Jerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 4.7

משנה: שָׁאֲלוּ אֶת הַזְּקֵנִים בְּרוֹמֵי אִם אֵין רְצוֹנוֹ בַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה לָמָּה אֵינוֹ מְבַטְּלָהּ. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן אִילּוּ לְדָבָר שֶׁאֵין צוֹרֶךְ לָעוֹלָם בּוֹ הָיוּ עוֹבְדִין הָיָה מְבַטְּלוֹ. הֲרֵי הֵן עוֹבְדִין לַחַמָּה וְלַלְּבָנָה וְלַכּוֹכָבִים וְלַמַּזָּלוֹת לְהָרִים וְלִגְבָעוֹת. יְאַבֵּד עוֹלָמוֹ מִפְּנֵי הַשּׁוֹטִין. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן אִם כֵּן יְאַבֵּד דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין צוֹרֶךְ לָעוֹלָם בּוֹ וִיקַיֵּים דָּבָר שֶׁצּוֹרֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹ. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן אַף אָנוּ מַחֲזִיקִין יְדֵי עוֹבְדֵיהֶם שֶׁל אֵילּוּ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים תֵּדְעוּ שֶׁהֵן אֱלוֹהוֹת שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵילּוּ בָטְלוּ וְאֵילּוּ וְאֵילּוּ לֹא בָטְלוּ:

MISHNAH: The Elders were asked in Rome, if He does not approve of idol worship, why does He not eliminate it? They answered, if they would worship something which the world does not need, He would eliminate it. But they worship sun and moon, stars and planets, mountains and hills. Should He destroy His world because of the stupid? They told them, if it is so, He should eliminate things which are not needed in the world, and keep things necessary for the world. They answered, then we would strengthen the worshippers of the latter who would say, you should know that these are divinities since those were eliminated and these were not eliminated.

הלכה: שָׁאֲלוּ אֶת הַזְּקֵינִים בְּרוֹמֵי כול׳. גָּזַל זֶרַע וְזָרַע אֵין סוֹפוֹ לִצְמֹחַ. הַבָּא עַל אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ אֵין סוֹפוֹ לְהוֹלִיד מַמְזֵר. אֶלָּא הַנִּיחוּ לָעוֹלָם שֶׁיִּנְהוֹג כְּמִנְהֲגוֹ. שׁוֹטִים שֶׁקִּילְקְלוּ עֲתִידִין לִיתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן.

HALAKHAH: “The Elders were asked in Rome,” etc. If somebody stole seeds and sowed, would it not grow in the end? If somebody sleeps with a married woman, would he not in the end cause a bastard to be born? But let the world continue its usual way. The stupid who misbehave will in the future have to account for their deeds.

אָמַר רִבִּי זְעוּרָא. אִילּוּ הֲוָה כְתִיב כְּמוֹהֶם יִהְיוּ עוֹבְדֵיהֶם קַשְׁיָא. עוֹבְדֵי הַחַמָּה כַחַמָּה וְעוֹבְדֵי הַלְּבָנָה כַלְּבָנָה. אֶלָּא כְּמוֹהֶם יִהְיוּ עוֹשֵׂיהֶם. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנָא. אִילּוּ כְתִיב כְּמוֹהֶם יִהְיוּ עוֹבְדֵיהֶם לֹא קַשְׁיָא. דִּכְתִיב וְחָפְרָה הַלְּבָנָה וּבוֹשָׁה הַחַמָּה. רִבִּי נַחְמָן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי מָנָא. עֲתִידָה עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה לִהְיוֹת בָּאָה וְרוֹקֶקֶת בִּפְנֵי עוֹבְדֶיהָ וּמְבַיְישָׁתָן וּבְטֵילָה מִן הָעוֹלָם. וּמַה טַעַם. יֵבוֹשׁוּ כָּל עוֹבְדֵי פֶסֶל. רִבִּי נַחְמָן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי מָנָא. עֲתִידָה עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה לִהְיוֹת בָּאָה וְכוֹרַעַת לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּבְטֵילָה מִן הָעוֹלָם. וּמַה טַעַם. יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ כָּל אֱלֹהִים.

Rebbi Ze`ira said, if it were written, “like them should be their worshippers”, that would be difficult; the sun’s worshippers like the sun, the moon’s worshippers like the moon? But, like them should be their makers. Rebbi Mana said, if it were written, “like them should be their worshippers”, it would not be difficult, as it is written, the moon will be ashamed and the sun abashed. Rebbi Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Mana: In the future, an idol will come, spit in the face of its worshippers, make them ashamed, and disappear from the world. What is the reason? All worshippers of statues will be ashamed. Rebbi Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Mana: In the future, an idol will come, bow down before the Holy One, praise to Him, and disappear from the world. What is the reason? Bow down before Him, all gods.