13 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.
14 He cuts down cedars for himself,
And takes the cypress and the oak;
He [a]secures it for himself among the trees of the forest.
He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.

15 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.
16 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.”
17 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!”

18 (A)They do not know nor understand;
For (B)He has [b]shut their eyes, so that they cannot see,
And their hearts, so that they cannot (C)understand.
19 And no one (D)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?”
20 He feeds on ashes;
(E)A deceived heart has turned him aside;
And he cannot deliver his soul,
Nor say, “Is there not a (F)lie in my right hand?”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 44:14 Lit. appropriates
  2. Isaiah 44:18 Lit. smeared over

13 The carpenter(A) 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,(B)
    human form in all its glory,
    that it may dwell in a shrine.(C)
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,(D) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(E) 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(F) it;
    he makes an idol and bows(G) 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.(H)
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.(I)
He prays(J) to it and says,
    “Save(K) me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand(L) nothing;
    their eyes(M) are plastered over so they cannot see,
    and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one stops to think,
    no one has the knowledge or understanding(N) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;(O)
    I even baked bread over its coals,
    I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable(P) thing from what is left?
    Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”(Q)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;(R) a deluded(S) heart misleads him;
    he cannot save himself, or say,
    “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?(T)

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