"You must not turnaside,for [then you would go] afterfutilethingswhichcan not profitor deliver,becausethey are futile.
They rejectedHis statutesand His covenantwhichHe madewith their fathersand His warningswith whichHe warnedthem. And they followedvanityand becamevain,and [went] afterthe nationswhichsurroundedthem, concerning whichthe LORDhad commandedthem not to dolike them.
"Behold,allof them are false;Their worksare worthless,Their moltenimagesare windand emptiness.
"Gatheryourselves and come;Drawneartogether,you fugitivesof the nations;They havenoknowledge,Who carryabout their woodenidolAnd prayto a godwho cannotsave.
"They liftit upon the shoulder[and] carryit; They setit in its placeand it stands[there]. It does not movefrom its place.Thoughone may cryto it, it cannotanswer;It cannotdeliverhim from his distress.
They are worthless,a workof mockery;In the timeof their punishmentthey will perish.
But they are altogetherstupidand foolish[In their] disciplineof delusion--their idol is wood!
Are thereanyamong the idolsof the nationswho giverain?Orcan the heavensgrantshowers?Is it not You, O LORDour God?Therefore we hopein You, For You are the one who has doneallthesethings.
O LORD,my strengthand my stronghold,And my refugein the dayof distress,To You the nationswill comeFrom the endsof the earthand say,"Our fathershave inheritednothingbut falsehood,Futilityand thingsof noprofit."
"For My peoplehave committedtwoevils:They have forsakenMe, The fountainof livingwaters,To hewfor themselves cisterns,BrokencisternsThat canholdnowater.
Thussaysthe LORD,"Whatinjusticedid your fathersfindin Me, That they wentfarfrom Me And walkedafteremptinessand becameempty?
"Those who regardvainidolsForsaketheir faithfulness,
But I will sacrificeto You With the voiceof thanksgiving.That whichI have vowedI will pay.Salvationis from the LORD."
"Whatprofitis the idolwhenits makerhas carvedit, [Or] an image,a teacherof falsehood?For [its] makertrustsin his [own] handiworkWhen he fashionsspeechlessidols.
and saying,"Men,whyare you doingthese things?We are alsomenof the same natureas you, and preach the gospelto you that you should turnfrom thesevain thingsto a livingGod,WHOMADETHE HEAVENAND THE EARTHAND THE SEAAND ALLTHAT IS IN THEM.
Thereforeconcerningthe eatingof things sacrificed to idols,we knowthat there is nosuch thingas an idolin the world,and that there is noGodbut one.
"Bewarethat your heartsare not deceived,and that you do not turnawayand serveothergodsand worshipthem.
"But ifyour heartturnsawayand you will not obey,but are drawnawayand worshipothergodsand servethem,
They have madeMe jealouswith [what] is not God;They have provokedMe to angerwith their idols.So I will make them jealouswith [those who] are not a people;I will provokethem to angerwith a foolishnation,
