Bible Verses About Idolatry

A carpenter takes his measurements, sketches the shape with a stylus, planes the wood, checks it with calipers, and carves it into the shape of a man; and, since it is honored like a man, of course it has to live in a house.

He goes to chop down cedars; he takes an evergreen and an oak; he especially tends one tree in the forest, plants a pine for the rain to nourish.

In time, when it's ready for use as fuel, he takes some of it to keep himself warm and burns some more to bake bread. Then he makes a god and worships it, carves it into an idol and falls down before it.

So half of it he burns in the fire; with that half he roasts meat and eats his fill; he warms himself; says, "It feels so good, getting warm while watching the flames!"

With the rest of the log he fashions a god, a carved image, then falls down before it; he worships it and prays to it. "Save me," he says, "for you are my god!"

Such people know nothing, understand nothing. Their eyes are sealed shut, so that they can't see; their hearts too, so they can't understand.

Not one thinks to himself or has the knowledge or the discernment to say, "I burned half of it in the fire, baked bread on its coals, roasted meat and ate it. Should I now make the rest an abomination? Should I prostrate myself to a tree trunk?"

He is relying on ashes! A deceived heart has led him astray; so that now he won't save himself, just won't say, "This thing in my hand is a fraud!"

Bel bows down, N'vo stoops low; their idols are borne by animals, beasts of burden. The loads you yourselves were carrying are now burdening tired animals.

They stoop and bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity.

They squander the gold from their bags and weigh silver on a scale; they hire a goldsmith to make a god, before which they fall down and worship!

It is borne on shoulders and carried, then set in its place; and there it stands. From its place it does not move. If one cries to it, it cannot answer or save anyone from his troubles.

So for now, keep on with your powerful spells and your many occult practices; from childhood you have been working at them; maybe they will do you some good, maybe you will inspire terror!

You are worn out with all your consultations - so let the astrologers and stargazers, the monthly horoscope-makers, come forward now and save you from the things that will come upon you!

Look, they will be like straw! The fire will consume them. They will not save even themselves from the power of the flame. It will not be coals for warming oneself, not a fire to sit beside!

So much for your [wizards], with whom you have worked all your life! Each will wander off in his own direction, and nobody will save you.

"But you, you witches' children, come here, you spawn of adulterers and whores!

Whom are you making fun of? At whom are you laughing and sticking out your tongue? Aren't you rebellious children, just a brood of liars?

You go into heat among the oak trees, under every spreading tree. You kill the children in the valleys under the cracks in the rocks.

Your place is among the smooth stones in the vadi; these, these are what you deserve; you pour out drink offerings to them, you offer grain offerings to them. Should I calmly ignore these things?

You set up your bed on a high, lofty mountain; you also went up there to offer sacrifices.

Behind door and doorpost you set up your [lewd] memorial; then, far from me, you uncovered your bed, climbed up on it and opened it wide, made an agreement with some of them, whose bed you loved when you saw their hand beckoning.

You went to the king with scented oil; you added to your perfumes; you sent your envoys far away, even down to Sh'ol.

Though worn out by so much travel, you did not say, 'All hope is gone'; rather, finding your strength renewed, you did not grow weak.

Of whom have you been so afraid, so fearful that you lied? But me you don't remember, you don't give me a thought! I have held my peace so long that you no longer fear me.