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

¶ Hear ye the word which the LORD has spoken over 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 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 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 peoples are vanity: for one cuts 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 hammer and nails, that it not move.

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 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 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 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 T hey are all poor thinkers and foolish. What can they learn from a false god of 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. 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 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 King Who lives forever. The earth shakes at His anger. And the nations cannot last when He is angry.

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 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 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, and the world by His wisdom. By His understanding He has spread 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 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.

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 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 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 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 scorn: 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 the 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 lands, 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 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 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 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 put up 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 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 carnal and have not sought the LORD; therefore they did not understand, and all their flocks 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 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 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 man is not the lord of his own way: it is not in man that walks to order 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, chastise me, but with judgment; not with 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 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.