Isa 44:13-20 | ESV | STEP | The carpenter stretches a line ; he marks it out with a pencil . He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass . He shapes it into the figure of a man , with the beauty of a man , to dwell in a house .

Isaiah 44:13-20

13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. ^aHe shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 ^bHe cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. ^cHe prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”

18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an ^dabomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 ^eHe feeds on ^fashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not ^ga lie in my right hand?”