Leave me alone!

Leave me alone! There! All of philosophy died! "Leave me alone" always kills philosophy! This is what the Maccabees wanted! This is what the Protestants wanted! This is what the Americans wanted in the war for independence! This is what the South wanted in the Civil War! This is what America wanted in the Cold war! This is what intelligent design is about! This is what the tea party is about! This is what the 99% is about! Leave me alone! Go away! Go bother somebody else! Save your philosophy for when I am no longer having to cry my eyes out! Philosophers hate it, but leave me alone! We do not hate anybody! We are not hateful people!

Us vs them

Nobody cares about morals

Morals are supposed to win! Do we care about truth? No, we only care about whether our side wins! Does anyone care about where the world actually came from? No, we want our pet theories to win! Winning, winning, winning! Do you think that this is some kind of basketball 🏀 game? Do you think that this is the Superbowl? People are crying 😢! This is real life. This is not a comic book! This is not a video game 🎮! Actual people are actually crying! Doesn't that bother you? You can't just call yourself good and your enemies evil all the time! What about the needs of the people you hurt? Don't those matter? Learn to see beyond your own nose 👃! Learn to care about others! Only then can you walk in the joy of the Lord!

Don't hug me! I'm scared!

Rapunzel

by the Grimm Brothers

---

There were once a man and a woman who had long in vain wished for a child. At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her desire. These people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world.
One day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful rampion - Rapunzel, and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for it, and had the greatest desire to eat some. This desire increased every day, and as she knew that she could not get any of it, she quite pined away, and began to look pale and miserable.
Then her husband was alarmed, and asked, "What ails you, dear wife?"
"Ah," she replied, "if I can't eat some of the rampion, which is in the garden behind our house, I shall die."
The man, who loved her, thought, sooner than let your wife die, bring her some of the rampion yourself, let it cost what it will. At twilight, he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once made herself a salad of it, and ate it greedily. It tasted so good to her - so very good, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before. If he was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend into the garden. In the gloom of evening, therefore, he let himself down again. But when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him.
"How can you dare," said she with angry look, "descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief? You shall suffer for it."
"Ah," answered he, "let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat."
Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and said to him, "If the case be as you say, I will allow you to take away with you as much rampion as you will, only I make one condition, you must give me the child which your wife will bring into the world. It shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother."
The man in his terror consented to everything, and when the woman was brought to bed, the enchantress appeared at once, gave the child the name of Rapunzel, and took it away with her.
Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child under the sun. When she was twelve years old, the enchantress shut her into a tower, which lay in a forest, and had neither stairs nor door, but quite at the top was a little window. When the enchantress wanted to go in, she placed herself beneath it and cried,

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair!"

Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and when she heard the voice of the enchantress she unfastened her braided tresses, wound them round one of the hooks of the window above, and then the hair fell twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbed up by it.
After a year or two, it came to pass that the king's son rode through the forest and passed by the tower. Then he heard a song, which was so charming that he stood still and listened. This was Rapunzel, who in her solitude passed her time in letting her sweet voice resound. The king's son wanted to climb up to her, and looked for the door of the tower, but none was to be found. He rode home, but the singing had so deeply touched his heart, that every day he went out into the forest and listened to it. Once when he was thus standing behind a tree, he saw that an enchantress came there, and he heard how she cried,

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair!"

Then Rapunzel let down the braids of her hair, and the enchantress climbed up to her. "If that is the ladder by which one mounts, I too will try my fortune," said he, and the next day when it began to grow dark, he went to the tower and cried,

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair!"

