Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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The Letter of JEREMIAH
The Letter of Jeremiah is in the form of a letter, claiming to be written by
the prophet Jeremiah to Jews who are about to be taken into exile. It consists
primarily of a lengthy condemnation of idolatry.
The helplessness of idols 1–40
The foolishness of worshipping idols 41–73
1 This is a copy of the letter sent
by Jeremiah to the people of Jerusalem
just before they were captured
by the Babylonian king and taken to
Babylon. It contains the message
that God had commanded Jeremiah
to give them. note
The People Face a Long Captivity
2 You have sinned against God.
That is why you are about to be
taken away as prisoners to Babylon
by King Nebuchadnezzar.
3 You will
remain there in exile for many years,
as long as seven generations; then
God will lead you peacefully home
from Babylon.
4 There in Babylon you will see
gods made of wood, silver, and
gold—gods which people carry on
their shoulders and which fill the
heathen with fear.
5 You must be
careful never to imitate those Gentiles.
Don't let their gods fill you
with fear when you see them being
carried in procession and being worshiped.
6 Instead, say to yourselves,
“It is you alone, Lord, that we must
worship.”
7 God's angel will be there
with you; he will take care of you.
The Helplessness of Idols
8 Their idols are plated with silver
and gold and have tongues that were
carved by woodworkers. But they
are not real gods, and they cannot
speak.
9 The people make gold
crowns and put them on the heads of
their gods, as if these idols were girls
who love jewelry.
10 Sometimes the
priests steal the silver and gold from
their gods and spend it on themselves;
11 they even give some of it to
the temple prostitutes. People take
these gods of wood, silver, and gold,
and put clothes on them, as if they
were human.
12 But even though the
gods are dressed in purple robes like
kings, they still cannot keep themselves
from being tarnished or protect
themselves from termites.
13 When dust from the temple settles
on their faces, someone has to wipe
it off for them.
14 Like human judges
they hold scepters in their hands,
but they have no power to punish
anyone who wrongs them.
15 Sometimes
they have daggers and axes in
their hands, but they cannot protect
themselves from being destroyed in
war or from being carried off by
thieves.
16 All of this proves that they
are not gods—do not worship them.
17 Those gods sitting in their temples
are as useless as a broken bowl.
Their eyes are filled with the dust
that people kick up when they come
in.
18 The priests fortify the temples
with doors and bars and bolts, so
that thieves cannot break in. The
gods are locked up as securely as a
prisoner about to be executed for a
crime against the king.
19 The priests
light lamps for the gods, far more
than they need for their own use, but
-- --
the idols can't see even one of them.
20 Their insides are eaten away by
termites, just like the wooden beams
of the temple, and their clothing is
destroyed, but they don't even know
it.
21 Their faces are blackened by
the smoke in the temple.
22 Bats,
swallows, and other birds perch on
them, and even cats sit on them.
23 All of this proves that they are not
gods—do not worship them.
24 These idols have been plated
with gold to make them beautiful,
but they do not shine unless someone
polishes them. When they were
being poured into molds, they felt
nothing.
25 It makes no difference
how high a price is paid for them;
they are still unable to breathe.
26 See how useless they are! They
can't walk on their own feet, but
must be carried around.
27 Even
those who take care of them are embarrassed
when one of their gods
falls to the ground and has to be
picked up again. When someone
stands one of them in a certain
place, it cannot move, and if it is
leaning over, it can never straighten
itself up. Offering gifts to them is
like giving gifts to a corpse.
28 Priests
sell what is sacrificed to their gods
and use the money on themselves.
And the wives of the priests preserve
the sacrifices with salt for later
use, instead of sharing them with the
poor and helpless.
29 Even women
who are having their monthly period
or women who have just given birth
are allowed to touch the sacrifices.
All of this proves that they are not
gods—do not worship them.
30 How can they ever be called
gods, when women are allowed to
make offerings to these things made
of wood, silver, and gold?
31 The
priests even sit in the temples when
they are in mourning, with torn
clothes and shaved, uncovered
heads.
32 The priests roar and shout
in the presence of their gods as if
they were taking part in a funeral
feast.
33 They take the clothing off
their gods and give it to their wives
and children.
