24. They are purchased at great cost, but there is no breath in them.
25. Since they have no feet, others carry them on their shoulders, demonstrating their worthlessness to people. Their servants are ashamed, since the idols fall to the ground unless they steady them and hold them up.
26. If anyone stands an idol up, it can’t move by itself. If one is tilted over, it can’t straighten itself up. Yet gifts are placed in front of them—just as people place gifts in front of the dead!
27. Their priests misuse the sacrifices by selling them and using the money for themselves. Their wives also preserve some of the meat, but they don’t share it with the poor or disabled. Menstruating women and others who have just given birth have handled their sacrifices.
28. Since you know from these things that they aren’t gods, don’t be afraid of them.
29. Why call them gods? Because women place food before these gods of silver, gold, and wood?
30. Or because the priests sit in their temples with their garments torn, with their heads and beards shaved, and their heads uncovered?
31. They howl and shout in front of their gods as some do at a funeral feast for the dead.
32. Yet the priests take the gods’ clothing to dress their wives and children.
33. Whether one treats them badly or well, the gods aren’t able to repay in kind. They aren’t able to install or remove a ruler.
34. They can’t give either wealth or money. If someone makes a solemn promise and doesn’t keep it, they can’t enforce it.
35. They can’t save a person from death or rescue a weak person from a strong one.
36. They can’t restore sight to the blind or rescue a person in an emergency.
37. They can’t show mercy to a widow, nor can they do any good for an orphan.
38. These wooden things covered in gold and silver are like stones from a mountain. Their servants will be humiliated.
39. So why should anyone consider or call them gods?
40. In addition, even the Chaldeans dishonor them. When they see a person who is unable to speak, they bring out Bel and expect Bel to make a sound as if he were able to understand.
41. Even after observing this, the Chaldeans themselves are unable to abandon the idols because they have no sense.
42. The women, with cords wrapped around them, sit along the streets and burn corn husks as incense.
43. When one of these women is dragged away by someone to have sex, she makes fun of the one nearest her by saying that the other woman wasn’t as worthy as she, nor has the woman’s cord been broken.