17 Thus says Yahweh of hosts:

“Consider closely, and call for the wailing women, so that they come,

and send for the skillful women, so that they come.

18 And let them hasten,

and let them lift up wailing over us,

so that our eyes may melt with tears,

and our eyelids may flow with water.

19 For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion,

‘How we are devastated!

We are very ashamed because we have left the land,

because they have overthrown our dwelling places.’

20 For hear, O women, the word of Yahweh,

and let your ear receive the word of his mouth,

and teach your daughters a lamentation,

and each woman her neighbor a lament.

21 For death has come into our windows,

it has entered into our fortresses,

to cut off the childrent from the streets,u

the young men from the public squares.

22 Speak, ‘thus ⌊declares⌋v Yahweh:

“The dead body of the human will fall

like dung upon the surface of the field,

and like cut grain behind the reaper,

and there is no one who gathers.” ’ ”

The Things in Which Yahweh Delights

23 Thus says Yahweh,

“The wise man must not boast in his wisdom,

and the warrior must not boast in his might,

the wealthy man must not boast in his wealth.

24 ⌊But only⌋w in this must the one who boasts boast,

that he has insight,

and that he knows me,

that I am Yahweh,

showing loyal love, justice, and righteousness on the earth,

for in these things I delight,” ⌊declares⌋x Yahweh.

The Way of the Nations

25 “Look, days are coming,” ⌊declares⌋y Yahweh, “and I will call into account all those who are circumcised in the foreskin: 26 Egypt, Judah, and Edom, and the ⌊Ammonites⌋,z and Moab, and all those who are trimmed to the side, those who live in the desert,a for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”

10 Hear the word that Yahweh speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says Yahweh:

“You must not learn the way of the nations,

and you must not be dismayed by the signs of the heavens,

for the nations are dismayed by them.

3 For the statutes of the peoples are vanity,

for it is a tree cut down from the forest,

the work of the hands of a craftsman with the tool.

4 He decorates it with silver and gold,

they strengthen it with nails and hammers,

so that it does not stagger.

5 They are like scarecrowsa in a cucumber field,

they cannot speak.

Indeed, they must be carried,

for they cannot march.

You must not be afraid of them,

for they cannot do evil;

furthermore, to do good is not in them.”

6 There is none like you, O Yahweh,

you are great and your name is great in might.

7 Who would not revere you, O king of the nations?

For you it is fitting.

For among all the wise men of the nations,

and in all their kingdoms,b

there is none like you.

8 ⌊At the same time⌋c they are stupid and foolish,

in the instruction of idols, it is wood.

9 Silver beaten from Tarshish is brought,

and gold from Uphaz,

the work of the craftsman and the hands of the goldsmith.

Blue and purple are their clothing,

all of them are the work of skillful people.

10 But Yahweh is the true God,

he is the living God,

and ⌊an everlasting king⌋.d

Because of his wrath the earth quakes,

and the nations cannot endure his anger.

11 “⌊Thus⌋e you shall say to them,

‘Gods who did not make the heavens and the earth

will perish from the earth and from under these heavens.

12 He is the maker of the earth by his power,

who created the world by his wisdom,

and by his understanding he stretched out heaven.

13 ⌊When he utters his voice⌋f there is a noise of water in the heavens,

and he causes the mist to rise from the endsg of the earth.

He makes lightning for the rain,

and he causes the wind to go out from his storehouses.

14 ⌊Everyone⌋h is stupid, ⌊without knowledge⌋,i

every goldsmith is ashamed by his divine image,

for his cast image is an illusion,

and there is no breath in them.

15 They are vanity, a work of mockery,

at the time of their punishment, they will perish.

16 The portion of Jacob is not like these,

for he is the creator of everything,

and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance,

Yahweh of hosts is his name.