Immediately the hair fell down and the king's son climbed up. At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man, such as her eyes had never yet beheld, came to her. But the king's son began to talk to her quite like a friend, and told her that his heart had been so stirred that it had let him have no rest, and he had been forced to see her. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she would take him for her husband, and she saw that he was young and handsome, she thought, he will love me more than old dame gothel does. And she said yes, and laid her hand in his.
She said, "I will willingly go away with you, but I do not know how to get down. Bring with you a skein of silk every time that you come, and I will weave a ladder with it, and when that is ready I will descend, and you will take me on your horse."
They agreed that until that time he should come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day.
The enchantress remarked nothing of this, until once Rapunzel said to her, "Tell me, Dame Gothel, how it happens that you are so much heavier for me to draw up than the young king's son - he is with me in a moment."
"Ah! You wicked child," cried the enchantress. "What do I hear you say. I thought I had separated you from all the world, and yet you have deceived me."
In her anger she clutched Rapunzel's beautiful tresses, wrapped them twice round her left hand, seized a pair of scissors with the right, and snip, snap, they were cut off, and the lovely braids lay on the ground. And she was so pitiless that she took poor Rapunzel into a desert where she had to live in great grief and misery.
On the same day that she cast out Rapunzel, however, the enchantress fastened the braids of hair, which she had cut off, to the hook of the window, and when the king's son came and cried,

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair!"

she let the hair down. The king's son ascended, but instead of finding his dearest Rapunzel, he found the enchantress, who gazed at him with wicked and venomous looks.
"Aha," she cried mockingly, "you would fetch your dearest, but the beautiful bird sits no longer singing in the nest. The cat has got it, and will scratch out your eyes as well. Rapunzel is lost to you. You will never see her again."
The king's son was beside himself with pain, and in his despair he leapt down from the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell pierced his eyes. Then he wandered quite blind about the forest, ate nothing but roots and berries, and did naught but lament and weep over the loss of his dearest wife.
Thus he roamed about in misery for some years, and at length came to the desert where Rapunzel, with the twins to which she had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in wretchedness. He heard a voice, and it seemed so familiar to him that he went towards it, and when he approached, Rapunzel knew him and fell on his neck and wept. Two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clear again, and he could see with them as before. He led her to his kingdom where he was joyfully received, and they lived for a long time afterwards, happy and contented.

Why should we be forced to have opinions?

Why should we be forced to have opinions about things that happen way over there? It is not like anybody really cares about what we want? It is not like it matters what we believe! Can believing something change reality? No, they just want to make fun of us! Dare to not care!

What is the Value of Honor?

What is the value of honor? I think that we really cannot answer that question until we know exactly what it is that is being discussed. It seems that honour must be respecting those who are worthy of respect. How are we to determine who exactly is worthy of respect? How is anybody to ever determine such? Are we to deny respect from some people to give it to others? Are we to not care for those less than us? Do we owe them honour? I cannot say that we do, and I cannot say that we do not. These things never have easy answers.

Barnabas 11

Barnabas 11:1
But let us enquire whether the Lord took care to signify before hand
concerning the water and the cross. Now concerning the water it is
written in reference to Israel, how that they would not receive the
baptism which bringeth remission of sins, but would build for
themselves.

Barnabas 11:2
For the prophet saith; Be astonished, O heaven, and let the earth
shudder the more at this, for this people hath done two evil
things; they abandoned Me the fountain of life, and they digged for
themselves a pit of death.

Barnabas 11:3
Is My holy mountain of Sinai a desert rock? for ye shall be as the
fledglings of a bird, which flutter aloft when deprived of their
nest.

Barnabas 11:4
And again the prophet saith; I will go before thee, and level
mountains and crush gates of brass and break in pieces bolts of
iron, and I will give thee treasures dark, concealed, unseen, that
they may know that I am the Lord God.

Barnabas 11:5
And; Thou shalt dwell in a lofty cave of a strong rock. And; His
water shall be sure; ye shall see the King in glory, and your soul
shall meditate on the fear of the Lord.

Barnabas 11:6
And again He saith in another prophet; And He that doeth these
things shall be as the tree that is planted by the parting streams
of waters, which shall yield his fruit at his proper season, and
his leaf shall not fall off, and all things whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper.

Barnabas 11:7
Not so are the ungodly, not so, but are as the dust which the wind
scattereth from the face of the earth. Therefore ungodly men shall
not stand in judgment, neither sinners in the council of the
righteous; for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the
way of the ungodly shall perish.

