All those who make idols are worthless, and the gods they prize so highly are useless. Those who worship these gods are blind and ignorant---and they will be disgraced.

It makes as much sense as eating ashes. His foolish ideas have so misled him that he is beyond help. He won't admit to himself that the idol he holds in his hand is not a god at all.

The LORD says, "Come together, people of the nations, all who survive the fall of the empire; present yourselves for the trial! The people who parade with their idols of wood and pray to gods that cannot save them--- those people know nothing at all!

They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they put it in place, and there it stands, unable to move from where it is. If any pray to it, it cannot answer or save them from disaster.

"Remember this, you sinners; consider what I have done.

All of them are stupid and foolish. What can they learn from wooden idols?

At the sight of this, people feel stupid and senseless; those who make idols are disillusioned, because the gods they make are false and lifeless.

They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness.

instead of worshiping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortals or birds or animals or reptiles.

Then he said to me, "Make the minds of these people dull, their ears deaf, and their eyes blind, so that they cannot see or hear or understand. If they did, they might turn to me and be healed."

The LORD has made you drowsy, ready to fall into a deep sleep. The prophets should be the eyes of the people, but God has blindfolded them.

So I let them go their stubborn ways and do whatever they wanted.

So the prophecy of Isaiah applies to them: 'This people will listen and listen, but not understand; they will look and look, but not see,

because their minds are dull, and they have stopped up their ears and have closed their eyes. Otherwise, their eyes would see, their ears would hear, their minds would understand, and they would turn to me, says God, and I would heal them.'

In the past he allowed all people to go their own way.

Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do.

As the scripture says, "God made their minds and hearts dull; to this very day they cannot see or hear."

May their eyes be blinded so that they cannot see; and make them bend under their troubles at all times."

For if the gospel we preach is hidden, it is hidden only from those who are being lost.

They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

The Wicked One will come with the power of Satan and perform all kinds of false miracles and wonders,

And so God sends the power of error to work in them so that they believe what is false.

They are like greedy dogs that never get enough. These leaders have no understanding. They each do as they please and seek their own advantage.

This is something a fool cannot know; someone who is stupid cannot understand:

If you do, you will know what it means to fear the LORD and you will succeed in learning about God.

He provides help and protection for those who are righteous and honest.

If you listen to me, you will know what is right, just, and fair. You will know what you should do.

Evil people do not know what justice is, but those who worship the LORD understand it well.

Pay attention, you foolish and stupid people, who have eyes, but cannot see, and have ears, but cannot hear.

Many people will be purified. Those who are wicked will not understand but will go on being wicked; only those who are wise will understand.

May those who are wise understand what is written here, and may they take it to heart. The LORD's ways are right, and righteous people live by following them, but sinners stumble and fall because they ignore them.

You snakes---how can you say good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

You like to receive praise from one another, but you do not try to win praise from the one who alone is God; how, then, can you believe me?

Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my message.

And so they were not able to believe, because Isaiah also said,

"God has blinded their eyes and closed their minds, so that their eyes would not see, and their minds would not understand, and they would not turn to me, says God, for me to heal them."

They want to look for nothing but the chance to commit adultery; their appetite for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into a trap. Their hearts are trained to be greedy. They are under God's curse!