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.

众民的风俗是虚空的；他们在树林中用斧子砍伐一棵树，匠人用手工造成偶像。

万民的习俗是虚空的；偶像不过是从树林中砍来的木头，是匠人用斧头做成的手工。

万民的习俗是虚空的；偶像不过是从树林中砍来的木头，是匠人用斧头做成的手工。

他们信奉的毫无价值，他们从林中砍一棵树，工匠用木头雕刻偶像，

因为万民所信奉的都是虚空，只是从林中砍下的树木，是匠人用凿刀制成的产品。

眾民的風俗是虛空的；他們在樹林中用斧子砍伐一棵樹，匠人用手工造成偶像。

萬民的習俗是虛空的；偶像不過是從樹林中砍來的木頭，是匠人用斧頭做成的手工。

萬民的習俗是虛空的；偶像不過是從樹林中砍來的木頭，是匠人用斧頭做成的手工。

他們信奉的毫無價值，他們從林中砍一棵樹，工匠用木頭雕刻偶像，

因為萬民所信奉的都是虛空，只是從林中砍下的樹木，是匠人用鑿刀製成的產品。

因為萬族之民的規例都是虛空：因為偶像不過是一棵樹、人從樹林中砍下來，匠人的手用斧子製成的作品。

列邦之例虛偽、有人由林伐木、匠人以斧製之、

億兆之禮儀虛偽、有入林叢、以斧伐木、以工治之、

蓋異邦人之禮儀虛偽、所敬者乃木、伐於林中、工師以斧製之、

For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.

The practices of these nations are worthless. People cut a tree out of the forest. A skilled worker shapes the wood with a sharp tool.

for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.

Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.

for the customs of the peoples are worthless. Someone cuts down a tree from the forest; it is worked by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel.

For the customs of the peoples are futile; For it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.

For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe.

for the customs of the peoples are worthless. Someone cuts down a tree from the forest; it is worked by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel.

For the customs of the people[ are] vain: for[ one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

For the religion of these people is worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools.

For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the ax.

‘ Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the Lord your God.’”

But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.

knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,

because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

“ 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.

Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing?Surely all his companions would be 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.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.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.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.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.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.”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!”They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.And no one 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?”He feeds on ashes; A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say,“ Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

“ 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?Woe to him who says to wood,‘ Awake!’ To silent stone,‘ Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all.

“ They set up kings, but not by Me; They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them. From their silver and gold They made idols for themselves— That they might be cut off.Your calf is rejected, O Samaria! My anger is aroused against them— How long until they attain to innocence?For from Israel is even this: A workman made it, and it is not God; But the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.

Thus says the Lord:“ What injustice have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have become idolaters?

The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter.Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.“ To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel:“ My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”?Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying,“ O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made.And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said,“ Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.