Barnabas 11:8
Ye perceive how He pointed out the water and the cross at the same
time. For this is the meaning; Blessed are they that set their hope
on the cross, and go down into the water; for He speaketh of the
reward at his proper season; then, saith He, I will repay. But now
what saith He? His leaves shall not fall off; He meaneth by this
that every word, which shall come forth from you through your mouth
in faith and love, shall be for the conversion and hope of many.

Barnabas 11:9
And again another prophet saith; And the land of Jacob was praised
above the whole earth. He meaneth this; He glorifieth the vessel
of His Spirit.

Barnabas 11:10
Next what saith He? And there was a river streaming from the right
hand, and beautiful trees rose up from it; and whosoever shall eat
of them shall live forever.

Barnabas 11:11
This He saith, because we go down into the water laden with sins and
filth, and rise up from it bearing fruit in the heart, resting our
fear and hope on Jesus in the spirit. And whosoever shall eat of
these shall live forever; He meaneth this; whosoever, saith He,
shall hear these things spoken and shall believe, shall live forever.

Barnabas 7

Barnabas 7:1
Understand therefore, children of gladness, that the good Lord
manifested all things to us beforehand, that we might know to whom we
ought in all things to render thanksgiving and praise.

Barnabas 7:2
If then the Son of God, being Lord and future Judge of quick and
dead, suffered that His wound might give us life, let us believe that
the Son of God could not suffer except for our sakes.

Barnabas 7:3
But moreover when crucified He had vinegar and gall given Him to
drink. Hear how on this matter the priests of the temple have
revealed. Seeing that there is a commandment in scripture,
Whatsoever shall not observe the fast shall surely die, the Lord
commanded, because He was in His own person about to offer the vessel
of His Spirit a sacrifice for our sins, that the type also which was
given in Isaac who was offered upon the alter should be fulfilled.

Barnabas 7:4
What then saith He in the prophet? And let them eat of the goat
that is offered at the fast for all their sins. Attend carefully;
And let all the priests alone eat the entrails unwashed with
vinegar.

Barnabas 7:5
Wherefore? Since ye are to give Me, who am to offer My flesh for the
sins of My new people, gall with vinegar to drink, eat ye alone,
while the people fasteth and waileth in sackcloth and ashes; that He
might shew that He must suffer at their hands.

Barnabas 7:6
Attend ye to the commandments which He gave. Take two goats, fair
and alike, and offer them, and let the priest take the one for a
whole burnt offering for sins.

Barnabas 7:7
But the other one--what must they do with it? Accursed, saith He,
is the one. Give heed how the type of Jesus is revealed.

Barnabas 7:8
And do ye all spit upon it and goad it, and place scarlet wool
about its head, and so let it be cast into the wilderness. And
when it is so done, he that taketh the goat into the wilderness
leadeth it, and taketh off the wool, and putteth it upon the branch
which is called Rachia, the same whereof we are wont to eat the
shoots when we find them in the country. Of this briar alone is the
fruit thus sweet.

Barnabas 7:9
What then meaneth this? Give heed. The one at the alter, and the
other accursed. And moreover the accursed one crowned. For they
shall see Him in that day wearing the long scarlet robe about His
flesh, and shall say, Is not this He, Whom once we crucified and set
at nought and spat upon; verily this was He, Who then said that He
was the Son of God.

Barnabas 7:10
For how is He like the goat? For this reason it says the goats
shall be fair and alike, that, when they shall see Him coming
then, they may be astonished at the likeness of the goat. Therefore
behold the type of Jesus that was to suffer.

Barnabas 7:11
But what meaneth it, that they place the wool in the midst of the
thorns? It is a type of Jesus set forth for the Church, since
whosoever should desire to take away the scarlet wool it behoved him
to suffer many things owing to the terrible nature of the thorn, and
through affliction to win the mastery over it. Thus, He saith, they
that desire to see Me, and to attain unto My kingdom, must lay hold
on Me through tribulation and affliction.

THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS chapter 1

THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS
Translated by J.B. Lightfoot.

Barnabas 1:1
I Bid you greeting, sons and daughters, in the name of the Lord that
loved us, in peace.

Barnabas 1:2
Seeing that the ordinances of God are great and rich unto you, I
rejoice with an exceeding great and overflowing joy at your blessed
and glorious spirits; so innate is the grace of the spiritual gift
that ye have received.

Barnabas 1:3
Wherefore also I the more congratulate myself hoping to be saved, for
that I truly see the Spirit poured out among you from the riches of
the fount of the Lord. So greatly did the much-desired sight of you
astonish me respecting you.

Barnabas 1:4
Being therefore persuaded of this, and being conscious with myself
that having said much among you I know that the Lord journeyed with
me on the way of righteousness, and am wholly constrained also myself
to this, to love you more than my own soul (for great faith and love
dwelleth in you through the hope of the life which is
His)--considering this therefore, that,

Barnabas 1:5
if it shall be my care to communicate to you some portion of that
which I received, it shall turn to my reward for having ministered to
such spirits, I was eager to send you a trifle, that along with your
faith ye might have your knowledge also perfect.

Barnabas 1:6
Well then, there are three ordinances of the Lord; *the hope of life,
which is the beginning and end of our faith; and righteousness, which
is the beginning and end of judgment; love shown in gladness and
exultation, the testimony of works of righteousness.*

Barnabas 1:7
For the Lord made known to us by His prophets things past and
present, giving us likewise the firstfruits of the taste of things
future. And seeing each of these things severally coming to pass,
according as He spake, we ought to offer a richer and higher offering
to the fear of Him. But I, not as though I were a teacher, but as
one of yourselves, will show forth a few things, whereby ye shall be
gladdened in the present circumstances.

modern art copied from wikipedia

Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophy of the art produced during that era.^[1] The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of experimentation.^[2] Modern artists experimented with new ways of seeing and with fresh ideas about the nature of materials and functions of art. A tendency away from the narrative, which was characteristic for the traditional arts, toward abstraction is characteristic of much modern art. More recent artistic production is often called contemporary art or postmodern art.

Modern art begins with the heritage of painters like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec all of whom were essential for the development of modern art. At the beginning of the 20th century Henri Matisse and several other young artists including the pre-cubists Georges Braque, André Derain, Raoul Dufy, Jean Metzinger and Maurice de Vlaminck revolutionized the Paris art world with "wild", multi-colored, expressive landscapes and figure paintings that the critics called Fauvism. Matisse's two versions of The Dance signified a key point in his career and in the development of modern painting.^[3] It reflected Matisse's incipient fascination with primitive art: the intense warm color of the figures against the cool blue-green background and the rhythmical succession of the dancing nudes convey the feelings of emotional liberation and hedonism.

the great beyond from sausage party

Dear God, you are God in everything we pray for you Dear God, we promise you our love forever We always feel that we have a special bond Make us better than adults We are sure there is nothing wrong with this meal When you walk out the door at the noise level, everything will be fine We lived together in the promise of our dreams Our gods seek to make our mark until we know that we are all in our hands We are sure that there is not much in the great desert In each strip feel different

(God’s nonsense I chose) We all agree (Come on girl, I'm here) Everyone was hanging out Only those who think like me (I and I and I) Forever all the time we think it's completely wrong Or you have to go to work every day (Say Hip Hop) Zeus takes Mint's ass The well is coming Unsdt [sic] is best taken care of together Here we cover the contents of the package I don't like to say it, but that's how we keep the barrels fresh and open But when we closed the door, there was nothing wrong undiscovered In other words, he is finally shaking (Love is love)

And ck (and hugs) And scream (and feel) And ck (and share) The gods always take care of us They don't print their cars We cannot predict how confident you are Nothing happens in the hallway

