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chapter 6
A copy of the epistle that Jeremias sent to them that were to be led
away captives into Babylon, by the king of Babylon, to declare to them
according to what was commanded him by God.
1 For the sins that you have committed before God, you
shall be carried away captives into Babylon by Nabuchodonosor the king of
Babylon.
2 And when you are come into Babylon, you shall be
there many years, and for a long time, even to seven generations: and after
that I will bring you away from thence with peace.
3 But now, you shall see in Babylon gods of gold, and
of silver, and of stone, and of wood borne upon shoulders, causing fear to the
Gentiles.
4 Beware therefore that you imitate not the doings of
others, and be afraid, and the fear of them should seize upon you.
5 But when you see the multitude behind, and before,
adoring them, say you in your hearts: Thou oughtest to be adored, O Lord.
6 For my angel is with you: And I myself will demand an
account of your souls.
7 For their tongue that is polished by the craftsman,
and themselves laid over with gold and silver, are false things, and they
cannot speak.
8 And as if it were for a maiden that loveth to go gay:
so do they take gold and make them up.
9 Their gods have golden crowns upon their heads:
whereof the priests secretly convey away from them gold, and silver, and bestow
it on themselves.
10 Yea and they give thereof to prostitutes, and they
dress out harlots: and again when they receive it of the harlots, they adorn
their gods.
11 And these gods cannot defend themselves from the
rust, and the moth.
12 But when they have covered them with a purple
garment, they wipe their face because of the dust of the house, which is very
much among them.
13 This holdeth a sceptre as a man, as a judge of the
country, but cannot put to death one that offendeth him.
14 And this hath in his hand a sword, or an axe, but
cannot save himself from war, or from robbers, whereby be it known to you, that
they are not gods.
15 Therefore fear them not. For as a vessel that a man
uses when it is broken becometh useless, even so are their gods:
16 When they are placed in the house, their eyes are
full of dust by the feet of them that go in.
17 And as the gates are made sure on every side upon
one that hath offended the king, or like a dead man carried to the grave, so do
the priests secure the doors with bars and locks, lest they be stripped by
thieves.
18 They light candles to them, and in great number, of
which they cannot see one: but they are like beams in the house.
19 And they say that the creeping things which are of
the earth, gnaw their hearts, while they eat them and their garments, and they
feel it not.
20 Their faces are black with the smoke that is made in
the house.
21 Owls, and swallows, and other birds fly upon their
bodies, and upon their heads, and cats in like manner.
22 Whereby you may know that they are no gods.
Therefore fear them not.
23 The gold also which they have, is for shew, but
except a man wipe off the rust, they will not shine: for neither when they were
molten, did they feel it.
24 Men buy them at a high price, whereas there is no
breath in them.
25 And having not the use of feet they are carried upon
shoulders, declaring to men how vile they are. Be they confounded also that
worship them.
26 Therefore if they fall to the ground, they rise not
up again of themselves, nor if a man set them upright, will they stand by
themselves, but their gifts shall be set before them, as to the dead.
27 The things that are sacrificed to them, their
priests sell and abuse: in like manner also their wives take part of them, but
give nothing of it either to the sick, or to the poor.
28 The childbearing and menstruous women touch their
sacrifices: knowing therefore by these things that they are not gods, fear them
not.
29 For how can they be called gods? because women set
offerings before the gods of silver, and of gold, and of wood:
30 And priests sit in their temples, having their
garments rent, and their heads and beards shaven, and nothing upon their heads.
31 And they roar and cry before their gods, as men do
at the feast when one is dead.
32 The priests take away their garments, and clothe
their wives and their children.
33 And whether it be evil that one doth unto them, or
good, they are not able to recompense it: neither can they set up a king nor
put him down:
34 In like manner they can neither give riches, nor
requite evil. If a man make a vow to them, and perform it not, they cannot
require it.
35 They cannot deliver a man from death nor save the
weak from the mighty.
36 They cannot restore the blind man to his sight: nor
deliver a man from distress.
