CHAPTER1
1Acopyofanepistle,whichJeremysentunto themwhichweretobeledcaptivesintoBabylonby thekingoftheBabylonians,tocertifythem,asit wascommandedhimofGod.
2Becauseofthesinswhichyehavecommitted beforeGod,yeshallbeledawaycaptivesinto BabylonbyNabuchodonosorkingofthe Babylonians
3SowhenyebecomeuntoBabylon,yeshall remaintheremanyyears,andforalongseason, namely,sevengenerations:andafterthatIwill bringyouawaypeaceablyfromthence.
4NowshallyeseeinBabylongodsofsilver,and ofgold,andofwood,borneuponshoulders,which causethenationstofear.
5Bewarethereforethatyeinnowisebeliketo strangers,neitherbeyeandofthem,whenyesee themultitudebeforethemandbehindthem, worshippingthem
6Butsayyeinyourhearts,OLord,wemust worshipthee
7Formineangeliswithyou,andImyselfcaring foryoursouls.
8Asfortheirtongue,itispolishedbytheworkman, andtheythemselvesaregildedandlaidoverwith silver;yetaretheybutfalse,andcannotspeak
9Andtakinggold,asitwereforavirginthatloveth togogay,theymakecrownsfortheheadsoftheir gods
10Sometimesalsothepriestsconveyfromtheir godsgoldandsilver,andbestowituponthemselves
11Yea,theywillgivethereoftothecommon harlots,anddeckthemasmenwithgarments,being godsofsilver,andgodsofgold,andwood
12Yetcannotthesegodssavethemselvesfromrust andmoth,thoughtheybecoveredwithpurple raiment
13Theywipetheirfacesbecauseofthedustofthe temple,whenthereismuchuponthem
14Andhethatcannotputtodeathonethat offendethhimholdethasceptre,asthoughhewere ajudgeofthecountry
15Hehathalsoinhisrighthandadaggerandanax: butcannotdeliverhimselffromwarandthieves
16Wherebytheyareknownnottobegods: thereforefearthemnot.
17Forlikeasavesselthatamanusethisnothing worthwhenitisbroken;evensoitiswiththeir gods:whentheybesetupinthetemple,theireyes befullofdustthroughthefeetofthemthatcomein.
18Andasthedoorsaremadesureoneveryside uponhimthatoffendeththeking,asbeing committedtosufferdeath:evensothepriestsmake
fasttheirtempleswithdoors,withlocks,andbars, lesttheirgodsbespoiledwithrobbers.
19Theylightthemcandles,yea,morethanfor themselves,whereoftheycannotseeone.
20Theyareasoneofthebeamsofthetemple,yet theysaytheirheartsaregnaweduponbythings creepingoutoftheearth;andwhentheyeatthem andtheirclothes,theyfeelitnot
21Theirfacesareblackedthroughthesmokethat comethoutofthetemple
22Upontheirbodiesandheadssitbats,swallows, andbirds,andthecatsalso.
23Bythisyemayknowthattheyarenogods: thereforefearthemnot.
24Notwithstandingthegoldthatisaboutthemto makethembeautiful,excepttheywipeofftherust, theywillnotshine:forneitherwhentheywere moltendidtheyfeelit
25Thethingswhereinthereisnobreatharebought foramosthighprice.
26Theyareborneuponshoulders,havingnofeet wherebytheydeclareuntomenthattheybenothing worth
27Theyalsothatservethemareashamed:forif theyfalltothegroundatanytime,theycannotrise upagainofthemselves:neither,ifonesetthem upright,cantheymoveofthemselves:neither,if theybeboweddown,cantheymakethemselves straight:buttheysetgiftsbeforethemasuntodead men.
28Asforthethingsthataresacrificeduntothem, theirpriestssellandabuse;inlikemannertheir wiveslayuppartthereofinsalt;butuntothepoor andimpotenttheygivenothingofit
29Menstruouswomenandwomeninchildbedeat theirsacrifices:bythesethingsyemayknowthat theyarenogods:fearthemnot.
30Forhowcantheybecalledgods?because womensetmeatbeforethegodsofsilver,gold,and wood.
31Andthepriestssitintheirtemples,havingtheir clothesrent,andtheirheadsandbeardsshaven,and nothingupontheirheads.
32Theyroarandcrybeforetheirgods,asmendo atthefeastwhenoneisdead.
33Thepriestsalsotakeofftheirgarments,and clothetheirwivesandchildren.
34Whetheritbeevilthatonedoethuntothem,or good,theyarenotabletorecompenseit:theycan neithersetupaking,norputhimdown.
35Inlikemanner,theycanneithergiverichesnor money:thoughamanmakeavowuntothem,and keepitnot,theywillnotrequireit.
