Isaiah 44:9–17

⁹Those 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.

¹⁰People make statues of gods.

But those gods can’t do them any good.

¹¹People like that will be put to shame.

Those who make statues of gods are mere men.

Let all of them come together and state their case.

They will be terrified and put to shame.

¹²A 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.

¹³A 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 handsome man.

He does all of that so he can put it in a temple.

¹⁴He 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.

¹⁵Man gets wood from trees for fuel.

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.

¹⁶He 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.”

¹⁷From 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.”