“ If someone carves a statue of a god, what is it worth? What value is there in a god that teaches lies? The one who trusts in this kind of god worships his own creation. He makes statues of gods that can’t speak.

雕刻的偶像，人将它刻出来，有什么益处呢？铸造的偶像就是虚谎的师傅。制造者倚靠这哑巴偶像有什么益处呢？

偶像有什么益处呢？制造者雕刻它，铸成偶像，作虚假的教师；制造者倚靠的是自己所做的哑巴偶像。

偶像有什么益处呢？制造者雕刻它，铸成偶像，作虚假的教师；制造者倚靠的是自己所做的哑巴偶像。

“雕刻的偶像有什么益处？骗人的铸像有什么用处？制造者竟信靠自己造的哑巴偶像！

雕刻的像有什么用处呢？不过是匠人雕刻出来的；铸造的像、虚假的教师，有什么用处呢？匠人竟倚靠自己所做，那不能说话的假神。

雕刻的偶像，人將它刻出來，有甚麼益處呢？鑄造的偶像就是虛謊的師傅。製造者倚靠這啞巴偶像有甚麼益處呢？

偶像有甚麼益處呢？製造者雕刻它，鑄成偶像，作虛假的教師；製造者倚靠的是自己所做的啞巴偶像。

偶像有甚麼益處呢？製造者雕刻它，鑄成偶像，作虛假的教師；製造者倚靠的是自己所做的啞巴偶像。

「雕刻的偶像有什麼益處？騙人的鑄像有什麼用處？製造者竟信靠自己造的啞巴偶像！

雕刻的像有甚麼用處呢？不過是匠人雕刻出來的；鑄造的像、虛假的教師，有甚麼用處呢？匠人竟倚靠自己所做，那不能說話的假神。

雕刻的偶像、塑造它的將它刻成、有甚麼益處？鑄造的偶像、虛假的導師、塑造它的將它塑成、造座啞巴神像去倚靠它、有甚麼益處？

工師雕像、於製造者何益之有、鑄偶乃偽師、製造者恃此喑啞之像、何益之有、

工人雕木偶、鑄金像、俱屬虛偽、口不能言、作之者亦賴之、何益之有、

工人雕刻之偶像、何益之有、鑄像與偽師、偽師或作述虛誑之師何益之有、工人作不能言之偶像、賴己所作者、何益之有、或作工人所雕刻之偶像所鎔鑄之偶像虛偽不能應所作之偶像口不能言作之者賴之何益之有

“ Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.

“ What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols!

“ What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation— a god that can’t even talk!

What use is a carved idol after its craftsman carves it? It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies. For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it and makes worthless idols that cannot speak.

“ What benefit is a carved image when its maker has carved it, Or a cast metal image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork When he fashions speechless idols.

“ 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?

What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he that fashioneth its form trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

What use is a carved idol after its craftsman carves it? It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies. For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it and makes idols that cannot speak.

What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

What good is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? Why would its creator place his trust in it and make such mute, worthless things?

“ What value does the engraved image have, that its maker has engraved it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make mute idols?

All of them are foolish. They don’t have any sense. They think they are taught by worthless wooden gods.

Some people trust in statues of gods. They say to them,‘ You are our gods.’ But they will be dishonored. They will be put to shame.

Those who make statues of gods don’t amount to anything. And the statues they think so much of are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind. They don’t know anything. So they will be put to shame.People make statues of gods. But those gods can’t do any good.

The statues of the nations’ gods are made out of silver and gold. They are made by human hands.They have mouths but can’t speak. They have eyes but can’t see.They have ears but can’t hear. They have mouths but can’t breathe.Those who make statues of gods will be like them. So will all those who trust in them.

But the statues of their gods are made out of silver and gold. They are made by human hands.They have mouths but can’t speak. They have eyes but can’t see.They have ears but can’t hear. They have noses but can’t smell.They have hands but can’t feel. They have feet but can’t walk. They have throats but can’t say anything.Those who make statues of gods will be like them. So will all those who trust in them.

Other gods tell lies. Those who practice magic see visions that aren’t true. They tell dreams that fool people. They give comfort that doesn’t do any good. So the people wander around like sheep. They are crushed because they don’t have a shepherd.

You know that at one time you were unbelievers. You were somehow drawn away to worship statues of gods that couldn’t even speak.

All those who make statues of gods will be put to shame. They will be dishonored. They will be led away in shame together.

You say to a piece of wood,‘ You are my father.’ You say to a stone,‘ You are my mother.’ You have turned your backs to me. You refuse to look at me. But when you are in trouble, you say,‘ Come and save us!’Then where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come when you are in trouble! Let them save you if they can! Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns.

One day Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok. His sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with their swords. Then they escaped to the land of Ararat. Esarhaddon became the next king after his father Sennacherib.

