1819 verses about Idols

His heart is ashes, And his hope of less value than earth, And his life of less honor than clay:

For this man beyond all others knows that he sins, Out of earthy matter making brittle vessels and graven images.

Because they even accounted all the idols of the nations to be gods; Which have neither the use of eyes for seeing, Nor nostrils for drawing breath, Nor ears to hear, Nor fingers for handling, And their feet are helpless for walking.

For a man made them, And one whose own spirit is borrowed moulded them; For no one has power, being a man, to mould a god like to himself,

But, being mortal, he makes a dead thing by the work of lawless hands; For he is better than the objects of his worship, Forasmuch as he indeed had life, but they never.

Yes, and the creatures that are most hateful do they worship, For, being compared as to lack of sense, these are worse than all others;

Neither, as seen beside other creatures, are they beautiful, so that one should desire them, But they have escaped both the praise of God and his blessing.

For this cause were these men worthily punished through creatures like those which they worship, And tormented through a multitude of vermin.

What does an offering profit an idol? For neither shall it eat nor smell: So is he that is afflicted of the Lord,

Many have been given over to ruin for the sake of gold; And their perdition meets them face to face.

It is a stumbling block to those who sacrifice to it; And every fool shall be taken therewith.

Divinations, and soothsayings, and dreams, are vain: And the heart fancies, as a woman’s in travail.

With twisted scarlet, the work of the craftsman; With precious stones graven like a signet, in a setting of gold, the work of the jeweller, For a memorial engraved in writing, after the number of the tribes of Israel;

Also the judges, every one by his name, All whose hearts went not a whoring, And who turned not away from the Lord, May their memorial be blessed.

For they gave their power to others, And their glory to a strange nation.

They that sit upon the mountain of Samaria, and the Philistines, And that foolish people that dwells in Sichem.

at the same time when he took the vessels of the house of the Lord, that had been carried out of the temple, to return them into the land of Judah, the tenth day of the month Sivan, namely, silver vessels, which Sedekias the son of Josias king of Judah had made,

after that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried away Jechonias, and the princes, and the captives, and the mighty men, and the people of the land, from Jerusalem, and brought them to Babylon.

but we walked every man in the imagination of his own wicked heart, to serve strange gods, and to do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord our God.

Thus says the Lord, Bow your shoulders to serve the king of Babylon, and remain in the land that I gave to your fathers.

those who had their pastime with the fowls of the air, and those who hoarded up silver and gold, wherein men trust; and of whose getting there is no end?

For those who wrought in silver, and were so careful, and whose works are past finding out,

This is our God, and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison of him.

Give not your glory to another, nor the things that are profitable to you to a strange nation.

For you⌃ provoked him that made you by sacrificing to demons, and not to God.

But now shall you⌃ see in Babylon gods of silver, and of gold, and of wood, borne upon shoulders, which cause the nations to fear.

Beware therefore that you⌃ in no wise become like to the strangers, neither let fear take hold upon you because of them, when you⌃ see the multitude before them and behind them, worshipping them.

But say you⌃ in your hearts, O Lord, we must worship you.

For their tongue is polished by the workman, and they themselves are overlaid with gold and with silver; yet are they but false, and can’t speak.

And taking gold, as it were for a virgin that loves to go gay, they make crowns for the heads of their gods:

and sometimes also the priests convey from their gods gold and silver, and bestow it upon themselves;

and will even give thereof to the common harlots: and they deck them as men with garments, even the gods of silver, and gods of gold, and of wood.

Yet can’t these gods save themselves from rust and moths, though they be covered with purple raiment.

They wipe their faces because of the dust of the temple, which is thick upon them.

He has also a dagger in his right hand, and an axe: but can’t deliver himself from war and robbers.

Whereby they are known not to be gods: therefore fear them not.

For like as a vessel that a man uses is nothing worth when it is broken; even so it is with their gods: when they be set up in the temples their eyes be full of dust through the feet of those who come in.

And as the courts are made sure on every side upon him that offends the king, as being committed to suffer death; even so the priests make fast their temples with doors, with locks, and bars, lest they be carried off by robbers.

They light them candles, yes, more than for themselves, whereof they can’t see one.

They are as one of the beams of the temple; and men say their hearts are eaten out, when things creeping out of the earth devour both them and their raiment: they feel it not

when their faces are blacked through the smoke that comes out of the temple:

upon their bodies and heads alight bats, swallows, and birds; and in like manner the cats also.

Whereby you⌃ may know that they are no gods: therefore fear them not.

Notwithstanding the gold wherewith they are beset to make them beautiful, except one wipe off the rust, they will not shine: for not even when they were molten did they feel it.

Things wherein there is no breath are bought at any cost.

Having no feet, they are borne upon shoulders, whereby they declare to men that they be nothing worth.

They also that serve them are ashamed: for if they fall to the ground at any time, they can’t rise up again of themselves: neither, if they be set awry, can they make themselves straight: but the offerings are set before them, as if they were dead men.

And the things that are sacrificed to them, their priests sell and spend; and in like manner their wives also lay up part thereof in salt; but to the poor and to the impotent will they give nothing thereof.

The menstruous woman and the woman in childbed touch their sacrifices: knowing therefore by these things that they are no gods, fear them not.

For how can they be called gods? because women set meat before the gods of silver, gold, and wood.