The red scare

NDN Homopoetics by Billy-Ray Belcourt

NDN Homopoetics   Billy-Ray Belcourt

1. I hoard dirt in my ears; months later, I pull out a summer dress. The dress is not a dress to be worn but to be hung, like a flag on a wobbly pole that is noticed only when crowded in the mouths of those near it. The dress is not a dress to be worn but to be hung, like an NDN condemned to death by the judiciary of historical ignorance, an enactment of white fellowship and care. We all bear the dress, not as an article of clothing, but as an ontological imprint. To bear is not to wear, of course. To bear and to birth, however, are from the same neighborhood of experience. It is there, in the neighborhood of experience, that my childhood home is nowhere to be found. And so, my childhood home could be anything, even a dress made out of dirt. 2. Boy becomes a 3-D printing of a man. It brings me comfort to think of my gender as a farmer’s field already rototilled, already cleaned up. I become less of who I am by the second. Look at the branches growing from my teeth! Then there’s the mare, tipsy on me, grazing to no end. If I were to speak, I’d sound like a cracked windshield, typo-ridden. These 206 lonely bones have each gained a type of consciousness; they pretend not to harbor hard feelings about me, my ungodly molecularity. What can I say about my shadow? It loves the unlit street more than it does me. Sometimes a body is that which happens to you. Everyday, dime-sized holes proliferate on my flesh, as if I were trying to free myself from myself. I will go on like this forever: with the earth ringing in my chest. 3. I am a body of knowledge, not one of chemical compounds. Which is to say that I live as ideas do. This is the fate of NDNs. It is on the rez that one can hear sentences speak as though in a chorus. To tear the page is to tear our world apart. What shame to be a sentence on its knees! The day I obtained my driver’s license, I followed a cumulus cloud through a maze of dirt roads until it evaporated. Forty minutes. That was all it took. I bore witness. It did not ask this of me, but I wanted to keep watch of the dying everywhere, so I could figure out how to care for a bleeding sentence. 4. What to an NDN is the intrinsic goodness of mankind? Maybe justice is a lover who regurgitates the English language so it comes back sweeter. Canada, why are your elevators filled with mud water? What is it about a palm that makes a country feel like a garden? I dug and dug. I pulled out a bouquet of skyscrapers. I kissed each window softly. Is this not what an NDN does in a poem?

yes, we don't like trump, but ...

yes, trump is arrogant, and he is crude. he does not respect women all that much, but does anybody really? must we get rid of everybody that we don't like, merely because we do not like them? why impeach a man in midstream? why get rid of somebody just to get rid of them? where else will we ever find somebody who even remotely supports the rights of the unborn? almost nowhere! can't we all be called selfish by somebody? can't everybody call what we do evil? who really are we to judge anybody? who can understand reality? who can understand anything about what is real or what is not? do the senses make sense? we can often be fooled by what we see, by what we smell, by what we taste, by what we touch? can anybody truly understand reality? thus, keep trump. it is not like there is anybody better, and whoever the democrats have is so horrible that we dare not even think about it.

or you could seek reality, and not care... the choice is yours!

Letter of Jeremiah New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

6 [a] A copy of a letter that Jeremiah sent to those who were to be taken to Babylon as exiles by the king of the Babylonians, to give them the message that God had commanded him.

The People Face a Long Captivity

2 Because of the sins that you have committed before God, you will be taken to Babylon as exiles by Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians. 3 Therefore when you have come to Babylon you will remain there for many years, for a long time, up to seven generations; after that I will bring you away from there in peace. 4 Now in Babylon you will see gods made of silver and gold and wood, which people carry on their shoulders, and which cause the heathen to fear. 5 So beware of becoming at all like the foreigners or of letting fear for these gods[b] possess you 6 when you see the multitude before and behind them worshiping them. But say in your heart, “It is you, O Lord, whom we must worship.” 7 For my angel is with you, and he is watching over your lives.

