Isaiah 44:9–20

⁹Framers of a graven image are all of them emptiness, And their desirable things do not profit, And their own witnesses they are, They see not, nor know, that they may be ashamed. ¹⁰Who hath formed a god, And a molten image poured out—not profitable? ¹¹Lo, all his companions are ashamed, As to artisans—they are of men, All of them gather together, they stand up, They fear, they are ashamed together. ¹²He hath wrought iron with an axe, And hath wrought with coals, And with hammers doth form it, And doth work it by his powerful arm, Yea, he is hungry, and there is no power, He doth not drink water, and he is wearied. ¹³He hath wrought with wood, He hath stretched out a rule, He doth mark it out with a line, He maketh it with carving tools, And with a compass he marketh it out, And maketh it according to the form of a man, According to the beauty of a man, To remain in the house. ¹⁴Cutting down to himself cedars, He taketh also a cypress, and an oak, And he strengtheneth it for himself Among the trees of a forest, He hath planted an ash, and the shower doth nourish it. ¹⁵And it hath been for man to burn, And he taketh of them, and becometh warm, Yea, he kindleth it, and hath baked bread, Yea, he maketh a god, and boweth himself, He hath made it a graven image, And he falleth down to it. ¹⁶Half of it he hath burnt in the fire, By this half of it he eateth flesh, He roasteth a roasting, and is satisfied, Yea, he is warm, and saith: ‘Aha, I have become warm, I have enjoyed the light. ¹⁷And its remnant for a god he hath made—For his graven image, He falleth down to it, and worshippeth, And prayeth unto it, and he saith, ‘Deliver me, for my god thou art.’ ¹⁸They have not known, nor do they understand, For He hath daubed their eyes from seeing, Their heart from acting wisely. ¹⁹And none doth turn it back unto his heart, Nor hath knowledge nor understanding to say, ‘Half of it I have burned in the fire, Yea, also, I have baked bread over its coals, I roast flesh and I eat, And its remnant for an abomination I make, To the stock of a tree I fall down.’ ²⁰Feeding on ashes, the heart is deceived, It hath turned him aside, And he delivereth not his soul, nor saith: ‘Is there not a lie in my right hand?’