1 H ear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.

2 t hus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

Thus says the Lord, “ Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them;

3 F or the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.

4 T hey deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

“They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter.

5 T hey are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

“Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.”

6 F orasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.

There is none like You, O Lord; You are great, and great is Your name in might.

7 W ho would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You.

8 B ut they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.

But they are altogether stupid and foolish In their discipline of delusion— their idol is wood!

9 S ilver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.

Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith; Violet and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skilled men.

10 B ut the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, And the nations cannot endure His indignation.

11 T hus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.

Thus you shall say to them, “The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”

12 H e hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.

13 W hen he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, And brings out the wind from His storehouses.

14 E very man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them.

15 T hey are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish.

16 T he portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The Lord of hosts is his name.

The portion of Jacob is not like these; For the Maker of all is He, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The Lord of hosts is His name.

17 G ather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.

Pick up your bundle from the ground, You who dwell under siege!

18 F or thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.

For thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land At this time, And will cause them distress, That they may be found.”

19 W oe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.

Woe is me, because of my injury! My wound is incurable. But I said, “Truly this is a sickness, And I must bear it.”

20 M y tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

My tent is destroyed, And all my ropes are broken; My sons have gone from me and are no more. There is no one to stretch out my tent again Or to set up my curtains.

21 F or the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the Lord: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the Lord; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered.

22 B ehold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.

The sound of a report! Behold, it comes— A great commotion out of the land of the north— To make the cities of Judah A desolation, a haunt of jackals.

23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.

24 O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

Correct me, O Lord, but with justice; Not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing.

25 P our out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You And on the families that do not call Your name; For they have devoured Jacob; They have devoured him and consumed him And have laid waste his habitation.