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032
Who would fashion a god Or cast a statue That can do no good? Lo, all its adherents shall be shamed. … The craftsman in iron, with his tools, Works it over charcoal And fashions it by hammering, Working with the strength of his arm. Should he go hungry, his strength would ebb; Should he drink no water, he would grow faint. The craftsman in wood measures with a line And marks out a shape with a stylus; He forms it with scraping tools, Marking it out with a compass. He gives it a human form, The beauty of a man, to dwell in a shrine. For his use he cuts down cedars; He chooses ilex trees and oaks. He sets aside trees of the forest; Or plants cedars, and the rain makes them grow. All this serves man for fuel: He takes some to warm himself, And he builds a fire and bakes bread. He also makes a god of it and worships it, Fashions an idol and bows down to it! Part of it he burns in a fire: On that part he roasts meat, He eats the roast and is sated; He also warms himself and cries, “Ah, I am warm! I can feel the heat!” Of the rest he makes a god—his own carving! He bows down to it, worships it; He prays to it and cries, “Save me, for you are my god!” They have no wit or judgment: Their eyes are besmeared, and they see not; Their minds, and they cannot think. They do not give thought, No one considers, nor is there knowledge or wit to say, “Part of it I burned in a fire; I also baked bread on the coals, I roasted meat and ate it— Should I make the rest an abhorrence? Should I bow down to a block of wood?” He pursues ashes! A deluded mind has led him astray, And he cannot save himself; He never says to himself, “The thing in my hand is a fraud!” Remember these things, O Jacob For you, O Israel, are My servant: I fashioned you, you are My servant— O Israel, never forget Me. (Isaiah 44:10–21)
Who would fashion a god
Or cast a statue
That can do no good?
Lo, all its adherents shall be shamed.
…
The craftsman in iron, with his tools,
Works it over charcoal
And fashions it by hammering,
Working with the strength of his arm.
Should he go hungry, his strength would ebb;
Should he drink no water, he would grow faint.
The craftsman in wood measures with a line
And marks out a shape with a stylus;
He forms it with scraping tools,
Marking it out with a compass.
He gives it a human form,
The beauty of a man, to dwell in a shrine.
For his use he cuts down cedars;
He chooses ilex trees and oaks.
He sets aside trees of the forest;
Or plants cedars, and the rain makes them grow.
All this serves man for fuel:
He takes some to warm himself,
And he builds a fire and bakes bread.
He also makes a god of it and worships it,
Fashions an idol and bows down to it!
Part of it he burns in a fire:
On that part he roasts meat,
He eats the roast and is sated;
He also warms himself and cries,
“Ah, I am warm! I can feel the heat!”
Of the rest he makes a god—his own carving!
He bows down to it, worships it;
He prays to it and cries,
“Save me, for you are my god!”
They have no wit or judgment:
Their eyes are besmeared, and they see not;
Their minds, and they cannot think.
They do not give thought,
No one considers, nor is there knowledge or wit to say,
“Part of it I burned in a fire;
I also baked bread on the coals,
I roasted meat and ate it—
Should I make the rest an abhorrence?
Should I bow down to a block of wood?”
He pursues ashes!
A deluded mind has led him astray,
And he cannot save himself;
He never says to himself,
“The thing in my hand is a fraud!”
Remember these things, O Jacob
For you, O Israel, are My servant:
I fashioned you, you are My servant—
O Israel, never forget Me.
(Isaiah 44:10–21)