The gods named Bel and Nebo are brought down in shame. The statues of them are being carried away on the backs of animals. They used to be carried around by the people who worshiped them. But now they’ve become a heavy load for tired animals.The gods named Bel and Nebo are brought down in shame together. They aren’t able to save their own statues. They themselves are carried off as prisoners.

No one has any sense or knows anything at all. Everyone who works with gold is put to shame by his gods. The metal gods he has made are fakes. They can’t even breathe.They are worthless things that people make fun of. When the Lord judges them, they will be destroyed.

Your strongest men will become like dry pieces of wood. Their worship of other gods will be the spark that lights the fire. Everything will be burned up. No one will be there to put the fire out.”

“ Some people worship the worthless statues of their gods. They turn away from God’s love for them.

Then I saw a second beast. This one came out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb. But it spoke like a dragon.This beast had all the authority of the first beast. It did what the first beast wanted. It made the earth and all who live on it worship the first beast. The first beast was the one whose deadly wound had been healed.The second beast performed great signs. It even made fire come from heaven to the earth. And the fire was seen by everyone.The first beast had given the second beast the power to perform these signs. By these signs, the second beast tricked those who live on the earth. The second beast ordered people to set up a statue to honor the first beast. The first beast was the one who had been wounded by a sword and still lived.The second beast was allowed to give breath to this statue so it could speak. The statue could kill all who refused to worship it.

He cuts down a cedar tree. Or perhaps he takes a cypress or an oak tree. It might be a tree that grew in the forest. Or it might be a pine tree he planted. And the rain made it grow.A man gets wood from trees to burn. He uses some of it to warm himself. He starts a fire and bakes bread. But he also uses some of it to make a god and worship it. He makes a statue of a god and bows down to it.He burns half of the wood in the fire. He prepares a meal over it. He cooks meat over it. He eats until he is full. He also warms himself. He says,“ Good! I’m getting warm. The fire is nice and hot.”From the rest of the wood he makes a statue. It becomes his god. He bows down and worships it. He prays to it. He says,“ Save me! You are my god!”People like that don’t even know what they are doing. Their eyes are shut so that they can’t see the truth. Their minds are closed so that they can’t understand it.No one even stops to think about this. No one has any sense or understanding. If anyone did, they would say,“ I used half of the wood for fuel. I even baked bread over the fire. I cooked meat. Then I ate it. Should I now make a statue of a god out of the wood that’s left over? Should I bow down to a block of wood? The Lord would hate that.”That’s as foolish as eating ashes! The mind of someone like that has led him astray. He can’t save himself. He can’t bring himself to say,“ This thing I’m holding in my right hand isn’t really a god at all.”

“ Come together, you people of the nations who escaped from Babylon. Gather together and come into court. Only people who do not know anything would carry around gods that are made out of wood. They pray to false gods that can’t save them.

What benefit did you gain from doing the things you are now ashamed of? Those things lead to death!

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.Others decorate it with silver and gold. They use a hammer to nail it to the floor. They want to keep it from falling down.The statues of their gods can’t speak. They are like scarecrows in a field of cucumbers. Their statues have to be carried around because they can’t walk. So do not be afraid of their gods. They can’t do you any harm. And they can’t do you any good either.”

They would rather have statues of gods than the glorious God who lives forever. Their statues of gods are made to look like people, birds, animals and reptiles.So God let them go. He allowed them to do what their sinful hearts wanted to. He let them commit sexual sins. They made one another’s bodies impure by what they did.They chose a lie instead of the truth about God. They worshiped and served created things. They didn’t worship the Creator. But he is praised forever. Amen.

But the beast and the false prophet were captured. The false prophet had done signs for the beast. In this way the false prophet had tricked some people. Those people had received the mark of the beast and had worshiped its statue. The beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire. The lake of fire burns with sulfur.

The coming of the man of sin will fit how Satan works. The man of sin will show his power through all kinds of signs and wonders. These signs and wonders will lead people astray.So people who are dying will be fooled by this evil. These people are dying because they refuse to love the truth. The truth would save them.So God will fool them completely. Then they will believe the lie.

“ Announce this message among the nations. Lift up a banner. Let the nations hear the message. Do not keep anything back. Say,‘ Babylon will be captured. The god named Bel will be put to shame. The god named Marduk will be filled with terror. Babylon’s gods will be put to shame. The gods its people made will be filled with terror.’

The Holy Spirit clearly says that in the last days some people will leave the faith. They will follow spirits that will fool them. They will believe things that demons will teach them.Teachings like those come from liars who pretend to be what they are not. Their sense of what is right and wrong has been destroyed. It’s as though it has been burned with a hot iron.

Some people pour out gold from their bags. They weigh out silver on the scales. They hire someone who works with gold to make it into a god. They bow down to it and worship it.They lift it up on their shoulders and carry it. They set it up in its place, and there it stands. It can’t move from that spot. Someone might cry out to it. But it does not answer. It can’t save them from their troubles.So remember this, you who refuse to obey me. Keep it in your minds and hearts.