The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Baruch 06
The Letter of Jeremy (Jeremiah)
1 A copy of a letter that Jeremy sent to
those who were to be led captives into
Babylon by the king of the Babylonians,
to give them the message that God commanded him.
2 Because of the sins which you have
committed before God, you will be led
away captives to Babylon by Nabuchodonosor
king of the Babylonians.
3 So when you come to Babylon, you will
remain there many years, and for a long
season, even for seven generations. After
that, I will bring you out peacefully from there.
4 But now you will see in Babylon gods
of silver, gold, wood carried on shoulders,
which cause the nations to fear.
5 Beware therefore that you in no way
become like these foreigners. Don’tletfear
take hold of you because ofthem when you
see the multitude before them and behind
them, worshiping them.
6 But say in your hearts, “O Lord, we
must worship you.”
7 For my angel is with you, and I myself
care for your souls.
8 For their tongue is polished by the
workman, and they themselves are overlaid
with gold and with silver; yet they are
only fake, and can’t speak.
9 And taking gold, as ifit were for a virgin
who loves to be happy, they make crowns
for the heads of their gods.
10 Sometimes also the priests take gold
and silver from their gods, and spend it on
themselves.
11 They will even give some of it to the
common prostitutes. They dress them like
men with garments, even the gods of silver,
gods of gold, and gods of wood.
12 Yet these gods can’t save themselves
from rust and moths, even though they are
covered with purple garments.
13 They wipe their faces because of the
dust of the temple, which is thick upon
them.
14 And he who can’t put to death one
who offends against him holds a sceptre,
as though he were judge of a country.
15 He has also a dagger in his right hand,
and an axe, but can’t deliver himself from
war and robbers.
16 By this they are known not to be gods.
Therefore don’t fear them.
17 For like a vessel that a man uses is
worth nothing when it is broken, even so
it is with their gods. When they are set up
in the temples, their eyes are full of dust
through the feet of those who come in.
18 As the courts are secured onevery side
upon him who offends the king, as being
committed to suffer death, even so the
priests secure their temples with doors,
withlocks, andbars, lesttheybe carriedoff
by robbers.
19 They light candles for them, yes, more
than for themselves, even though they
can’t see one.
20 They are like one of the beams of the
temple. Men say their hearts are eaten
out when things creeping out of the earth
devour both them and their clothing. They
don’t feel it
21 when their faces are blackened
through the smoke that comes out of the
temple.
22 Bats, swallows, and birds land on their
bodies and heads. So do the cats.
23 By this you may know that they are no
gods. Therefore don’t fear them.
24 Notwithstanding the gold with which
they are covered to make them beautiful,
unless someone wipes off the tarnish, they
won’t shine; for they didn’t even feel it
when they were molten.
25 Things in which there is no breath are
bought at any cost.
26 Having no feet, they are carried upon
shoulders. By this,theydeclare tomenthat
they are worth nothing.
27 Those who serve them are also
ashamed, for if they fall to the ground
at any time, they can’t rise up again by
themselves. If they are bowed down, they
can’t make themselves straight; but the
offerings are set before them, as if they
were dead men.
28 And the things that are sacrificed to
them, their priests sell and spend. In like
manner, their wives also lay up part of it
in salt; but to the poor and to the impotent
they give none of it.
29 The menstruous woman and the
woman in childbed touch their sacrifices,
knowing therefore by these things that
they are no gods. Don’t fear them.
30 For how can they be called gods? Because
women set food before the gods of
silver, gold, and wood.
31 And in their temples the priests sit on
seats, having their clothes torn and their
heads and beards shaven, and nothing on
their heads.
32 They roar and cry before their gods, as
men do at the feast when one is dead.
33 The priests also take off garments
from them and clothe their wives
and children with them.
34 Whether it is evil or good what one
does to them, they are not able to repay it.
They can’t set up a king or put him down.
35 In like manner, they can neither give
riches nor money. Though a man make a
vow to them and doesn’t keep it, they will
never exact it.