And in their temples the priests sit on seats, having their clothes tore, and their heads and beards shaven, and nothing upon their heads.

They roar and cry before their gods, as men do at the feast when one is dead.

Whether it be evil that one does to them, or good, they are not able to recompense it: they can neither set up a king, nor put him down.

In like manner, they can neither give riches nor money: though a man make a vow to them, and keep it not, they will never exact it.

They can’t restore a blind man to his sight, nor deliver any that is in distress.

They are like the stones that be hewn out of the mountain, these gods of wood, and that are overlaid with gold and with silver: those who minister to them shall be confounded.

How should a man then think or say that they are gods, when even the Chaldeans themselves dishonor them?

Who if they shall see one dumb that can’t speak, they bring him, and entreat him to call upon Bel, as though he were able to understand.

The women also with cords about them sit in the ways, burning bran for incense: but if any of them, drawn by some that passes by, lie with him, she reproaches her fellow, that she was not thought as worthy as herself, nor her cord broken.

Whatsoever is done among them is false: how should a man then think or say that they are gods?

They are fashioned by carpenters and goldsmiths: they can be nothing else than the workmen will have them to be.

And they themselves that fashioned them can never continue long; how then should the things that are fashioned by them?

For when there comes any war or plague upon them, the priests consult with themselves, where they may be hidden with them.

How then can’t men understand that they be no gods, which can neither save themselves from war, nor from plague?

For seeing they be but of wood, and overlaid with gold and with silver, it shall be known hereafter that they are false:

and it shall be manifest to all nations and kings that they are no gods, but the works of men’s hands, and that there is no work of God in them.

Who then may not know that they are no gods?

For neither can they set up a king in a land, nor give rain to men.

For even when fire falls upon the house of gods of wood, or overlaid with gold or with silver, their priests will flee away, and escape, but they themselves shall be burned asunder like beams.

Moreover they can’t withstand any king or enemies: how should a man then allow or think that they be gods?

Neither are those gods of wood, and overlaid with silver or with gold, able to escape either from thieves or robbers.

Therefore it is better to be a king that shows his manhood, or else a vessel in a house profitable for that whereof the owner shall have need, than such false gods; or even a door in a house, to keep the things safe that be therein, than such false gods; or a pillar of wood in a palace, than such false gods.

And the fire sent from above to consume mountains and woods does as it is commanded: but these are to be likened to them neither in show nor power.

Wherefore a man should neither think nor say that they are gods, seeing they are able neither to judge causes, nor to do good to men.

Knowing therefore that they are no gods, fear them not.

neither can they show signs in the heavens among the nations, nor shine as the sun, nor give light as the moon.

In no wise then is it manifest to us that they are gods: therefore fear them not.

For as a scarecrow in a garden of cucumbers that keeps nothing, so are their gods of wood, and overlaid with gold and with silver.

Likewise also their gods of wood, and overlaid with gold and with silver, are like to a white thorn in an orchard, that every bird sits upon; as also to a dead body, that is cast forth into the dark.

And you⌃ shall know them to be no gods by the bright purple that rots upon them: And they themselves afterward shall be consumed, and shall be a reproach in the country.

Better therefore is the just man that has none idols: for he shall be far from reproach.

Now the Babylonians had an idol, called Bel, and there were spent upon him every day twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six firkins of wine.

And the king did honor to it, and went daily to worship it: but Daniel worshipped his own God. And the king said to him, Why do you not worship Bel?

And he said, Because I may not do honor to idols made with hands, but to the living God, who has created the heaven and the earth, and has sovereignty over all flesh.

Then said the king to him, Thinkest you not that Bel is a living god? or see you not how much he eats and drinks every day?

Then Daniel laughed, and said, O king, be not deceived: for this is but clay within, and brass without, and did never eat or drink anything.

So the king was angry, and called for his priests, and said to them, If you⌃ tell me not who this is that devours these expenses, you⌃ shall die.

But if you⌃ can show me that Bel devours them, then Daniel shall die: for he has spoken blasphemy against Bel. And Daniel said to the king, Let it be according to your word.

Now the priests of Bel were threescore and ten, beside their wives and children. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.

So Bel’s priests said, Behold, we will get us out: but you, O king, set on the meat, and mingle the wine and set it forth, and shut the door fast, and seal it with your own signet;

and when you come in the morning, if you find not that Bel has eaten up all, we will suffer death: or else Daniel, that speaks falsely against us.

And they little regarded it: for under the table they had made a privy entrance, whereby they entered in continually, and consumed those things.

And it came to pass, when they were gone forth, the king set the meat before Bel. Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and they strewed all the temple with them in the presence of the king alone: then they went out, and shut the door, and sealed it with the king’s signet, and so departed.

Now in the night came the priests with their wives and children, as they were wont to do, and did eat and drink up all.

And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked upon the table, and cried with a loud voice, Great are you, O Bel, and with you is no deceit at all.

Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps are these.

and took the priests with their wives and children, who showed him the privy doors, where they came in, and consumed such things as were upon the table.

Therefore the king killed them, and delivered Bel into Daniel’s power, who overthrew him and his temple.

And in that same place there was a great dragon, which they of Babylon worshipped.

And the king said to Daniel, Wilt you also say that this is of brass? behold, he lives, and eats and drinks; you can not say that he is no living god: therefore worship him.