Behold, listen! The cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land: “Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not within her?” “Why have they provoked Me with their carved images, with foreign idols?”

A Satire on Idolatry

Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, house of Israel.

They decorate the idol with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not totter.

But they are altogether stupid and foolish; The instruction from idols is nothing but wood!

Every person is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his cast metal images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them.

Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not You, Lord our God? Therefore we wait for You, For You are the one who has done all these things.

I will first repay them double for their wrongdoing and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and their abominations.”

“Declare and proclaim among the nations. Proclaim it and lift up a flag, Do not conceal it. Say, ‘Babylon has been captured, Bel has been put to shame, Marduk has been shattered; Her idols have been put to shame, her images have been shattered.’

A drought on her waters, and they will be dried up! For it is a land of idols, And they go insane at frightful images.

Every person is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his cast metal images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them.

Therefore behold, days are coming When I will punish the idols of Babylon; And her whole land will be put to shame. And all her slain will fall in her midst.

“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will punish her idols, And the mortally wounded will groan throughout her land.