²¹ And do not go from the right way turning to those false gods in which there is no profit and no salvation, for they are false.

¹⁸ What profit is the pictured image to its maker? and as for the metal image, the false teacher, why does its maker put his faith in it, making false gods without a voice?

¹⁹ O Lord, my strength and my strong tower, my safe place in the day of trouble, the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth, and say, The heritage of our fathers is nothing but deceit, even false things in which there is no profit.

¹⁵ They are nothing, a work of error: in the time of their punishment, destruction will overtake them.

⁴ So, then, as to the question of taking food offered to images, we are certain that an image is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.

²² Are any of the false gods of the nations able to make rain come? are the heavens able to give showers? are you not he, O Lord our God? so we will go on waiting for you, for you have done all these things.

⁷ They put him on their backs, and take him up, and put him in his fixed place, from which he may not be moved; if a man gives a cry for help to him, he is unable to give an answer, or get him out of his trouble.

²⁰ Come together, even come near, you nations who are still living: they have no knowledge who take up their image of wood, and make prayer to a god in whom is no salvation.

⁸ When my soul in me was overcome, I kept the memory of the Lord: and my prayer came in to you, into your holy Temple.

⁸ But they are together like beasts and foolish: the teaching of false gods is wood.

¹³ For my people have done two evils; they have given up me, the fountain of living waters, and have made for themselves water-holes, cut out from the rock, broken water-holes, of no use for storing water.

⁵ These are the words of the Lord: What evil have your fathers seen in me that they have gone far from me, and, walking after what is false, have become false?

⁹ Those who make a pictured image are all of them as nothing, and the things of their desire will be of no profit to them: and their servants see not, and have no knowledge; so they will be put to shame.

¹⁰ Whoever makes a god, makes nothing but a metal image in which there is no profit.

²⁹ Truly they are all nothing, their works are nothing and of no value: their metal images are of no more use than wind.

²³ Give us word of what will be after this, so that we may be certain that you are gods: yes, do good or do evil, so that we may all see it and be surprised.

²⁴ But you are nothing, and your work is of no value: foolish is he who takes you for his gods.

⁴ Their images are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

⁵ They have mouths, but no voice; they have eyes, but they see not;

⁶ They have ears, but no hearing; they have noses, but no sense of smell;

⁷ They have hands without feeling, and feet without power of walking; and no sound comes from their throat.

⁸ Those who make them are like them; and so is everyone who puts his faith in them.

²¹ They have given my honour to that which is not God, moving me to wrath with their false worship: I will give their honour to those who are not a people, moving them to wrath by a foolish nation,

¹⁶ But take care that your hearts are not turned to false ways so that you become servants and worshippers of other gods;