“But the workers are not concerned
That mortals are destined to die.
Their life is brief.
But they compete with workers
In gold.
They compete with workers
In silver.
They imitate workers
In copper.
They count it as a glorious thing
To mold counterfeit gods.
Their heart is ashes.
Their hope is cheaper than dirt.
Their lives are of less worth than clay.
Because they failed to know
The one who formed them.
They failed to know
Who inspired them with active souls.
They failed to know
Who breathed a living spirit into them.
They considered our existence an idle game.
They considered our life a festival held for profit.
They say one must get money
However one can,
Even by base means.
For these persons,
More than all others,
Know that they sin
When they make from earthy matter fragile vessels,
When they make graven images.”
These idol makers do not care about their short lives. They are competing with other artisans making gold, silver, and copper molded items. They are making counterfeit gods. They have hearts (καρδία αὐτοῦ) like ashes and hope cheaper than dirt (γῆς). Their lives are less worthy than their own clay images. They do not know the one who formed them. They do not know the one who inspired them with a living soul (ψυχὴν). They do not know that their living spirit (πνεῦμα ζωτικόν) came from God. They consider life to be an idle game or a festival played for profit. They maintain that they need money, so that even a low base means (πορίζειν) is okay. More than others, they know that they are sinning. They make these vessels and carved images from mere earth.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 