THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES Old Testament Prophecy - Angelfire

JEREMIAH'S LETTER
A copy of a letter which Jeremiah sent forth to those who were to be taken as captives
to Babylon by the king of the Babylonians, to report to them just as it was ordered him
by God.
1 Because of the sins which you committed before God, you will be taken as captives
to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians. 2 So, when you enter Babylon,
you will be there for many years and a long time, until seven generations. After this, I
will bring you out from there with peace. 3 Now in Babylon you will see silvery, golden,
and wooden gods carried on shoulders, which represent fear to the nations. 4 So be
cautious that you do not become like the Philistines and fear seize you over them,
5 when you see the crowd in front and behind them worshiping them. Say in your minds,
"It is necessary to worship you, O Master." 6 For my messenger is with you, and he
himself is looking out for your souls.
7 For their tongues are polished by a craftsman, and they are overlaid with gold and
silver, but they are false and cannot speak. 8 Just as for a virgin who befriends the
world, they take gold and fashion crowns for the heads of their gods. 9 It is also that,
when the priests pilfer gold and silver from their gods and lavish it on themselves, they
will give from them even to the prostitutes in the brothel. 10 They will adorn them with
garments like men, silvery, golden, and wooden gods, but these cannot preserve
themselves from rust and excrement. 11 Although they are encompassed by purple
clothing, their faces are wiped because of the dust from the house, which is over most
of them. 12 It has a scepter like a man who is the judge of a country, who does not slay
the one who sins against him. 13 It has a hand knife in its right hand and an ax, but
cannot rescue itself from war and robbers. 14 From this they are known not to be gods,
so do not fear them.
15 For just as the vessel of a man becomes useless when it is broken, such are their
gods when they are dedicated in the houses. 16 Their eyes are full of dust due to the
feet of those who go in. 17 Just as courtyards are fenced off to someone who did wrong
to a king, as though he were being led away for execution, the priests fortify their
houses with doorways, locks, and bars, so that they might not be plundered by robbers.
18 They light candles even more than for themselves, by which they can see nothing. 19 It
is like a beam of those from the house; they say that their hearts are touched, even
though when the creeping things from the earth consume them and their clothing, they
do not perceive it. 20 Their faces are blackened due to the smoke which is from the
house. 21 Bats, swallows, and birds flit over their bodies and over their heads, and
similarly also cats. 22 From this you will know that they are not gods, so do not fear
them.
23 Despite the gold which surrounds them for beauty, unless someone wipes off the
rust, they will not gleam, for not even when they were molten did they perceive it.
24 Things in which there is no breath are purchased at all cost. 25 They are carried on
shoulders, without feet, exhibiting to men their own dishonor. Even those who attend
them are ashamed, since if they ever fall on the ground, they cannot arise by