The Letter of Jeremiah
1A copy of the letter which Jeremiah sent to those who were to be taken captive to Babylon by the king of the Babylonians, to let them know what God had ordered him.
① “Because of the sins you have committed against God, you will be led captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians. 2After your arrival in Babylon you will remain there for a number of years – a long time, for seven generations; but after that I shall bring you home in peace.
3In Babylon you will see gods of silver, gold and wood, carried on men’s shoulders and filling the people with fear. 4Take care not to copy what foreigners do and not to let yourselves be terrified by them 5when you see the crowds pressing in front and behind to adore them. 6Say rather to yourselves: ‘Master, it is you we are to adore.’ My angel is with you to take care of your lives.
7Their tongues have been polished by a craftsman and even if they are of gold and silver, they are false and are unable to speak.
8As for a maiden conscious of her appearance, these pagans make golden crowns for their gods. 9Yet at times the priests steal the gold and silver from their gods for their own use and for the prostitutes in their temples.
10They give clothes to these gods as if they were people, but they are only things of gold, silver and wood, which cannot defend themselves from rust or wood worm. 11So, after clothing them in purple, they wipe their faces because of the thick dust of the temple that covers them.
12The god has a scepter like a governor of a province, but he cannot destroy the person who has wronged him. 13He carries sword and axe in his right hand, but he is helpless both in war and against thieves. 14This clearly proves they are not gods; have no fear of them.
15A broken pot is useless for anyone. So are those gods enshrined in their temples. 16Their eyes are full of the dust raised by those who enter. 17Just as doors are carefully closed on a man who has offended the king or on a convict sentenced to death, in the same way the priests lock and bolt the doors of the temple for fear of thieves. 18They light lamps, far more numerous than what they need for themselves, and yet the god sees no one. 19He is no more than any of the beams of the temple and some whisper that the inner part is gnawed by termites; worms out of the ground devour both the god and his clothes, but he feels nothing. 20Their faces have become black because of the smoke of the temple. 21Owls alight on their heads and shoulders, swallows and other birds perch on them and cats prowl around them. 22This tells you they are not gods, so have no fear of them.
23If the rust on the gold that adorns them is not removed, they cannot shine. Yet what does it matter? Even when they were cast they felt nothing. 24They may be bought at a high price but there is not a breath of life in them. 25As they are without feet, they are carried on men’s shoulders, showing publicly their shame. What a confusion for their worshipers if the god falls! They must lift him up. 26Once he has been stood up, he does not move. If tilted, he is helpless to straighten up. So you make offerings to these gods as you make to dead people.
27The priests collect what has been offered for sacrifice, selling it, while the wives salt some of it but give nothing to the poor and helpless. Do you think these are true offerings? Even women giving birth or who are ritually unclean touch them. 28See that they are not gods and have no fear of them.
29How can they be called gods? Women carry offerings to things made of silver, wood and gold. 30The priests remain seated in the temple, their garments torn, head and beard shaved, and no covering on their heads.
31They roar and cry in the presence of their gods as do certain people during funeral meals. 32With the garments taken from the gods the priests clothe their wives and their children. 33Whether they are treated well or shabbily, the gods can make no return, neither can they make or unmake a king. 34They are incapable of bestowing riches or money. If someone fails to keep a vow, he is not called to account. 35They can neither save anyone from death nor rescue a helpless person from the clutch of the powerful. 36They cannot restore sight to the blind or save someone in distress. 37They will show no compassion to the widow nor do good to the orphan.
38These pieces of wood plated with gold and silver are no more worthy than rocks hewn out of a mountain and their worshipers shall be humiliated. 39How then can anyone believe they are gods? How can they be called gods?
40The Chaldeans themselves have put them to shame. If they see someone who is dumb, unable to speak, they bring him before Bel, entreating him to make him speak, as if the god could hear them! 41And yet these thinking people are unable to abandon gods that are completely devoid of sense.
42Women with cord round their waists sit in the street burning bran. 43When one of them has been picked up by a passerby and has slept with him, she taunts her companion for not having been so highly regarded as herself and for failing to have her cord broken. 44All that goes on anywhere near these gods is false. How can they be considered or declared to be gods?
45They have been fashioned by craftsmen and goldsmiths; they are nothing more than what the artisans decided they were to be.
46Those who made them haven’t long to live; so how could the work of their hands be gods?
47What they leave to their descendants is nothing more than illusion and shame.
48For when war or other disasters come upon them, they discuss among themselves where they, with their gods, will hide. 49How could anyone fail to be convinced that what cannot save from war and disaster is not a god? 50Later on, these pieces of wood plated with silver and gold will be known to be false. It will be plain to all kings and nations that they are not gods, but merely the work of human hands and God does nothing through them. 51Is there anyone unconvinced that these are not gods?
52They are incapable of establishing a king in a country or of sending rain to people. 53They are unable to discern what is just or to rescue a person who has been wronged. They are as helpless as crows between the sky and the ground. 54When fire breaks out in the temple of these wooden gods plated with silver and gold, the priests flee to safety but their gods are burnt with the beams in the midst of the flames. 55They can neither resist a king nor a hostile army. 56How can it be admitted or believed that they are gods?
57These gods cannot escape either from thieves or brigands. These are more powerful and despoil them of their gold, their silver and their robes. Such gods are unable to defend themselves.
58Better to be a king with a show of power, or even a household pot that is of some use to its owner than to be a false god; better even to be the door of a house that guards what is within, or a wooden column in a royal palace than to be a false god. 59The sun, moon and stars that shine and serve us are obedient to God; 60likewise the lightning that is beautiful to see, and the wind that blows over the country 61and the clouds passing over the earth at God’s command, fire sent from on high to consume mountain and forest – all do what is commanded. 62But these wooden objects can in no way compare with them, 63that is why it must not be either believed or said that these are gods, since they are powerless to administer justice or benefit anyone in any way.
64Since you know they are not gods, have no fear of them. 65They can neither curse 66nor bless kings, nor bring about signs in the heavens for the nations to see. They can neither shine like the sun nor give light like the moon. 67Animals are of more worth, since by taking cover they can look after themselves. 68So in no way whatever is it evident to us that these are gods; for that reason have no fear of them.
69For like a scarecrow in a field of melons, these gods plated with silver and gold protect nothing. 70Again these wooden gods may be compared to a thornbush in a garden where any bird can perch, or to a corpse thrown into a dark place. 71You know by the purple and scarlet robes rotting on them that they are not gods. They end up by being eaten away and become a disgrace to the country. 72Better then a just man who has no idols, he will not be dishonored.
- Bar 6,1 This discourse also serves as a warning for us against exaggerated devotion to the saints and too much interest in religious images. In the midst of so many considerations which may seem tedious to us, note the judgment expressed in verses 27 and 37: a religion which shows no concern for orphans and widows is a false religion.