The Helplessness of Idols

8 Their tongues are smoothed by the carpenter, and they themselves are overlaid with gold and silver; but they are false and cannot speak. 9 People[c] take gold and make crowns for the heads of their gods, as they might for a girl who loves ornaments. 10 Sometimes the priests secretly take gold and silver from their gods and spend it on themselves, 11 or even give some of it to the prostitutes on the terrace. They deck their gods[d] out with garments like human beings—these gods of silver and gold and wood 12 that cannot save themselves from rust and corrosion. When they have been dressed in purple robes, 13 their faces are wiped because of the dust from the temple, which is thick upon them. 14 One of them holds a scepter, like a district judge, but is unable to destroy anyone who offends it. 15 Another has a dagger in its right hand, and an ax, but cannot defend itself from war and robbers. 16 From this it is evident that they are not gods; so do not fear them.

17 For just as someone’s dish is useless when it is broken, 18 so are their gods when they have been set up in the temples. Their eyes are full of the dust raised by the feet of those who enter. And just as the gates are shut on every side against anyone who has offended a king, as though under sentence of death, so the priests make their temples secure with doors and locks and bars, in order that they may not be plundered by robbers. 19 They light more lamps for them than they light for themselves, though their gods[e] can see none of them. 20 They are[f] just like a beam of the temple, but their hearts, it is said, are eaten away when crawling creatures from the earth devour them and their robes. They do not notice 21 when their faces have been blackened by the smoke of the temple. 22 Bats, swallows, and birds alight on their bodies and heads; and so do cats. 23 From this you will know that they are not gods; so do not fear them.

24 As for the gold that they wear for beauty—it[g] will not shine unless someone wipes off the tarnish; for even when they were being cast, they did not feel it. 25 They are bought without regard to cost, but there is no breath in them. 26 Having no feet, they are carried on the shoulders of others, revealing to humankind their worthlessness. And those who serve them are put to shame 27 because, if any of these gods falls[h] to the ground, they themselves must pick it up. If anyone sets it upright, it cannot move itself; and if it is tipped over, it cannot straighten itself. Gifts are placed before them just as before the dead. 28 The priests sell the sacrifices that are offered to these gods[i] and use the money themselves. Likewise their wives preserve some of the meat[j] with salt, but give none to the poor or helpless. 29 Sacrifices to them may even be touched by women in their periods or at childbirth. Since you know by these things that they are not gods, do not fear them.

30 For how can they be called gods? Women serve meals for gods of silver and gold and wood; 31 and in their temples the priests sit with their clothes torn, their heads and beards shaved, and their heads uncovered. 32 They howl and shout before their gods as some do at a funeral banquet. 33 The priests take some of the clothing of their gods[k] to clothe their wives and children. 34 Whether one does evil to them or good, they will not be able to repay it. They cannot set up a king or depose one. 35 Likewise they are not able to give either wealth or money; if one makes a vow to them and does not keep it, they will not require it. 36 They cannot save anyone from death or rescue the weak from the strong. 37 They cannot restore sight to the blind; they cannot rescue one who is in distress. 38 They cannot take pity on a widow or do good to an orphan. 39 These things that are made of wood and overlaid with gold and silver are like stones from the mountain, and those who serve them will be put to shame. 40 Why then must anyone think that they are gods, or call them gods?

The Foolishness of Worshiping Idols

Besides, even the Chaldeans themselves dishonor them; for when they see someone who cannot speak, they bring Bel and pray that the mute may speak, as though Bel[l] were able to understand! 41 Yet they themselves cannot perceive this and abandon them, for they have no sense. 42 And the women, with cords around them, sit along the passageways, burning bran for incense. 43 When one of them is led off by one of the passers-by and is taken to bed by him, she derides the woman next to her, because she was not as attractive as herself and her cord was not broken. 44 Whatever is done for these idols[m] is false. Why then must anyone think that they are gods, or call them gods?

