People are afraid and confused. Say to those people, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid!” Look, your God will come and punish your enemies. He will come and give you your reward. The Lord will save you.
But some people make statues\par from rock or wood,\par and they call them gods.\par One worker makes a statue.\par Then another worker covers it with gold\par and makes silver chains for it.\par
All you faraway places,\par look, and be afraid!\par All you places far away on the earth,\par shake with fear!\par Come here \{and listen to me\}!”\par And they came.\par
One worker cuts \{wood to make a statue\}. That person encourages the man that works with gold. Another worker uses a hammer and makes the metal smooth. Then that worker encourages the man at the anvil. {\cf2\super [376]} This last worker says, ‘This work is good; the metal will not come off.’ Then he nails the statue to a base so it won’t fall over. And it never moves!”
One worker uses his tools to heat iron over hot coals. This man uses his hammer to beat the metal, and the metal becomes a statue. This man uses his own powerful arms. But when the man becomes hungry, he loses his power. If the man does not drink water, he becomes weak.