Comparing the Idols

1 When I, Abraham, heard these words from my father, I laughed to myself and sighed with grief and anger in my soul, 2 and said: "How can the statues my father makes help him? 3 Or will the body be ruled by its soul, and the soul by the spirit, and the spirit by foolishness and ignorance!"⁠a 4 And I said: "It is right to endure evil for once. So I will direct my mind to what is pure and tell him my thoughts openly." 5 [And] I answered and said: "Father Terah, whichever of these you praise as a god, your thinking is foolish. 6 Look, the gods of my brother Nahor, which stand in the holy temple, are more worthy of honor than [these of] yours. 7 For look, Zucheus, the god of my brother Nahor, is more worthy of honor than your god Merumath, because he is made of gold which is highly valued by people, 8 and when he ages he will be remodeled; but if your god Merumath is changed or broken, he will not be restored, because he is made of stone; 9 and the same is true of the god Joavon [who stands with Zucheus over the other gods; how much more worthy of honor is he than the god Barisat, who is made of wood, while he is forged of silver! How human craftsmanship makes him valuable in appearance! 10 But your god Barisat, before he was shaped, was still rooted in the earth 11 and was great and wonderful with beautiful branches and flowers, 12 you cut out with an axe, and your skill made him into a god. 13 And look, his sap has already dried up and disappeared, 14 he has fallen from the heights to the ground, he has come from greatness to insignificance, 15 and his face has faded, and he] 16 Barisat himself is burned up by fire 17 and reduced to ashes and is no more; 18 and you say: "Today I will make another who will prepare my food tomorrow!" 19 "He has been completely destroyed!"