45 They are made by carpenters and goldsmiths; they can be nothing but what the artisans wish them to be. 46 Those who make them will certainly not live very long themselves; 47 how then can the things that are made by them be gods? They have left only lies and reproach for those who come after. 48 For when war or calamity comes upon them, the priests consult together as to where they can hide themselves and their gods.[n] 49 How then can one fail to see that these are not gods, for they cannot save themselves from war or calamity? 50 Since they are made of wood and overlaid with gold and silver, it will afterward be known that they are false. 51 It will be manifest to all the nations and kings that they are not gods but the work of human hands, and that there is no work of God in them. 52 Who then can fail to know that they are not gods?[o]

53 For they cannot set up a king over a country or give rain to people. 54 They cannot judge their own cause or deliver one who is wronged, for they have no power; 55 they are like crows between heaven and earth. When fire breaks out in a temple of wooden gods overlaid with gold or silver, their priests will flee and escape, but the gods[p] will be burned up like timbers. 56 Besides, they can offer no resistance to king or enemy. Why then must anyone admit or think that they are gods?

57 Gods made of wood and overlaid with silver and gold are unable to save themselves from thieves or robbers. 58 Anyone who can will strip them of their gold and silver and of the robes they wear, and go off with this booty, and they will not be able to help themselves. 59 So it is better to be a king who shows his courage, or a household utensil that serves its owner’s need, than to be these false gods; better even the door of a house that protects its contents, than these false gods; better also a wooden pillar in a palace, than these false gods.

60 For sun and moon and stars are bright, and when sent to do a service, they are obedient. 61 So also the lightning, when it flashes, is widely seen; and the wind likewise blows in every land. 62 When God commands the clouds to go over the whole world, they carry out his command. 63 And the fire sent from above to consume mountains and woods does what it is ordered. But these idols[q] are not to be compared with them in appearance or power. 64 Therefore one must not think that they are gods, nor call them gods, for they are not able either to decide a case or to do good to anyone. 65 Since you know then that they are not gods, do not fear them.

66 They can neither curse nor bless kings; 67 they cannot show signs in the heavens for the nations, or shine like the sun or give light like the moon. 68 The wild animals are better than they are, for they can flee to shelter and help themselves. 69 So we have no evidence whatever that they are gods; therefore do not fear them.

70 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber bed, which guards nothing, so are their gods of wood, overlaid with gold and silver. 71 In the same way, their gods of wood, overlaid with gold and silver, are like a thornbush in a garden on which every bird perches; or like a corpse thrown out in the darkness. 72 From the purple and linen[r] that rot upon them you will know that they are not gods; and they will finally be consumed themselves, and be a reproach in the land. 73 Better, therefore, is someone upright who has no idols; such a person will be far above reproach.

Footnotes:

1. Letter of Jeremiah 1:1 The King James Version (like the Latin Vulgate) prints The Letter of Jeremiah as Chapter 6 of the Book of Baruch, and the chapter and verse numbers are here retained. In the Greek Septuagint, the Letter is separated from Baruch by the Book of Lamentations.
2. Letter of Jeremiah 1:5 Gk for them
3. Letter of Jeremiah 1:9 Gk They
4. Letter of Jeremiah 1:11 Gk them
5. Letter of Jeremiah 1:19 Gk they
6. Letter of Jeremiah 1:20 Gk It is
7. Letter of Jeremiah 1:24 Lat Syr: Gk they
8. Letter of Jeremiah 1:27 Gk if they fall
9. Letter of Jeremiah 1:28 Gk to them
10. Letter of Jeremiah 1:28 Gk of them
11. Letter of Jeremiah 1:33 Gk some of their clothing
12. Letter of Jeremiah 1:40 Gk he
13. Letter of Jeremiah 1:44 Gk them
14. Letter of Jeremiah 1:48 Gk them
15. Letter of Jeremiah 1:52 Meaning of Gk uncertain
16. Letter of Jeremiah 1:55 Gk they
17. Letter of Jeremiah 1:63 Gk these things
18. Letter of Jeremiah 1:72 Cn: Gk marble, Syr silk

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.