36 They can save no man from death.
They can’t deliver the weak from the
mighty.
37 They can’t restore a blind man to his
sight, or deliver anyone who is in distress.
38 They can show no mercy to the widow,
or do good to the fatherless.
39 They are like the stones that are cut
out of the mountain, these gods of wood
that are overlaid with gold and with silver.
Those who minister to them will be confounded.
40 How could a man then think or
say that they are gods, when even the
Chaldeans themselves dishonor them?
41 If they shall see one mute who can’t
speak, they bring him and ask him to call
upon Bel, as though he were able to understand.
42 Yet they can’t perceive this themselves,
and forsake them; for they have no
understanding.
43 The women also with cords around
them sit in the ways, burning bran for
incense; but if any of them, drawn by
someone who passes by, lies with him, she
reproaches her fellow, that she was not
thought as worthy as herself and her cord
wasn’t broken.
44 Whatever is done among them is false.
How could a man then think or say that
they are gods?
45 They are fashioned by carpenters and
goldsmiths. They can be nothing else than
what the workmen make them to be.
46 And they themselves who fashioned
them can never continue long. How then
should the things that are fashioned by
them?
47 For they have left lies and reproaches
to those who come after.
48 For when there comes any war or
plague upon them, the priests consult with
themselves, where they may be hidden with them.
49 How then can’t men understand that
they are no gods, which can’t save themselves
from war or from plague?
50 For seeing they are only wood and
overlaid with gold and silver, it will be
known hereafter that they are false.
51 It will be manifest to all nations and
kings that they are no gods, but the works
of men’s hands, and that there is no work
of God in them.
52 Who then may not know that they are
not gods?
53 For they can’t set up a king in a land or
give rain to men.
54 They can’t judge their own cause, or
redress a wrong, beingunable;for they are
like crows between heaven and earth.
55 For even when fire falls upon the
house of gods of wood overlaid with gold
or with silver, their priests will flee away,
and escape, but they themselves will be
burned apart like beams.
56 Moreover they can’t withstand any
king or enemies. How could a man then
admit or think that they are gods?
57 Those gods of wood overlaid with silver
or with gold aren’t able to escape from
thieves or robbers. 58 The gold, silver,
and garments with which they are clothed—those who are
strong will take from them, and go away
with them. They won’t be able to help themselves.
59 Therefore it is better to be a king who
shows his manhood, or else a vessel in a
house profitable for whatever the owner
needs,thansuchfalse gods—or evena door
in a house, to keep the things safe that are
in it, than such false gods; or better to be a
pillar of wood in a palace than such false gods.
60 For sun, moon, and stars, being bright
and sent to do their jobs, are obedient.
61 Likewise also the lightning when it
flashes is beautiful to see. In the same way,
the wind also blows in every country.
62 And when God commands the clouds
to go over the whole world, they do as they
are told.
63 And the fire sent from above to consume
mountains and woods does as it is
commanded; but these are to be compared
to them neither in show nor power.
64 Therefore a man shouldn’t think or
say that they are gods, seeing they aren’t
able to judge causes or to do good to men.
65 Knowing therefore that they are no
gods, don’t fear them.
66 For they can neither curse nor bless
kings.
67 They can’t show signs in the heavens
among the nations, or shine as the sun, or
give light as the moon.
68 The beasts are better than they; for
they cangetunder a covert, andhelp themselves.
69 In no way then is it manifest to us that
they are gods. Therefore don’t fear them.
70 For as a scarecrow in a garden of cucumbers that keeps nothing, so are their
gods of wood overlaid with gold and silver.
71 Likewise also their gods of wood overlaid
with gold and with silver, are like a
white thorn in an orchard that every bird
sits upon. They are also like a dead body
that is thrown out into the dark.
72 You will know them to be no gods
by the bright purple that rots upon them.
They themselves will be consumed afterwards,
and will be a reproach in the country.
73 Better therefore is the just man who
has no idols; for he will be far from reproach.