“Don’t ·live like the people from [^Llearn the way/path of] other nations,
    and don’t be ·afraid of [terrified by] special signs in the ·sky [heavens; ^Castrology],
    even though the other nations are ·afraid [terrified] of them.
³ The ·customs [statutes; ordinances; requirements] of other people are ·worth nothing [meaningless; useless; ^La breath].
    ·Their idols are just wood cut from the forest [^LA tree from the forest is cut down],
    shaped by a ·worker [craftsman] with his ·chisel [or ax; or adze; or blade].
⁴ They decorate their idols with silver and gold.
    With hammers and nails they fasten them down
    so they ·won’t fall over [can’t move].
⁵ Their idols are like scarecrows in ·melon [or cucumber] fields;
    they cannot talk.
Since they cannot walk,
    they must be carried.
Do not be afraid of those idols,
    because they can’t hurt you,
and they ·can’t help you either [have no power to do good; Is. 40:18–20; 41:7, 29; 44:6–23; 46:5–7].”

⁶ Lord, there is no one like you.
    You are great,
    and your name is great and powerful.
⁷ ·Everyone should respect [^LWho does not fear…?] you, King of the nations;
    ·you deserve respect [for it is your due].
Of all the wise people among the nations
    and in all the kingdoms,
    ·none of them is as wise as you [^Lthere is none like you].
⁸ Those wise people are stupid and foolish.
    Their ·teachings [instructions] come from ·worthless [meaningless; useless] ·wooden idols [^Lpieces of wood].
⁹ Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish [^CTarshish may have been in Spain (Tartessus) or an island in the eastern Mediterranean; Jonah 1:3]
    and gold from Uphaz [^Chigh quality],
so the idols are made by craftsmen and ·goldsmiths [smelters].
    They put blue and purple clothes on the idols.
    All these things are made by skilled workers.