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

Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2 T he Lord says, “Do not learn the way of the nations. And do not be afraid of the things seen in the heavens, even if the nations are afraid of them.

thus 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.

3 F or the ways of the people are of no use. They cut wood from the trees. A workman cuts it with an ax.

For 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.

4 T hey make it beautiful with silver and gold. They put it together with nails so that it cannot fall apart.

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

5 T heir false gods are like a wooden man set up in a vegetable field to make birds be afraid and stay away. They cannot speak. They must be carried, because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot hurt you. And they cannot help you.”

They 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.

6 T here is no one like You, O Lord. You are great, and Your name is great in power.

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? For You should be honored with fear. Among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their lands, there is no one like You.

Who 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.

8 T hey are all poor thinkers and foolish. What can they learn from a false god of wood?

But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.

9 B eaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of an able workman and of one who works with gold. Their clothing is blue and purple. They are all the work of able workmen.

Silver 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.

10 B ut the Lord is the true God. He is the living God and the King Who lives forever. The earth shakes at His anger. And the nations cannot last when He is angry.

But 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.

11 T his is what you should say to them: “The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will be destroyed from the earth and from under the heavens.” A Song of Praise

Thus 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.

12 I t is He Who made the earth by His power, and the world by His wisdom. By His understanding He has spread out the heavens.

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

13 W hen He speaks, there is a storm of waters in the heavens. He makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and brings out the wind from His store-houses.

When 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.

14 E very man is a poor thinker and without learning. Every one who works with gold is put to shame by his false gods. For his objects of worship fool people. There is no breath in them.

Every 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.

15 T hey are without worth, and make fun of the truth. In the time of their punishment, they will be destroyed.

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

16 H e Who is the God of Jacob is not like these, for He has made all things. And Israel is His chosen family. The Lord of All is His name. People of Jerusalem Will Be Taken Away

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 hosts is his name.

17 P ick up your load from the ground, you who are shut in by armies!

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

18 F or the Lord says, “See, I am throwing out the people of the land at this time. And I will trouble them, that they may feel it.”

For 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.

19 I t is bad for me because I am hurt! My sore cannot be healed. But I said, “For sure this sickness is mine, and I must suffer with it.”

Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, 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 put up my tent again or to set up my curtains.

My 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.

21 F or the shepherds are poor thinkers and have not asked for the Lord’s help. So they have not done well, and all their flock is sent different places.

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

22 L isten, the sound of news! See, it comes! Much noise of moving is coming out of the land of the north to destroy the cities of Judah, and to make it a place where wild dogs live. Jeremiah’s Prayer

Behold, 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.

23 O Lord, I know that a man’s way is not known by himself. It is not in man to lead his own steps.

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

24 P unish me when I need it, O Lord, but be fair. Do not punish me in Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing.

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

25 P our out Your anger on the nations that do not know You, and on the families that do not call on Your name. For they have destroyed Jacob. They have destroyed him and have laid waste his land.

Pour 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.