“ You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

“不可为自己雕刻偶像，也不可做什么形像仿佛上天、下地，和地底下、水中的百物。

“不可为自己雕刻偶像，也不可做什么形像，仿佛上天、下地和地底下水中的百物。

“不可为自己雕刻偶像，也不可做什么形像，仿佛上天、下地和地底下水中的百物。

“不可为自己雕刻神像，不可仿照任何飞禽走兽或水族的样子造神像，

“不可为自己做偶像，也不可做天上、地下和地底下水中各物的形象。

「不可為自己雕刻偶像，也不可做甚麼形像彷彿上天、下地，和地底下、水中的百物。

「不可為自己雕刻偶像，也不可做甚麼形像，彷彿上天、下地和地底下水中的百物。

「不可為自己雕刻偶像，也不可做甚麼形像，彷彿上天、下地和地底下水中的百物。

「不可為自己雕刻神像，不可仿照任何飛禽走獸或水族的樣子造神像，

“不可為自己做偶像，也不可做天上、地下和地底下水中各物的形象。

『不可為你自己造雕像，也不可造上天、下地、及地底下水中任何物件的形像。

勿雕偶像、勿造上天下地、地下水中、百物之像、

毋雕偶像、天上地下水中百物、勿作像象之、

毋為己作偶像、上天下地、與地下水中百物、毋作其像、

“ You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

“ Do not make for yourself statues of gods that look like anything in the sky. They may not look like anything on the earth or in the waters either.

“ You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.

“ You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth.

“ You shall not make for yourself a carved image— any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness[ of any thing] that[ is] in heaven above, or that[ is] in the earth beneath, or that[ is] in the water under the earth:

“ You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water below.

“ You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

“ Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in your land so you may worship them. I am the Lord your God.

“ But be very careful! You did not see the Lord’s form on the day he spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai.So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form— whether of a man or a woman,an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky,a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea.And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars— all the forces of heaven— don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth.

‘ Cursed is anyone who carves or casts an idol and secretly sets it up. These idols, the work of craftsmen, are detestable to the Lord.’ And all the people will reply,‘ Amen.’

Those who worship idols are disgraced— all who brag about their worthless gods— for every god must bow to him.

And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

“ Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.

“ You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

All craftsmen who make idols will be humiliated. They will all be disgraced together.

People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood!They bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, and they give these materials to skillful craftsmen who make their idols. Then they dress these gods in royal blue and purple robes made by expert tailors.

The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power.Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, his own special possession. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!

So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.

And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

So I went in and saw the walls covered with engravings of all kinds of crawling animals and detestable creatures. I also saw the various idols worshiped by the people of Israel.

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell.They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound.And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

Then a third angel followed them, shouting,“ Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the handmust drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”

So be careful not to break the covenant the Lord your God has made with you. Do not make idols of any shape or form, for the Lord your God has forbidden this.The Lord your God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God.“ In the future, when you have children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time, do not corrupt yourselves by making idols of any kind. This is evil in the sight of the Lord your God and will arouse his anger.

But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis— this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world— will be robbed of her great prestige!”At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting,“ Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him.Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there.The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak.But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours:“ Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak.“ Citizens of Ephesus,” he said.“ Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven.

But those who trust in idols, who say,‘ You are our gods,’ will be turned away in shame.

“ I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.

How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame.Who but a fool would make his own god— an idol that cannot help him one bit?All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen— mere humans— who claim they can make a god. They may all stand together, but they will stand in terror and shame.The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool, pounding and shaping it with all his might. His work makes him hungry and weak. It makes him thirsty and faint.Then the wood carver measures a block of wood and draws a pattern on it. He works with chisel and plane and carves it into a human figure. He gives it human beauty and puts it in a little shrine.He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the pine in the forest to be nourished by the rain.Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then— yes, it’s true— he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it!He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says,“ Ah, that fire feels good.”Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it.“ Rescue me!” he says.“ You are my god!”Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.The person who made the idol never stops to reflect,“ Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He trusts something that can’t help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask,“ Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”

“ To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it!They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can’t even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.“ Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones.

To whom can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble him?Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains?Or if people are too poor for that, they might at least choose wood that won’t decay and a skilled craftsman to carve an image that won’t fall down!

But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood— idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk!

Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over.Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe.And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people,“ It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”

Manasseh even took a carved idol he had made and set it up in God’s Temple, the very place where God had told David and his son Solomon:“ My name will be honored forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem— the city I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel.

And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life.He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.

They said to me,‘ Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’

How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying,‘ These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron.“ Come on,” they said,“ make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”

You must not make any gods of molten metal for yourselves.