¶¹Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

Thus saith the LORD, Learn² not the way of the heathen, and be³ not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

For the customs⁴ of the people are vain: for one⁵ cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

They deck⁶ it with silver and with gold; they fasten⁷ it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

They are upright as the palm tree, but speak⁸ not: they must needs be borne⁹, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil¹⁰, neither also is it in them to do good.

Forasmuch as there¹¹ is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou¹² art great, and thy name is great in might.

Who would¹³ not fear thee, O King¹⁴ of nations? for to thee¹⁵ doth it appertain: forasmuch as among¹⁶ all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

But they are altogether¹⁷ brutish and foolish: the stock¹⁸ is a doctrine of vanities.

Silver¹⁹ spread into plates is brought from Tarshish²⁰, and gold from Uphaz²¹, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all²² the work of cunning men.

¶ But the LORD²³ is the true God²⁴, he is the living²⁵ God, and an everlasting king²⁶: at²⁷ his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations²⁸ shall not be able to abide his indignation.

Thus²⁹ shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they³⁰ shall perish from the earth, and from under³¹ these heavens.

He hath made³² the earth by his power, he hath established³³ the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched³⁴ out the heavens by his discretion.

When he uttereth³⁵ his voice, there is a multitude³⁶ of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh³⁷ lightnings with³⁸ rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

Every man³⁹ is brutish in his knowledge⁴⁰: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and⁴¹ there is no breath in them.

They are vanity⁴², and the work of errors: in the⁴³ time of their visitation they shall perish.

The portion⁴⁴ of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former⁴⁵ of all things; and Israel⁴⁶ is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD⁴⁷ of hosts is his name.

¶ Gather up thy wares⁴⁸ out of the land, O inhabitant⁴⁹ of the fortress.

For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will⁵⁰ sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that⁵¹ they may find it so.

Woe⁵² is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly⁵³ this is a grief, and I must bear it.

¶ My tabernacle⁵⁴ is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children⁵⁵ are gone forth of me, and they are not: there⁵⁶ is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

For the pastors⁵⁷ are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their⁵⁸ flocks shall be scattered.

Behold, the noise⁵⁹ of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den⁶⁰ of dragons.

⁶¹O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

O LORD, correct⁶² me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest⁶⁴ thou bring me to nothing⁶⁵.

Pour⁶⁶ out thy fury upon the heathen that know⁶⁷ thee not, and upon the families that call⁶⁸ not on thy name: for they have eaten⁶⁹ up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.