上帝与偶像
1以色列人啊，听听耶和华对你们说的话吧！ 2耶和华说：
“不要效法列国的行为。
他们被天象吓倒，
你们却不要因天象而害怕。
3他们信奉的毫无价值，
他们从林中砍一棵树，
工匠用木头雕刻偶像，
4以金银作装饰，
用钉子和锤子钉牢，
以免晃动。
5它们像瓜园中的稻草人，
不能说话，不能行走，
需要人搬运。
你们不要怕它们，
它们既不能害人，
也不能助人。”
6耶和华啊，你伟大无比，
你的名充满力量！
7万国的王啊，谁不敬畏你？
敬畏你是理所当然的。
因为万国的智者和君王中无人能与你相比。
8他们都愚昧无知，
毫无用处的木制偶像能教导他们什么呢？
9偶像上的银片来自他施，
金片来自乌法，
都是匠人的制品，
这些偶像穿的蓝色和紫色衣服是巧匠制作的。
10唯有耶和华是真神，
是永活的上帝，
是永恒的君王。
祂一发怒，大地便震动，
万国都无法承受。
11你们要这样对他们说：“那些神明没有创造天地，它们将从天下消亡。”
12耶和华施展大能，
用智慧创造大地和世界，
巧妙地铺展穹苍。
13祂一声令下，天上大水涌动；
祂使云从地极升起，
使闪电在雨中发出，
祂从自己的仓库吹出风来。
14人人愚昧无知，
工匠都因自己铸造的偶像而惭愧，
因为这些神像全是假的，
没有气息。
15它们毫无价值，
荒谬可笑，
在报应的时候必被毁灭。
16但雅各的上帝截然不同，
祂是万物的创造者，
被称为“万军之耶和华”，
以色列是祂的子民。
17被围困的犹大人啊，
收拾行装吧！
18因为耶和华说：
“看啊，这次我要把这地方的居民抛出去，
使他们苦不堪言。”
19我有祸了！因我的创伤难愈。
但我说：“这是疾病，我必须忍受。”
20我的帐篷已毁，
绳索已断；
我的儿女都离我而去，
再没有人为我支搭帐篷，
挂上幔子。
21首领愚昧，
没有求问耶和华，
因此一败涂地，
百姓如羊群四散。
22听啊，有消息传来，
喧嚣的敌军从北方冲来，
要使犹大的城邑荒凉，
沦为豺狼的巢穴。
23耶和华啊，人不能驾驭自己的命运，
不能左右自己的将来。
24耶和华啊，求你公正地惩罚我，
不要带着怒气惩罚我，
否则我将不复存在。
25求你向不认识你的列国和不求告你名的民族发烈怒，
因为他们吞噬、毁灭雅各，
使他的家园一片荒凉。
God and idols
1Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. 2This is what the Lord says:
‘Do not learn the ways of the nations
or be terrified by signs in the heavens,
though the nations are terrified by them.
3For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
they cut a tree out of the forest,
and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.
4They adorn it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so that it will not totter.
5Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
their idols cannot speak;
they must be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not fear them;
they can do no harm
nor can they do any good.’
6No-one is like you, Lord;
you are great,
and your name is mighty in power.
7Who should not fear you,
King of the nations?
This is your due.
Among all the wise leaders of the nations
and in all their kingdoms,
there is no-one like you.
8They are all senseless and foolish;
they are taught by worthless wooden idols.
9Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish
and gold from Uphaz.
What the craftsman and goldsmith have made
is then dressed in blue and purple –
all made by skilled workers.
10But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God, the eternal King.
When he is angry, the earth trembles;
the nations cannot endure his wrath.
11‘Tell them this: “These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” ’10:11 The text of this verse is in Aramaic.
12But God made the earth by his power;
he founded the world by his wisdom
and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
13When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
14Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.
The images he makes are a fraud;
they have no breath in them.
15They are worthless, the objects of mockery;
when their judgment comes, they will perish.
16He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the Maker of all things,
including Israel, the people of his inheritance –
the Lord Almighty is his name.
Coming destruction
17Gather up your belongings to leave the land,
you who live under siege.
18For this is what the Lord says:
‘At this time I will hurl out
those who live in this land;
I will bring distress on them
so that they may be captured.’
19Woe to me because of my injury!
My wound is incurable!
Yet I said to myself,
‘This is my sickness, and I must endure it.’
20My tent is destroyed;
all its ropes are snapped.
My children are gone from me and are no more;
no-one is left now to pitch my tent
or to set up my shelter.
21The shepherds are senseless
and do not enquire of the Lord;
so they do not prosper
and all their flock is scattered.
22Listen! The report is coming –
a great commotion from the land of the north!
It will make the towns of Judah desolate,
a haunt of jackals.
Jeremiah’s prayer
23Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own;
it is not for them to direct their steps.
24Discipline me, Lord, but only in due measure –
not in your anger,
or you will reduce me to nothing.
25Pour out your wrath on the nations
that do not acknowledge you,
on the peoples who do not call on your name.
For they have devoured Jacob;
they have devoured him completely
and destroyed his homeland.