37 They shall not pity the widow, nor do good to the
fatherless.
38 Their gods, of wood, and of stone, and of gold, and
of silver, are like the stones that are hewn out of the mountains: and they
that worship them shall be confounded.
39 How then is it to be supposed, or to be said, that
they are gods?
40 Even the Chaldeans themselves dishonour them: who
when they hear of one dumb that cannot speak, they present him to Bel,
entreating him, that he may speak,
41 As though they could be sensible that have no motion
themselves: and they, when they shall perceive this, will leave them: for their
gods themselves have no sense.
42 The women also with cords about them, sit in the
ways, burning olive stones.
43 And when any one of them, drawn away by some
passenger, lieth with him, she upbraideth her neighbour, that she was not
thought as worthy as herself, nor her cord broken.
44 But all things that are done about them, are false:
how is it then to be thought, or to be said, that they are gods?
45 And they are made by workmen, and by goldsmiths.
They shall be nothing else but what the priests will have them to be.
46 For the artificers themselves that make them, are of
no long continuance. Can those things then that are made by them be gods?
47 But they have left false things and reproach to them
that come after.
48 For when war cometh upon them, or evils, the priests
consult with themselves where they may hide themselves with them.
49 How then can they be thought to be gods, that can
neither deliver themselves from war, nor save themselves from evils?
50 For seeing they are but of wood, and laid over with
gold, and with silver, it shall be known hereafter that they are false things,
by all nations and kings: and it shall be manifest that they are no gods, but
the work of men's hands, and that there is no work of God in them.
51 Whence therefore is it known that they are not gods,
but the work of men's hands, and no work of God is in them?
52 They cannot set up a king over the land, nor give
rain to men.
53 They determine no causes, nor deliver countries from
oppression; because they can do nothing, and are as daws between heaven and
earth.
54 For when fire shall fall upon the house of these
gods of wood, and of silver, and of gold, their priests indeed will flee away,
and be saved: but they themselves shall be burnt in the midst like beams.
55 And they cannot withstand a king and war. How then
can it be supposed, or admitted that they are gods?
56 Neither are these gods of wood, and of stone, and
laid over with gold, and with silver, able to deliver themselves from thieves
or robbers: they that are stronger than them
57 Shall take from them the gold, and silver, and the
raiment wherewith they are clothed, and shall go their way, neither shall they
help themselves.
58 Therefore it is better to be a king that sheweth his
power: or else a profitable vessel in the house, with which the owner thereof
will be well satisfied: or a door in the house, to keep things safe that are
therein, than such false gods.
59 The sun, and the moon, and the stars being bright,
and sent forth for profitable uses, are obedient.
60 In like manner the lightning, when it breaketh
forth, is easy to be seen: and after the same manner the wind bloweth in every
country.
61 And the clouds when God commandeth them to go over
the whole world, do that which is commanded them.
62 The fire also being sent from above to consume
mountains and woods, doth as it is commanded. But these neither in shew, nor in
power are like to any one of them.
63 Wherefore it is neither to be thought, nor to be
said, that they are gods: since they are neither able to judge causes, nor to
do any good to men.
64 Knowing therefore that they are not gods, fear them
not.
65 For neither can they curse kings, nor bless them.
66 Neither do they shew signs in the heaven to the
nations, nor shine as the sun, nor give light as the moon.
67 Beasts are better than they, which can fly under a
covert, and help themselves.
68 Therefore there is no manner of appearance that they
are gods: so fear them not.
69 For as a scarecrow in a garden of cucumbers keepeth
nothing, so are their gods of wood, and of silver, and laid over with gold.
70 They are no better than a white thorn in a garden,
upon which every bird sitteth. In like manner also their gods of wood, and laid
over with gold, and with silver, are like to a dead body cast forth in the
dark.
71 By the purple also and the scarlet which are
motheaten upon them, you shall know that they are not gods. And they themselves
at last are consumed, and shall be a reproach in the country.
72 Better therefore is the just man that hath no idols:
for he shall be far from reproach.
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