34 It doesn't matter
whether a person helps or harms
these gods, since they cannot pay
him back. They are not able to make
anyone a king or to dethrone him,
35 and they cannot make a person
wealthy or give him any money. If
someone makes a vow to them but
does not keep it, they will never
make him pay.
36 They can never rescue
a person from death, and they
never help a weak person against
one who is strong.
37 They cannot restore
sight to the blind or save anyone
in distress.
38 They cannot offer
any mercy or give help to widows or
orphans.
39 These things made of
wood and covered with silver and
gold are as powerless as stone taken
from the mountains; and the people
who worship them will be put to
shame.
40 How can anyone think that
they are gods or call them gods?
The Foolishness of Worshiping Idols
40 The Babylonians bring dishonor
on their own gods.
41 When someone
cannot speak, they take him to the
temple and ask Bel to give him the
power of speech, as if Bel could understand
anything. note
42 But even when
the people realize that their gods
cannot help, they are stupid enough
to go on worshiping them.
43 Not
only that, but women wrap cords
around themselves and sit alongside
-- --
the road burning incense and offering
themselves as prostitutes. When
one of them is taken off for sex, she
returns to ridicule the woman next
to her who was not beautiful enough
to be chosen.
44 Everything about
these idols is false. How can anyone
think that they are gods or call them
gods?
45 Woodworkers and goldsmiths
make these gods, so they can never
be anything other than what these
people want them to be.
46 Even their
makers do not live long lives, so how
are they able to create gods?
47 These
people leave nothing but deceit and
disgrace as an inheritance for future
generations.
48 When wars and disturbances
come, the priests plan
where they can go into hiding with
their gods.
49 These idols are helpless
in the face of wars and disturbances.
Why can't people realize that these
idols are not gods?
50 These idols are nothing more
than wood covered with silver and
gold; one day it will be clear that
they are really not gods at all.
51 All
nations and kings will realize that
idols are nothing more than the
work of human hands. They do not
have the power of a god,
52 and anyone
should know that they are not
really gods.
53 These gods can never make anyone
a king or bring rain.
54 They can't
make decisions about their own affairs
or give justice to someone who
has been wronged; they can do absolutely
nothing. They are as useless
as crows flying around in the air.
55 When a temple catches on fire, the
priests run away to save themselves,
while the gods made of wood and
covered with silver and gold are left
to burn like wooden beams.
56 They
can't fight kings or go to war against
enemies. How can anyone believe
that they are gods?
57 These gods of wood, covered
with silver and gold, cannot protect
themselves from thieves and robbers
58 who take off the silver and
gold and the gods' clothing and walk
away with all of it. The gods can do
nothing to stop them.
59 Anything
from a courageous king to a useful
piece of pottery is better than a false
god. Even a door is better than a
false god; a door at least protects the
things in the house. Even a wooden
pillar in a palace is better than a
false god.
60 God provided the sun, the moon,
and the stars to give light, and they
obey him.
61 The same is true of
lightning and wind. The lightning
can be seen far and wide, and the
wind blows everywhere.
62 When
God commands clouds to spread out
over the whole world, they obey.
63 When God sends down fire from
heaven to burn up mountains and
forests, it does what it is told. Idols
cannot do these things—they can't
even do a good imitation.
64 Why
should they be called gods, when
they are not able to help us or harm
us in any way?
65 You know that
they are not gods—do not worship
them.
66 These gods have no power over
kings; they cannot pronounce curses
on them or grant them blessings.
67 They cannot produce for the nations
any signs in the sky; they cannot
shine like the sun or the moon.
68 Even wild animals are better off
than these idols; animals can at least
run from danger to protect themselves.
69 So it is absolutely clear
that they are not gods—do not worship
them.
70 These gods of theirs, made of
wood and covered with silver and
gold, are about as helpful as a scarecrow
in a cucumber patch; they are
no protection at all.
71 They do as
much good as a thorn bush in a garden;
instead of keeping birds away,
they provide a perch for them. These
gods are like a dead body thrown
out into the darkness.
72 The purple
linen note robes they wear rot away, so
we know that they are not gods. Finally
they will be eaten by termites,
and then no one anywhere will have
any use for them.
73 The righteous person has an advantage
over others; he does not
own any idols, and they can never
make a fool of him.
-- --
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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