¹⁵ -- Doth the axe glorify itself Against him who is hewing with it? Doth the saw magnify itself Against him who is shaking it? As a rod waving those lifting it up! As a staff lifting up that which is not wood!

⁵ Wo `to' Asshur, a rod of Mine anger, And a staff in their hand `is' Mine indignation.

²⁰ nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form `it', Why me didst thou make thus?

²¹ hath not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make the one vessel to honour, and the one to dishonour?

⁹ Wo `to' him who is striving with his Former, (A potsherd with potsherds of the ground!) Doth clay say to its Framer, `What dost thou?' And thy work, `He hath no hands?'

¹⁶ Your perversion! as clay is the potter esteemed? That the work saith of its maker, `He hath not made me?' And the framed thing said of its framer, `He did not understand?'

²⁰ An axe `art' thou to me -- weapons of war, And I have broken in pieces by thee nations, And I have destroyed by thee kingdoms,

²¹ And I have broken in pieces by thee horse and its rider, And I have broken in pieces by thee chariot and its charioteer,

²² And I have broken in pieces by thee man and woman, And I have broken in pieces by thee old and young, And I have broken in pieces by thee young man and virgin,

²³ And I have broken in pieces by thee shepherd and his drove, And I have broken in pieces by thee husbandman and his team, And I have broken in pieces by thee governors and prefects.

¹³ Arise, O Jehovah, go before his face, Cause him to bend. Deliver my soul from the wicked, Thy sword,

¹⁴ From men, Thy hand, O Jehovah, From men of the world, their portion `is' in life, And `with' Thy hidden things Thou fillest their belly, They are satisfied `with' sons; And have left their abundance to their sucklings.

⁹ Dost thou really say, `I `am' God,' Before him who is slaying thee? And thou `art' man, and not God, In the hand of him who is piercing thee.