17
Those gods sitting in their temples are as useless as a broken bowl. Their eyes are filled with the dust that people kick up when they come in.
18
The priests fortify the temples with doors and bars and bolts, so that thieves cannot break in. The gods are locked up as securely as a prisoner about to be executed for a crime against the king.
19
The priests light lamps for the gods, far more than they need for their own use, but the idols can't see even one of them.
20
Their insides are eaten away by termites, just like the wooden beams of the temple, and their clothing is destroyed, but they don't even know it.
21
Their faces are blackened by the smoke in the temple.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.