1 H ear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.

¶ Hear ye the word which the LORD has spoken over you, O house of Israel:

2 T hus 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;

Thus hath the LORD said, Do not learn the way of the Gentiles, and do not fear the signs of heaven, even though the Gentiles fear them.

3 F or 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.

For the customs of the peoples are vanity: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

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

They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails, that it not move.

5 “ 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.”

They compare them to the palm tree, and they do not speak: they must be carried, because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither do they have power to do good.

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

Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.

7 W ho 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.

Who would not fear thee, O King of the Gentiles? for unto thee does it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the Gentiles and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

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

But they shall become altogether carnal and foolish. The stock is a doctrine of vanities.

9 B eaten 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.

Silver spread into plates shall be brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, shall the workman work and the hands of the founder: they shall dress them in blue and purple: they are all the work of cunning men.

10 B ut 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.

But the LORD God is the Truth, he himself is Living God and Everlasting King: at his wrath the earth trembles, and the Gentiles shall not be able to abide his indignation.

11 T hus 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.”

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

12 I t 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.

He that makes the earth by his power, he that orders the world with his wisdom and extends the heavens with his intelligence:

13 W hen 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.

at his voice, there is given a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causes the clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth; he makes the lightnings with the rain and brings forth the wind out of his treasures.

14 E very 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.

Every man is carnal in his knowledge: let every founder be ashamed of his graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no spirit in them.

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

They are vanity and the work of scorn: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

16 T he 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.

The 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 the hosts is his name.

17 P ick up your bundle from the ground, You who dwell under siege!

¶ Gather up thy wares out of the lands, O inhabitant of the fortress.

18 F or 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.”

For thus hath the LORD said, Behold, that this time I will throw out the inhabitants of the land with a sling and will afflict them, that they may find it.

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

Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous, but I said, Truly this is my sickness, and I must bear it.

20 M y 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.

My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken: my sons were taken from me, and they are lost; there is no one to stretch forth my tent any more and to set up my curtains.

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

For the pastors are become carnal and have not sought the LORD; therefore they did not understand, and all their flocks scattered.

22 T he 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.

Behold, the voice of the rumour is come, and a great commotion out of the land of the north wind to make the cities of Judah desolate and a den of dragons.

23 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.

O LORD, I know that man is not the lord of his own way: it is not in man that walks to order his steps.

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

O LORD, chastise me, but with judgment; not with thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing.

25 P our 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.

Pour out thy fury upon the Gentiles that do not know thee and upon the nations that do not call on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob and devoured him and consumed him and have destroyed his habitation.