CHAP. X. 1 HEAR ye the word which JEHOVAH hath ken; spo 2 Unto you, O house of Israel, thus hath JEHOVAH said; Unto the way of the heathen conform ye not; vens, Although the heathen be dismayed at them. 3 For the institutions of the people are vanity itself; For they cut down trees out of the forest, The manufacture of him that worketh with a sharp tool. 4 With silver and with gold they decorate, With nails and with hammers they fasten them, 5 As the palmtree are these for stiffness, And they cannot speak ; They must altogether be carried, For they cannot walk: Fear ye them not, for they cannot hurt; And also to do good is not in their power. 6 There is none like thee, O JEHOVAH, Great art thou, and great is thy name in might. 7 Who will not fear thee, O king of nations, When he shall approach unto thee? Forasmuch as among all the wisest of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, there is none like thee. 8 But they, when they approach, are stupid and sottish, The very wood itself being a rebuker of vanities. 9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz; The work of the silversmith, And of the hands of the founder: The work of the skilful all of them. 10 But JEHOVAH, he is truly God, 11 A living God, and an everlasting King; At his wrath the earth shall tremble, And the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. In this manner shall ye speak unto them; The gods, which have not made the heavens and the earth, Shall perish from off the earth, and from under these heavens. 12 He hath made the earth by his power, 13 Establishing the world by his wisdom; By his understanding also hath he spread out the heavens. When he exerteth his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And he maketh clouds to rise from the extremity of the earth; He produceth lightnings with rain, And bringeth the wind forth out of his magazines. 14 Every man becometh a brute by acknowledging, Every goldsmith is put to shame by graving, When they have set up false objects of worship, And such as have no breath in them. 15 Vanity are these, the work of those that greatly err: In the time of their visitation they shall perish. 16 Not like these is the portion of Jacob; For he is the former of the universe, And Israel is the rod of his inheritance; 17 GATHER up thine effects out of the land, 18 For thus saith JEHOVAH; 19 Behold I will smite with slings the inhabitants of And I will distress them, so that they shall be taken, My wound is painful; but I said, Surely this is an affliction, yet have I borne it. 20 My tent is laid waste, and all my cords are broken; 21 My children are gone forth from me, and are not; Or to set up my curtains. Because the pastors are become brutish, Therefore they have not prospered. 22 Hark a noise! behold, it advanceth, 23 24 Even a great commotion from the north country; A dwelling place for dragons. I know JEHOVAH, that his way is not like that of men, Not like a human being doth he proceed and order his going. Correct me, O JEHOVAH, only with moderation; Not in thine anger, lest thou crush me to atoms. 25 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen which have not known thee, And upon the families which have not called up- For they have devoured Jacob and consumed him, 1 CHAP. XI. THE WORD WHICH CAME TO JEREMIAH FROm Jehovah, SAYING, HEAR ye the words of this covenant. And thou shalt speak them to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and thou shalt 3 say unto them, Cursed is the man who will not 4 hearken to the words of this covenant, which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, Hearken ye unto my voice, and do all which I command you so shall ye be unto me a people, and I will be unto you a God: 5 That I may perform the oath which I sware unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day. Then answered 6 I and said, So be it, O JEHOVAH. And JEHOVAH said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, 7 and do them. For I earnestly admonished your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, and all along unto this day, rising up early and admonishing, saying, Hear8 ken ye unto my voice. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but went every one after the lusts of his wicked heart: therefore have I brought upon them all the denunciations of this covenant, which I commanded them to perform; but they performed not. 9 ALSO JEHOVAH said unto me, A combination hath been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 10 They are turned again unto the iniquities of their forefathers, Who refused to hearken unto my words; These also have gone after strange gods to serve them; The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant, Which I entered into with their fathers. 11 Therefore thus saith JEHOVAH; Behold I am about to bring upon them a calamity, From which they shall not be able to extricate themselves; And though they cry unto me, yet will I not hear them. 12 And the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall go, And shall cry unto the gods unto whom they burn incense; But they shall not save them at all in the time of their calamity. 13 For according to the number of thy cities have been thy gods, O Judah; And according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem ye have set up altars to a thing of shame, Altars for burning incense to Baal. 14 Therefore pray thou not for this people, 15 Neither lift up in their behalf a cry or a supplication; For I will not hear in the time that they cry unto me, In the time of their calamity. What hath my beloved to do in my house whilst she practiseth wickedness? Shall vows and holy flesh be allowed to come from thee? |