Isaiah 44:12-20

The blacksmith takes his tongs and heats it over the coals, forming it with hammers, forging it with his strong arm. But when he gets hungry, his strength ebbs away, and if he doesn’t drink water, he quickly grows weary. The woodworker stretches out a measuring line, then marks it and fashions his idol-god with his carving tools. Then he uses a stylus to trace it out on the wood and shapes it into the figure of a man, trying to make it look like a beautiful human to be displayed somewhere in a shrine. He chooses a cedar or a cypress or an oak, but first lets it grow strong in the forest. He plants a pine tree, and it is nourished by the rain. The wood serves man for fuel; some he uses to warm himself and with some he bakes his bread. But from this same wood he also makes a god to worship and bows down to the idol he formed. Half of the wood he burns in the fire to roast his meat. Then he eats his fill and is satisfied. Part he uses to warm himself and says, “Ah, I’m warm and cozy sitting by the fire.” With the rest of it he makes his idol-god, bows down to it, and worships it! He prays to it, saying, “Save me, for you are my god!” They have no clue what they’re doing and don’t comprehend how absurd it is! For they shut their eyes so they cannot see. They close their hearts so they cannot understand. They have no knowledge, no understanding, no discernment to say, “Half of the wood I burned in the fire. I roasted meat and cooked my dinner. Now should I take the rest of the wood and make it into an abomination? Should I bow down and worship a block of wood?” He feeds his spirit on ashes! His deluded heart leads him astray. He can’t even ask himself, “Is this thing I’m holding in my right hand a fraud?”