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Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.
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Thus says the Lord, "aDo not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them;
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For the customs of the peoples are adelusion; Because bit is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.
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"They adecorate it with silver and with gold; They bfasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter.
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"Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they acannot speak; They must be bcarried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they ccan do no harm, Nor can they do any good."
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aThere is none like You, O Lord; You are bgreat, and great is Your name in might.
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aWho would not fear You, O bKing of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the cwise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You.
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But they are altogether astupid and foolish In their discipline of delusion--their idol is wood!
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Beaten asilver is brought from bTarshish, And cgold from Uphaz, The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith; Violet and purple are their clothing; They are all the dwork of skilled men.
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But the Lord is the atrue God; He is the bliving God and the ceverlasting King. At His wrath the dearth quakes, And the nations cannot eendure His indignation.
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Thus you shall say to them, "The agods that did not make the heavens and the earth will bperish from the earth and from under the heavens."
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It is aHe who made the earth by His power, Who bestablished the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has cstretched out the heavens.
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When He utters His avoice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the bclouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, And brings out the cwind from His storehouses.
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Every man is astupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them.
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They are aworthless, a work of mockery; In the btime of their punishment they will perish.
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The aportion of Jacob is not like these; For the bMaker of all is He, And cIsrael is the tribe of His inheritance; The dLord of hosts is His name.
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aPick up your bundle from the ground, You who dwell under siege!
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For thus says the Lord, "Behold, I am aslinging out the inhabitants of the land At this time, And will cause them distress, That they may be found."
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aWoe is me, because of my injury! My bwound is incurable. But I said, "Truly this is a sickness, And I cmust bear it."
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My atent is destroyed, And all my ropes are broken; My bsons have gone from me and are no more. There is cno one to stretch out my tent again Or to set up my curtains.
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For the shepherds have become stupid And ahave not sought the Lord; Therefore they have not prospered, And ball their flock is scattered.
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The sound of a areport! Behold, it comes-- A great commotion bout of the land of the north-- To cmake the cities of Judah A desolation, a haunt of jackals.
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I know, O Lord, that aa man's way is not in himself, bNor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.
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aCorrect me, O Lord, but with justice; Not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing.
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aPour out Your wrath on the nations that bdo not know You And on the families that cdo not call Your name; For they have devoured Jacob; They have ddevoured him and consumed him And have laid waste his habitation.