Acts 19:26
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
26 As you can now see and hear, not only in Ephesus but throughout most of the province of Asia this Paul has persuaded and misled a great number of people by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.(A)
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Acts 19:26
New International Version
26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus(A) and in practically the whole province of Asia.(B) He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.(C)
Isaiah 40:18-20
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
18 To whom can you liken God?(A)
With what likeness can you confront him?
19 An idol? An artisan casts it,
the smith plates it with gold,
fits it with silver chains.[a](B)
20 Is mulberry wood the offering?
A skilled artisan picks out
a wood that will not rot,
Seeks to set up for himself
an idol that will not totter.(C)
Isaiah 40:18-20
New International Version
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?(A)
To what image(B) will you liken him?
19 As for an idol,(C) a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith(D) overlays it with gold(E)
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood(F) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol(G) that will not topple.(H)
Isaiah 44:10-17
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
10 Who would fashion a god or cast an idol,
that is of no use?
11 Look, all its company will be shamed;
they are artisans, mere human beings!
They all assemble and stand there,
only to cower in shame.
12 The ironsmith fashions a likeness,
he works it over the coals,
Shaping it with hammers,
working it with his strong arm.
With hunger his strength wanes,
without water, he grows faint.(A)
13 The woodworker stretches a line,
and marks out a shape with a stylus.
He shapes it with scraping tools,
with a compass measures it off,
Making it the copy of a man,[a]
human display, enthroned in a shrine.
14 He goes out to cut down cedars,
takes a holm tree or an oak.
He picks out for himself trees of the forest,
plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow.
15 It is used for fuel:
with some of the wood he warms himself,
makes a fire and bakes bread.
Yet he makes a god and worships it,
turns it into an idol and adores it!
16 Half of it he burns in the fire,
on its embers he roasts meat;
he eats the roast and is full.
He warms himself and says, “Ah!
I am warm! I see the flames!”
17 The rest of it he makes into a god,
an image to worship and adore.
He prays to it and says,
“Help me! You are my god!”
Footnotes
- 44:13 Copy of a man: in the biblical view human beings are made in the image of God; here gods are made in the image of human beings.
Isaiah 44:10-17
New International Version
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,(A)
which can profit nothing?(B)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;(C)
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.(D)
12 The blacksmith(E) 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.(F)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.(G)
13 The carpenter(H) 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,(I)
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.(J)
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,(K) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(L) for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships(M) it;
he makes an idol and bows(N) 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.(O)”
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.(P)
He prays(Q) to it and says,
“Save(R) me! You are my god!”
Romans 1:22-23
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
22 While claiming to be wise,(A) they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.(B)
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Romans 1:22-23
New International Version
22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools(A) 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images(B) made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
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