Isaiah 44:12–20

12 The blacksmithu takes a tool

and works with it in the coals;

he shapes an idol with hammers,

he forges it with the might of his arm.v

He gets hungry and loses his strength;

he drinks no water and grows faint.w

13 The carpenterx measures with a line

and makes an outline with a marker;

he roughs it out with chisels

and marks it with compasses.

He shapes it in human form,y

human form in all its glory,

that it may dwell in a shrine.z

14 He cut down cedars,

or perhaps took a cypress or oak.

He let it grow among the trees of the forest,

or planted a pine,a and the rain made it grow.

15 It is used as fuelb for burning;

some of it he takes and warms himself,

he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

But he also fashions a god and worshipsc it;

he makes an idol and bowsd down to it.

16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;

over it he prepares his meal,

he roasts his meat and eats his fill.

He also warms himself and says,

“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.e”

17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;

he bows down to it and worships.f

He praysg to it and says,

“Saveh me! You are my god!”

18 They know nothing, they understandi nothing;

their eyesj are plastered over so they cannot see,

and their minds closed so they cannot understand.

19 No one stops to think,

no one has the knowledge or understandingk to say,

“Half of it I used for fuel;l

I even baked bread over its coals,

I roasted meat and I ate.

Shall I make a detestablem thing from what is left?

Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”n

20 Such a person feeds on ashes;o a deludedp heart misleads him;

he cannot save himself, or say,

“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?q”