17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for skilful women, that they may come:
18 And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.
19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we laid waste! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.
20 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation.
21 For death hath come up into our windows, and hath entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from outside, and the young men from the streets.
22 Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the dead bodies of men shall fall as refuse upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them .
23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD who exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
25 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them who are circumcised with the uncircumcised; [1]
26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart. [2]
CHAP. 10.
Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh to you, O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. [3]
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it may not move.
5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
6 Forasmuch as there is none like thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.
7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like thee. [4]
8 But they are altogether stupid and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. [5]
9 Silver beaten into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman, and of the hands of the goldsmith: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of skilful men .
10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. [6] [7] [8]
11 Thus shall ye say to them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. [9] [10]
14 Every man is stupid in his knowledge: every goldsmith is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. [11]
15 They are vanity, and the 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 former of all things ; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name.
17 Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress. [12]
18 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so .
19 Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.
20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth from me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.
21 For the pastors have become stupid, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
22 Behold, the sound of a rumour is come, and a great commotion from the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.
23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thy anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. [13]
- ↑ punish: Heb. visit upon
- ↑ in the utmost...: Heb. cut off into corners, or, having the corners of their hair polled
- ↑ customs...: Heb. statutes, or, ordinances are vanity
- ↑ to...: or, it liketh thee
- ↑ altogether: Heb. in one, or, at once
- ↑ true...: Heb. God of truth
- ↑ living God: Heb. living Gods
- ↑ everlasting...: Heb. king of eternity
- ↑ multitude: or, noise
- ↑ with: or, for
- ↑ brutish in his knowledge: or, more brutish than to know
- ↑ inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress
- ↑ bring...: Heb. diminish me
