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

2 T hus says the Lord: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.

3 F or the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.

4 T hey decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple.

5 T hey are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.”

6 I nasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might),

7 W ho would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful 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 dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.

9 S ilver is beaten into plates; It is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of the craftsman And of the hands of the metalsmith; Blue and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skillful men.

10 B ut the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.

11 T hus you shall say to them: “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”

12 H e has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.

13 W hen He utters His voice, There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: “And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His treasuries.”

14 E veryone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image; For his molded image is falsehood, And there is no breath in them.

15 T hey are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish.

16 T he Portion of Jacob is not like them, For He is the Maker of all things, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The Lord of hosts is His name. The Coming Captivity of Judah

17 G ather up your wares from the land, O inhabitant of the fortress!

18 F or thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will throw out at this time The inhabitants of the land, And will distress them, That they may find it so. ”

19 W oe is me for my hurt! My wound is severe. But I say, “Truly this is an infirmity, And I must bear it.”

20 M y tent is plundered, And all my cords are broken; My children have gone from me, And they are no more. There is no one to pitch my tent anymore, Or set up my curtains.

21 F or the shepherds have become dull-hearted, And have not sought the Lord; Therefore they shall not prosper, And all their flocks shall be scattered.

22 B ehold, the noise of the report has come, And a great commotion out of the north country, To make the cities of Judah desolate, a den of jackals.

23 O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

24 O Lord, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.

25 P our out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know You, And on the families who do not call on Your name; For they have eaten up Jacob, Devoured him and consumed him, And made his dwelling place desolate.