36Theycansavenomanfromdeath,neither delivertheweakfromthemighty.
37Theycannotrestoreablindmantohissight,nor helpanymaninhisdistress.
38Theycanshewnomercytothewidow,nordo goodtothefatherless.
39Theirgodsofwood,andwhichareoverlaidwith goldandsilver,arelikethestonesthatbehewnout ofthemountain:theythatworshipthemshallbe confounded
40Howshouldamanthenthinkandsaythatthey aregods,wheneventheChaldeansthemselves dishonourthem?
41Whoiftheyshallseeonedumbthatcannot speak,theybringhim,andintreatBelthathemay speak,asthoughhewereabletounderstand.
42Yettheycannotunderstandthisthemselves,and leavethem:fortheyhavenoknowledge
43Thewomenalsowithcordsaboutthem,sitting intheways,burnbranforperfume:butifanyof them,drawnbysomethatpassethby,liewithhim, shereproachethherfellow,thatshewasnotthought asworthyasherself,norhercordbroken
44Whatsoeverisdoneamongthemisfalse:how mayitthenbethoughtorsaidthattheyaregods?
45Theyaremadeofcarpentersandgoldsmiths: theycanbenothingelsethantheworkmenwill havethemtobe
46Andtheythemselvesthatmadethemcannever continuelong;howshouldthenthethingsthatare madeofthembegods?
47Fortheyleftliesandreproachestothemthat comeafter
48Forwhentherecomethanywarorplagueupon them,thepriestsconsultwiththemselves,where theymaybehiddenwiththem
49Howthencannotmenperceivethattheybeno gods,whichcanneithersavethemselvesfromwar, norfromplague?
50Forseeingtheybebutofwood,andoverlaid withsilverandgold,itshallbeknownhereafterthat theyarefalse:
51Anditshallmanifestlyappeartoallnationsand kingsthattheyarenogods,buttheworksofmen's hands,andthatthereisnoworkofGodinthem.
52Whothenmaynotknowthattheyarenogods?
53Forneithercantheysetupakingintheland,nor giverainuntomen
54Neithercantheyjudgetheirowncause,nor redressawrong,beingunable:fortheyareascrows betweenheavenandearth
55Whereuponwhenfirefallethuponthehouseof godsofwood,orlaidoverwithgoldorsilver,their priestswillfleeaway,andescape;butthey themselvesshallbeburnedasunderlikebeams.
56Moreovertheycannotwithstandanykingor enemies:howcanitthenbethoughtorsaidthat theybegods?
57Neitherarethosegodsofwood,andlaidover withsilverorgold,abletoescapeeitherfrom thievesorrobbers.
58Whosegold,andsilver,andgarmentswherewith theyareclothed,theythatarestrongtake,andgo awaywithal:neitheraretheyabletohelp themselves
59Thereforeitisbettertobeakingthatsheweth hispower,orelseaprofitablevesselinanhouse, whichtheownershallhaveuseof,thansuchfalse gods;ortobeadoorinanhouse,tokeepsuch thingstherein,thansuchfalsegods.orapillarof woodinaapalace,thansuchfalsegods
60Forsun,moon,andstars,beingbrightandsent todotheiroffices,areobedient
61Inlikemannerthelightningwhenitbreaketh forthiseasytobeseen;andafterthesamemanner thewindblowethineverycountry
62AndwhenGodcommandeththecloudstogo overthewholeworld,theydoastheyarebidden 63Andthefiresentfromabovetoconsumehills andwoodsdoethasitiscommanded:buttheseare likeuntothemneitherinshewnorpower
64Whereforeitisneithertobesupposednorsaid thattheyaregods,seeing,theyareableneitherto judgecauses,nortodogooduntomen.
65Knowingthereforethattheyarenogods,fear themnot,
66Fortheycanneithercursenorblesskings:
67Neithercantheyshewsignsintheheavens amongtheheathen,norshineasthesun,norgive lightasthemoon.
68Thebeastsarebetterthanthey:fortheycanget underacoverandhelpthemselves.
69Itisthenbynomeansmanifestuntousthatthey aregods:thereforefearthemnot
70Forasascarecrowinagardenofcucumbers keepethnothing:soaretheirgodsofwood,andlaid overwithsilverandgold.
71Andlikewisetheirgodsofwood,andlaidover withsilverandgold,areliketoawhitethorninan orchard,thateverybirdsittethupon;asalsotoa deadbody,thatiseastintothedark
72Andyeshallknowthemtobenogodsbythe brightpurplethatrottethuponthem:andthey themselvesafterwardshallbeeaten,andshallbea reproachinthecountry.
73Betterthereforeisthejustmanthathathnone idols:forheshallbefarfromreproach.