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10 Hear the Word of the LORD that He speaks to you, O House of Israel!

Thus says the LORD: “Do not learn the way of the heathen, and do not be afraid of the signs of Heaven, though the heathen are afraid of such.

“For the customs of the people are frivolous. For one cuts a tree out of the forest (which is the work of the hands of the carpenter) with the axe,

“and another decorates it with silver and with gold. They fasten it with nails and hammers, so that it does not fall.

“They stand up, as the palm tree, but do not speak. They are carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them! For they cannot do evil, nor can they do good.”

There is no one like You, O LORD! You are great, and Your Name great in power!

Who would not fear You, O King of Nations? It befits You. For among all the wise men of the Gentiles, and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like You.

But altogether they dote and are foolish. Their wood is a doctrine of vanity.

Silver plates are brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman and the hands of the metalsmith, the blue silk and the purple their clothing. All these things are made by cunning men.

10 But the LORD, the God of Truth, He is the living God, and an everlasting King. At His anger the Earth shall tremble. And the nations cannot abide His wrath.

11 “Thus shall you 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, and established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heaven by His discretion.

13 ‘He gives, by voice, the multitude of waters in the heaven, and He causes the clouds to ascend from the ends of the Earth. He turns lightnings to rain and brings forth the wind out of His treasures.’”

14 Every man is a beast by knowledge. Every metalsmith is confounded by the molten image. For his idol is but falsehood and there is no breath in it.

15 They are vanity, the work of errors. At the time of their reckoning they shall perish.

16 The portion of Jacob is not like them. For He is the maker of all things, and Israel is the rod of His inheritance. The LORD of Hosts is His Name.

17 Gather up your wares out of the land, O you who dwells in the strong place.

18 For thus says the LORD: “Behold, at this time I will throw as with a sling the inhabitants of the land and will trouble them. And they shall find it so.”

19 Woe is me for my destruction and my grievous plague! But I thought, “Still, it is my sorrow and I will bear it.”

20 My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken. My children have gone from me and are no more. There is no one to spread out my tent anymore, and to set up my curtains.

21 For the shepherds have become beasts and have not sought the LORD. Therefore, have they no understanding. And all the flocks of their pastures are 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 dragons.

23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself, nor is it in man to walk and to direct his steps.

24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment, not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.

25 Pour out Your wrath upon the heathen who do not know You, and upon the families that do not call on Your Name. For they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

10 Listen to the message that Yahweh has spoken to you, nation of Israel. This is what Yahweh says:

Don’t learn the practices of the nations.
    Don’t be frightened by the signs in the sky
    because the nations are frightened by them.
The religion of the people is worthless.
    Woodcutters cut down trees from the forest.
        The hands of craftsmen prepare them with axes.
        Craftsmen decorate them with silver and gold
            and fasten them together with hammers and nails
                so that they won’t fall over.
These trees are like scarecrows in cucumber gardens.
    They aren’t able to speak.
    They have to be carried, because they can’t walk.
    Don’t be afraid of them.
    They can’t harm you.
    They can’t do you any good either.

No one is like you, O Yahweh.
    You are great.
    Your name is powerful.
Everyone fears you, O Melek of the Nations.
    This is what you deserve.
    No one is like you among all the wise people in the nations
    or in all their kingdoms.
They are complete idiots.
    They learn nonsense from wooden idols.
Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz.
    Craftsmen and goldsmiths shape these metals.
        The clothing for the idols is blue and purple,
            all made by skilled workers.
10 But Yahweh is the only God.
    He is the living God and eternal king.
        The earth trembles when he is angry.
        The nations can’t endure his fury.

11 Tell them this: These gods will disappear from the earth
    and from under heaven because they didn’t make heaven and earth.

12 Yahweh made the earth by his power.
    He set up the world by his skill.
    He stretched out the world by his understanding.
13 He speaks, and the water in the sky produces a storm.
    He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
    He makes lightning flash with the rain.
    He brings wind out of his storehouses.

14 Everyone is stupid and ignorant.
    Metalsmiths are put to shame by their idols.
        Their statues are false gods.
            They can’t breathe.
15 They are worthless jokes.
    When they are punished, they disappear.
16 Jacob’s God isn’t like them.
    He made everything,
        and Israel is the tribe that belongs to him.
            His name is Yahweh Tsebaoth.

17 Pick up your bags. You are being blockaded.

18 This is what Yahweh says:

I am going to throw out those who live in the land at this time
    and cause trouble for them so that they will feel it.

19 Oh, I’m wounded!
    My wound is serious.
    Then I thought that this is my punishment, and I will bear it.
20 My tent is destroyed, and all my ropes are broken.
    My children have left me and have disappeared.
        There’s no one to set up my tent again
            or put up my tent curtains.
21 The shepherds are foolish.
    They don’t look to Yahweh for help.
    That is why they won’t succeed,
    and all their flocks will be scattered.
22 The report has arrived.
    A tremendous uproar is coming from the land of the north.
    Its army will destroy Judah’s cities
    and make them homes for jackals.
23 O Yahweh, I know that the way humans act is not under their control.
    Humans do not direct their steps as they walk.
24 Correct me, O Yahweh, but please be fair.
    Don’t correct me when you’re angry.
        Otherwise, you’ll reduce me to nothing.
25 Pour out your fury on the nations who don’t know you
    and on people who don’t worship you.
        They have devoured the descendants of Jacob.
        They have devoured them completely.
        They have destroyed their homes.