Hear the word that the
Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the
Lord:
“Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the
heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the
peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with
an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and
gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their
idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak;
they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them,
for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” ...
