41 When someone cannot speak, they take him to the temple and ask Bel to give him the power of speech, as if Bel could understand anything.
42 But even when the people realize that their gods cannot help, they are stupid enough to go on worshipping them.
43 Not only that, but women wrap cords round themselves and sit beside the road burning incense and offering themselves as prostitutes. When one of them is taken off for sex, she returns to ridicule the woman next to her who was not beautiful enough to be chosen.
44 Everything about these idols is false. How can anyone think that they are gods or call them gods?
45 Woodworkers and goldsmiths make these gods, so they can never be anything other than what these people want them to be.
46 Even their makers do not live long lives, so how are they able to create gods?
47 These people leave nothing but deceit and disgrace as an inheritance for future generations.