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¹ Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. ² Thus 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 For 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 They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple. ⁵ They 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 Inasmuch as there is none like You, O LORD (You are great, and Your name is great in might), ⁷ Who 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 But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine. ⁹ Silver 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 But 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 Thus 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 He 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 When 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." [fn] ¹⁴ Everyone 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 They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish. ¹⁶ The 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.

¹⁷ Gather up your wares from the land, O inhabitant of the fortress! ¹⁸ For 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 Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is severe. But I say, "Truly this is an infirmity, And I must bear it." ²⁰ My 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 For 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 Behold, 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 Pour 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.