Read the Bible

¹ HEAR the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel:² Thus says the LORD, Learn not the way of the Gentiles and be not afraid of the signs of heaven; for the Gentiles are dismayed at them.³ For the gods of the Gentiles are nothing; they are cut from a tree in the forest, the work of the hands of a carpenter, things made with a plane.⁴ They are decked with silver and with gold; men fasten them with hammers and nails, so that they may not fall apart.⁵ They are set up straight as palm trees, but they do not speak; they must be carried, for they cannot walk. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither can they do good.⁶ There is no one like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.⁷ Who would not revere thee, O King of nations? For to thee belongs the kingdom; for among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like thee.⁸ But altogether the vain doctrines of wooden image worship shall be utterly destroyed and consumed.⁹ Fine silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Ophir; they are the work of the carpenter and of the hands of the silversmith; blue and purple is their clothing; they are woven by cunning men.¹⁰ But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King; at his anger the earth trembles, and the nations shall not be able to endure his indignation.¹¹ Thus shall you say to 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 The LORD has made the earth by his power; he has established the world by his wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens by his intelligence.¹³ He causes the sound of roaring of waters that are in the heavens, and he causes the clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain, and brings forth the wind out of his treasure house.¹⁴ Every man has acted foolishly because of lack of knowledge; all those who work in gold are ashamed because of the graven images which they made; for molten images are falsehood, and there is no breath in them.¹⁵ They are vanity, and the work of vain folly; in the time when they are visited with punishment, they shall perish.¹⁶ The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he who has created all things is their portion; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; The LORD of hosts is his name.

¹⁷ Gather up your disgrace from the land, O inhabitant who dwells in distress.¹⁸ For thus says the LORD, Behold, I will perplex the inhabitants of this land at this very time, so that they may seek me and find me.¹⁹ Woe to me for my hurt! my wound is grievous; but I said, Truly this is my grief and I must bear it.²⁰ My tabernacle is plundered and all its cords are cut off; my children have left me, and they are not; there is no one to pitch my tent again and to set up my curtains.²¹ For the shepherds have misbehaved, and have not sought the LORD; and because they did not prosper, all of their flocks have been scattered.²² Behold, the noise of the report is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate and a den of jackals.²³ I know that the ways of the LORD are not like the ways of men; he does not walk as a man directing his steps.²⁴ O LORD, correct me justly, and not in thy anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.²⁵ Pour out thy wrath upon the nations who do not know thee and upon the families that call not on thy name; for they have devoured Jacob, yea, they have devoured him and consumed him and have made his habitation desolate.