2The Lord saith these things, Do not ye learn after the ways of heathen men, and do not ye dread of the signs of heaven, which signs heathen men dread. (The Lord saith these things, Do not ye learn after the ways of the heathen, and do not ye fear the signs of the heavens, which signs the heathen fear.)

3For the laws of peoples be vain (For the religions, or the customs, of the peoples, or of the nations, be empty and futile), for why the work of [the] hands of a craftsman hath cut down with an ax a tree of the forest.

4He made it fair with silver and gold; (and) with nails and hammers he joined it together, that it be not loosed [atwain].

5Idols be made in the likeness of a palm tree, and shall not speak; those shall be taken and be borne (about), for those may not go; therefore do not ye dread those, for they may neither do evil, neither well. (These idols be made straight and tall like a palm tree, but they cannot speak; they must be picked up and carried about, for they cannot walk; and so do not ye fear them, for they can do neither good nor evil to you/for you.)

6Lord, none is like thee (Lord, there is no one like thee); thou art great, and thy name is great in strength.

7A! thou king of folks, who shall not dread thee? for why honour is thine among all wise men of heathen men, and in all the realms of them none is like thee. (O! thou King of nations, who shall not fear thee? for honour is thine among all the wise of the heathen, and in all their kingdoms there is no one like thee.)

8They shall be proved unwise and fools together; the teaching of their vanity is a tree. (They shall be proved altogether unwise and foolish; their empty and futile teaching is from a piece of wood.)

9Silver wrapped is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz (Silver beaten into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Ophir); it is the work of a craftsman, and of the hand(s) of a worker in metal; jacinth and purple be the clothing of them; all these things be the work of workmen.

10Forsooth the Lord is very God; he is God living, and a king everlasting; the earth shall be moved together of his indignation, and heathen men shall not (be able to) suffer the menacing of him. (For the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, and the everlasting King; the earth shall be altogether shaken by his indignation, and the heathen shall not be able to suffer his threats.)

11Therefore thus ye shall say to them, Gods that made not heaven and earth, perish from the earth, and from these things that be under heaven. (And so ye shall say this to them, The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth, shall perish from the earth, and from these things that be under the heavens.)

12He is God, that maketh the earth in his strength, that maketh ready the world in his wisdom, and stretcheth forth (the) heavens by his prudence. (He is God, who maketh the earth by his strength, who prepareth the world by his wisdom, and who stretcheth forth the heavens by his prudence, or by his knowledge.)

13At his voice he giveth the multitude of waters in (the) heaven(s), and he raiseth [up] mists from the ends of (the) earth; he maketh lightnings into rain, and leadeth out wind of his treasures/of his treasuries (and leadeth forth the wind from his storehouses).

14Each man is made a fool of [his] knowing, each craftsman is shamed in a graven image; for why that that he welled together is false, and no spirit is in them. (Each person is made a fool by his knowledge, each craftsman is shamed by a carved, or a cast, idol; for what he welded together is false, and no breath, or life, is in them.)

15Those be vain (They be empty and futile), and a work worthy of scorn; those shall perish in the time of their visitation.

16The part of Jacob is not like these, for he that formed all things is God of Jacob, and Israel is the rod of his heritage; the Lord of hosts is name to him. (The portion of Jacob is not like these, for he who formed all things is the God of Jacob, and Israel is the rod of his inheritance; the Lord of hosts is his name.)

17Thou that dwellest in besieging, gather from the land thy shame; (Thou who livest under siege, gather up thy goods from the land;)

18for the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall cast away far the dwellers of the land in this while; and I shall give tribulation to them, so that they be not found. (for the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall cast far away the inhabitants of the land at this time; and I shall give them so much trouble, that they shall never be found again.)

19Woe to me on my sorrow, my wound is full evil; forsooth I said, Plainly this is my sickness, and I shall bear it. (Woe to me for my sorrow, my wound is very bad; but I said, Truly this is my plight, and I shall bear it.)

20My tabernacle is destroyed, all my ropes be broken; my sons went out from me, and be not; none is that shall stretch forth more my tent, and shall raise [up] my skins. (My tent is destroyed, all my ropes be broken; my sons and daughters went out from me, and now be not; there is no longer anyone who shall stretch forth my tent, and shall raise up my curtains.)

21For the shepherds did follily, and sought not the Lord (For the shepherds of the people did foolishly, and did not seek the Lord); therefore they understood not, and all the flock of them is scattered.

22Lo! the voice of hearing cometh, and a great moving together from the land of the north, that it set the cities of Judah into wilderness, and a dwelling place of dragons. (Lo! tidings come, and then a great tumult from the land of the north, that shall turn the cities of Judah into a wilderness, and into a dwelling place for dragons, or for jackals.)

23Lord, I know, that the way of a man is not of him(self), neither it is of a man that he go, and (ad)dress his steps. (Lord, I know, that the way of a person is not their own choosing, nor is it for anyone that they can go, and direct their own steps.)

24Lord, chastise thou me; nevertheless in doom, and not in thy strong vengeance, lest peradventure thou drive me to nought. (Lord, discipline, or correct, thou me; nevertheless with justice/in judgement, and not with thy strong vengeance, lest perhaps thou drive me down to nothing.)

25Pour out thine indignation on heathen men that knew not thee, and on provinces that called not thy name to help; for they ate Jacob, and devoured him, and wasted him, and destroyed the honour of him. (Pour out thy indignation upon the heathen who do not know thee, and upon the provinces that did not call on thy name for help; for they ate up Jacob, and devoured him, and wasted him, and destroyed his honour.)