1 Hear the word which Yahweh speaks to you, house of Israel! 2 Yahweh says,
"Don’t learn the way of the nations,
and don’t be dismayed at the signs of the sky;
for the nations are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are vanity;
for one cuts a tree out of the forest,
the work of the hands of the workman with the ax.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold.
They fasten it with nails and with hammers,
so that it can’t move.
5 They are like a palm tree, of turned work,
and don’t speak.
They must be carried,
because they can’t move.
Don’t be afraid of them;
for they can’t do evil,
neither is it in them to do good."
6 There is no one like you, Yahweh.
You are great,
and your name is great in might.
7 Who shouldn’t fear you,
King of the nations?
For it belongs to you.
Because among all the wise men of the nations,
and in all their royal estate,
there is no one like you.
8 But they are together brutish and foolish,
instructed by idols!
It is just wood.
9 There is silver beaten into plates, which is brought from Tarshish,
and gold from Uphaz,
the work of the engraver and of the hands of the goldsmith.
Their clothing is blue and purple.
They are all the work of skillful men.
10 But Yahweh is the true God.
He is the living God,
and an everlasting King.
At his wrath, the earth trembles.
The nations aren’t able to withstand his indignation.
11 "You shall say this to them: ‘The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.’"
12 God has made the earth by his power.
He has established the world by his wisdom,
and by his understanding has he stretched out the heavens.
13 When he utters his voice,
the waters in the heavens roar,
and he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightnings for the rain,
and brings the wind out of his treasuries.
14 Every man has become brutish and without knowledge.
Every goldsmith is disappointed by his engraved image;
for his molten image is falsehood,
and there is no breath in them.
15 They are vanity, a work of delusion.
In the time of their visitation they will perish.
16 The portion of Jacob is not like these;
for he is the maker of all things;
and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance.
Yahweh of Armies is his name.
17 Gather up your wares out of the land,
you who live under siege.
18 For Yahweh says,
"Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time,
and will distress them, that they may feel it."
19 Woe is me because of my injury!
My wound is serious;
but I said,
"Truly this is my grief, and I must bear it."
20 My tent has been destroyed,
and all my cords are broken.
My children have gone away from me, and they are no more.
There is no one to spread my tent any more,
to set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become brutish,
and have not inquired of Yahweh.
Therefore they have not prospered,
and all their flocks have scattered.
22 The voice of news, behold, it comes,
and a great commotion out of the north country,
to make the cities of Judah a desolation,
a dwelling place of jackals.
23 Yahweh, I know that the way of man is not in himself.
It is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
24 Yahweh, correct me, but gently;
not in your anger,
lest you reduce me to nothing.
25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that don’t know you,
and on the families that don’t call on your name;
for they have devoured Jacob.
Yes, they have devoured him, consumed him,
and have laid waste his habitation.
1 Hoor die woord wat die HERE oor julle gespreek het, o huis van Israel!
2 So sê die HERE: Maak julle nie gewend aan die weg van die heidene nie, en skrik nie vir die tekens van die hemel, omdat die heidene daarvoor skrik nie.
3 Want die insettinge van die volke is nietigheid; want 'n boom uit die bos kap hulle om, die handewerk van 'n ambagsman met die byl.
4 Hulle versier dit met silwer en goud, hulle maak dit vas met spykers en hamers, dat dit nie waggel nie.
5 Soos 'n voëlverskrikker in 'n komkommertuin is hulle: hulle kan nie praat nie; ja, hulle moet gedra word, want hulle kan nie loop nie. Wees nie bevrees vir hulle nie, want hulle kan geen kwaad doen nie, maar daar is ook geen goeddoen by hulle nie.
6 Geeneen is soos U nie, o HERE! U is groot, en u Naam is groot in krag.
7 Wie sou U nie vrees nie, o Koning van die nasies? Want U kom dit toe; want onder al die wyse manne van die nasies en in hulle hele koninkryk is geeneen soos U nie.
8 Maar almal saam word hulle dom en dwaas, die tugtiging van die nietige afgode -- dit is hout.
9 Silwer wat plat geslaan is, word uit Tarsis gebring en goud uit Ufas, die werk van die ambagsman en van die hande van die goudsmid; pers en purperrooi is hulle klere; 'n werk van kunstenaars is hulle almal.
10 Maar die HERE is waarlik God, Hy is die lewende God en 'n ewige Koning; vir sy toorn beef die aarde, en die nasies kan sy grimmigheid nie verdra nie --
11 so moet julle vir hulle sê: Die gode wat die hemel en die aarde nie gemaak het nie, sal vergaan van die aarde af en onder hierdie hemel uit --
12 Hy wat die aarde gemaak het deur sy krag, wat die wêreld gegrond het deur sy wysheid en die hemel uitgespan het deur sy verstand.
13 As Hy sy stem laat hoor, is daar 'n geruis van waters in die hemel; en Hy laat dampe opgaan van die einde van die aarde; Hy maak bliksems vir die reën en laat wind uitgaan uit sy voorraadskure.
14 Elke mens word dom, sonder kennis; elke goudsmid staan beskaamd deur die gesnede beeld; want sy gegote beeld is 'n leuen, en daar is geen gees in hulle nie.
15 Nietige afgode is hulle, werk vir spotterny; in die tyd van hulle besoeking gaan hulle tot niet.
16 Jakob se deel is nie soos hulle nie; want Hy is die Formeerder van alles, en Israel is die stam van sy erfenis; HERE van die leërskare is sy Naam.
17 Tel jou pak goed van die grond af op, jy wat in die beleëring vertoef.
18 Want so sê die HERE: Kyk, Ek slinger die inwoners van die land hierdie keer weg, en Ek doen hulle benoudheid aan, dat hulle kan vind.
19 Wee my vanweë my verbreking! Smartlik is my wond! Ja, ,k het gesê: Waarlik, dit is 'n lyding, en ek sal dit moet dra.
20 My tent is verwoes, en al my lyne is afgeruk; my kinders het van my af weggegaan, en hulle is daar nie; daar is niemand meer wat my tent uitspan en my tentdoeke opsit nie.
21 Want die herders het dom geword en die HERE nie gesoek nie; daarom was hulle nie voorspoedig nie, en hulle hele kudde is verstrooi.
22 Hoor! 'n Gerug. Daar kom dit, en wel 'n groot geraas uit die Noordland, om die stede van Juda 'n woesteny te maak, 'n lêplek van jakkalse.
23 Ek weet, o HERE, dat aan die mens sy weg nie toebehoort nie; nie aan 'n man om te loop en sy voetstappe te rig nie.
24 Tugtig my, HERE, maar met mate; nie in u toorn, dat U my nie te klein maak nie.
25 Stort u grimmigheid uit oor die nasies wat U nie ken nie, en oor die geslagte wat u Naam nie aanroep nie; want hulle het Jakob opgeëet, ja, hulle het hom opgeëet en hom verteer en sy woning verwoes.