The Folly of Idolatry
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f Those who make an image, all of them are useless,
And their precious things shall not profit;
They are their own witnesses;
g They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
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Who would form a god or mold an image
h That profits him nothing?
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Surely all his companions would be i ashamed;
And the workmen, they are mere men.
Let them all be gathered together,
Let them stand up;
Yet they shall fear,
They shall be ashamed together.
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j The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals,
Fashions it with hammers,
And works it with the strength of his arms.
Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails;
He drinks no water and is faint.
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The craftsman stretches out his rule,
He marks one out with chalk;
He fashions it with a plane,
He marks it out with the compass,
And makes it like the figure of a man,
According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.
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He cuts down cedars for himself,
And takes the cypress and the oak;
He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest.
He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.
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Then it shall be for a man to burn,
For he will take some of it and warm himself;
Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread;
Indeed he makes a god and worships it;
He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
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He burns half of it in the fire;
With this half he eats meat;
He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
He even warms himself and says,
"Ah! I am warm,
I have seen the fire."
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And the rest of it he makes into a god,
His carved image.
He falls down before it and worships it,
Prays to it and says,
"Deliver me, for you are my god!"
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k They do not know nor understand;
For l He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see,
And their hearts, so that they cannot m understand.
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And no one n considers in his heart,
Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say,
"I have burned half of it in the fire,
Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals;
I have roasted meat and eaten it;
And shall I make the rest of it an abomination?
Shall I fall down before a block of wood?"
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He feeds on ashes;
o A deceived heart has turned him aside;
And he cannot deliver his soul,
Nor say, "Is there not a p lie in my right hand?"
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Cross References
Isaiah 41:24
Indeed you are nothing, And your work is nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.
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Cross References
Psalms 115:4
Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men's hands.
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Cross References
Isaiah 41:29
Indeed they are all worthless; Their works are nothing; Their molded images are wind and confusion.
Jeremiah 10:5
They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.
Habakkuk 2:18
What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, The molded image, a teacher of lies, That the maker of its mold should trust in it, To make mute idols?
Acts 19:26
Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.
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Cross References
Psalms 97:7
Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, Who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods.
Isaiah 1:29
For they shall be ashamed of the terebinth trees Which you have desired; And you shall be embarrassed because of the gardens Which you have chosen.
Isaiah 42:17
They shall be turned back, They shall be greatly ashamed, Who trust in carved images, Who say to the molded images, 'You are our gods.
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Cross References
Isaiah 40:19
The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.
Jeremiah 10:3 - 5
For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
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Cross References
Isaiah 45:20
Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, You who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, Who carry the wood of their carved image, And pray to a god that cannot save.
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Cross References
Psalms 81:12
So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels.
Isaiah 6:9
And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.
Isaiah 6:10
"Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed."
Isaiah 29:10
For the LORD has poured out on you The spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers.
2 Thessalonians 2:11
And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.
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Cross References
Jeremiah 10:14
Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image; For his molded image is falsehood, And there is no breath in them.
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Cross References
Isaiah 46:8
Remember this, and show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors.
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Cross References
Job 15:31
Let him not trust in futile things, deceiving h...
Hosea 4:12
My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, ...
Romans 1:21
Because, although they knew God, they did not g...
Romans 1:22
Professing to be wise, they became fools.
2 Thessalonians 2:11
And for this reason God will send them strong d...
2 Timothy 3:13
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and ...
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Cross References
Isaiah 57:11
And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old That you do not fear Me?
Isaiah 59:3
For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity.
Isaiah 59:4
No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.
Isaiah 59:13
In transgressing and lying against the LORD, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
Romans 1:25
Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.