13. When his voice thunders, the heavenly ocean roars.He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons.He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain.He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it.
14. All these idolaters will prove to be stupid and ignorant.Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made.For the image he forges is merely a sham.There is no breath in any of those idols.
15. They are worthless, mere objects to be mocked.When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.
16. The Lord, who is the inheritance of Jacob’s descendants, is not like them.He is the one who created everything.And the people of Israel are those he claims as his own.He is known as the Lord who rules over all.”
17. Gather your belongings together and prepare to leave the land,you people of Jerusalem who are being besieged.
18. For the Lord says, “I will now throw outthose who live in this land.I will bring so much trouble on themthat they will actually feel it.”
19. And I cried out, “We are doomed!Our wound is severe!We once thought, ‘This is only an illness.And we will be able to bear it!’
20. But our tents have been destroyed.The ropes that held them in place have been ripped apart.Our children are gone and are not coming back.There is no survivor to put our tents back up,no one left to hang their tent curtains in place.
21. For our leaders are stupid.They have not sought the Lord’s advice.So they do not act wisely,and the people they are responsible for have all been scattered.
22. Listen! News is coming even now.The rumble of a great army is heard approaching from a land in the north.It is coming to turn the towns of Judah into rubble,places where only jackals live.
23. Lord, we know that people do not control their own destiny.It is not in their power to determine what will happen to them.
24. Correct us, Lord, but only in due measure.Do not punish us in anger or you will reduce us to nothing.
25. Vent your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you.Vent it on the peoples who do not worship you.For they have destroyed the people of Jacob.They have completely destroyed themand left their homeland in utter ruin.