their backs on me, but in times of trouble they cry out to me,‘ Come and save us!’But why not call on these gods you have made? When trouble comes, let them save you if they can! For you have as many gods as there are towns in Judah.

Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen! Let them rescue you in your hour of distress!”

Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us.

Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

“ Listen, you who are deaf! Look and see, you blind!

“ What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation— a god that can’t even talk!What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols,‘ Wake up and save us!’ To speechless stone images you say,‘ Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do? They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside.But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.”

The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He trusts something that can’t help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask,“ Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”

Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon, bow as they are lowered to the ground. They are being hauled away on ox carts. The poor beasts stagger under the weight.Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together.

And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!

The people have appointed kings without my consent, and princes without my approval. By making idols for themselves from their silver and gold, they have brought about their own destruction.“ O Samaria, I reject this calf— this idol you have made. My fury burns against you. How long will you be incapable of innocence?This calf you worship, O Israel, was crafted by your own hands! It is not God! Therefore, it must be smashed to bits.

For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone— gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!