At the same time, the Lord said to Moses, “Go down from this mountain. Your people, the people you brought out of the land of Egypt, have done a terrible sin.
Deuteronomy 4:16 - Easy To Read Version So be careful! Don’t sin and destroy yourselves by making false gods or statues in the shape of any living thing. Don’t make an idol that looks like a man or a woman. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Beware lest you become corrupt by making for yourselves [to worship] a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, American Standard Version (1901) lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, Common English Bible Don’t ruin everything and make an idol for yourself: a form of any image, any likeness—male or female— Catholic Public Domain Version Otherwise, perhaps being deceived, you might have made a graven image, or an image of male or female, Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Lest perhaps being deceived you might make you a graven similitude, or image of male or female, |
At the same time, the Lord said to Moses, “Go down from this mountain. Your people, the people you brought out of the land of Egypt, have done a terrible sin.
Can you compare God to anything? No!\par Can you make a picture of God? No!\par
Another worker uses his stringline {\cf2\super [393]} and compass {\cf2\super [394]} to draw lines on the wood. \{This shows where he should cut\}. Then the man uses his chisels {\cf2\super [395]} and cuts a statue from the wood. He uses his calipers {\cf2\super [396]} to measure the statue. This way, the worker makes the wood look exactly like a man. And this statue of a man does nothing but sit in its house.
So I went in and looked. I saw statues of all kinds of reptiles {\cf2\super [65]} and animals that you hate to think about. Those statues were the filthy idols that the people of Israel worshiped. There were pictures of those animals carved all around on every wall!
“Don’t worship idols. [335] Don’t make melted statues of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God!
“Don’t make idols for yourselves. Don’t set up statues or memorials [440] in your land to bow down to. Why? Because I am the Lord your God!
God is spirit. So the people that worship God must worship in spirit and truth.”
That’s right. We are God’s children. So, you must not think that God is like something that people imagine or make. He is not like gold, silver, or rock.
And you must not set up special stones for worshiping false gods. The Lord your God hates those things.
‘Cursed is the person that makes a false god and puts it in its secret place. Those false gods are only statues that some worker makes from wood, stone or metal. The Lord hates those things!’
I know that after my death you will become evil. You will turn from the way I commanded you to follow. Bad things will happen to you in the future. Why? Because you want to do the things that the Lord says are evil. You will make him angry because of the bad things you do.”
In that new land, you must be careful not to forget the Agreement that the Lord your God made with you. You must obey the Lord’s command. Don’t make any idols in any form!
“You will live in the country a long time. You will have children and grandchildren there. You will grow old there. And then you will ruin your lives—you will make all kinds of idols! When you do that, you will make God very angry!
“You must not make any idols. [25] Don’t make any statues or pictures of anything up in the sky or of anything on the earth or of anything down in the water.
Don’t worship or serve idols of any kind. Why? Because I am the Lord your God. I hate for my people to worship other gods. [26] People who sin against me become my enemies. And I will punish those people. And I will punish their children, their grandchildren, and even their great-grandchildren.
Then the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and quickly go down from here. The people you brought out of Egypt have ruined themselves. They stopped obeying my commands so quickly! They melted gold and made an idol for themselves.’
Honor and glory to the King that rules forever. He cannot be destroyed and cannot be seen. Honor and glory forever and ever to the only God. Amen.