9
Their gods have golden crowns upon their heads: whereof the priests secretly convey away from them gold, and silver, and bestow it on themselves.
10
Yea and they give thereof to prostitutes, and they dress out harlots: and again when they receive it of the harlots, they adorn their gods.
11
And these gods cannot defend themselves from the rust, and the moth.
12
But when they have covered them with a purple garment, they wipe their face because of the dust of the house, which is very much among them.
13
This holdeth a sceptre as a man, as a judge of the country, but cannot put to death one that offendeth him.
14
And this hath in his hand a sword, or an axe, but cannot save himself from war, or from robbers, whereby be it known to you, that they are not gods.
15
Therefore fear them not. For as a vessel that a man uses when it is broken becometh useless, even so are their gods:
16
When they are placed in the house, their eyes are full of dust by the feet of them that go in.
17
And as the gates are made sure on every side upon one that hath offended the king, or like a dead man carried to the grave, so do the priests secure the doors with bars and locks, lest they be stripped by thieves.
18
They light candles to them, and in great number, of which they cannot see one: but they are like beams in the house.
19
And they say that the creeping things which are of the earth, gnaw their hearts, while they eat them and their garments, and they feel it not.