Isaiah 44:12–20

¹²The ironsmith^j works in the coals with his tool

and forms it with hammers.

And he makes it with his strong arm;^k

indeed, he becomes hungry, and he lacks^l strength;

he does not drink water, and he is faint.

¹³The woodworker^m stretches out a line;

he makes an outline of it with a marker.

He makes it with a knife

and makes an outline of it with a compass.

He makes it like the image of a man,

like the beauty of a human, to dwell in a temple.ⁿ

¹⁴Cutting down cedars for himself,

he chooses^o a holm tree and an oak,

and he lets it grow strong for him among the trees of the forest.

He plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow.

¹⁵And it becomes fuel for a human,^p

and he takes some of it and grows warm;

also, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

Also, he makes a god and bows in worship;

he makes himself an image and bows down to it!

¹⁶He burns half of it in the fire;

he eats meat over half of it;

he roasts a roast and is satisfied.

Also he grows warm and says, “Ah!

I am warm! I see the fire!”

¹⁷And he makes the remainder of it into a god!

He bows down to his idol,

and he bows in worship and prays to him,

and he says, “Save me, for you are my god!”

¹⁸They do not know,

and they do not understand,

for their eyes are besmeared so that they cannot see,^q

their minds^r so that they have no insight.^s

¹⁹And no one takes it to heart,^t and there is no knowledge

and no understanding to say, “I burned half of it in the fire

and also I baked bread on its coals;

I roasted meat, and I have eaten.

And I shall make the rest of it into an abomination!

I shall bow down to a block of wood!”

²⁰He feeds on ashes; a deceived mind^u misleads him.

And he cannot save himself,^v and he cannot say,

“Is this not an illusion in my right hand?”