Jeremiah 10
Holman Christian Standard Bible
False Gods Contrasted with the Creator
10 Hear the word that the Lord has spoken to[a] you, house of Israel. 2 This is what the Lord says:
Do not learn the way of the nations(A)
or be terrified by signs in the heavens,
although the nations are terrified by them,
3 for the customs of the peoples are worthless.
Someone cuts down a tree from the forest;
it is worked by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel.
4 He decorates it with silver and gold.(B)
It is fastened with hammer and nails,(C)
so it won’t totter.
5 Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch,
their idols cannot speak.(D)
They must be carried(E) because they cannot walk.
Do not fear them for they can do no harm(F)—
and they cannot do any good.(G)
6 Yahweh, there is no one like You.(H)
You are great;
Your name is great in power.(I)
7 Who should not fear You,
King of the nations?(J)
It is what You deserve.
For among all the wise people of the nations
and among all their kingdoms,
there is no one like You.
8 They are both stupid and foolish,
instructed by worthless idols
made of wood!
9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,(K)
and gold from Uphaz[b](L)
from the hands of a goldsmith,
the work of a craftsman.
Their clothing is blue and purple,
all the work of skilled artisans.
10 But Yahweh is the true God;(M)
He is the living God(N) and eternal King.(O)
The earth quakes at His wrath,(P)
and the nations cannot endure His rage.
11 You are to say this to them, “The gods that did not make the heavens(Q) and the earth will perish from the earth(R) and from under these heavens.”[c]
12 He made the earth by His power,
established the world(S) by His wisdom,(T)
and spread out the heavens by His understanding.(U)
13 When He thunders,[d]
the waters in the heavens are in turmoil,(V)
and He causes the clouds to rise
from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from His storehouses.(W)
14 Everyone is stupid and ignorant.
Every goldsmith is put to shame
by his carved image,(X)
for his cast images are a lie;(Y)
there is no breath in them.(Z)
15 They are worthless, a work to be mocked.
At the time of their punishment
they will be destroyed.(AA)
16 Jacob’s Portion[e] is not like these
because He is the One who formed all things.(AB)
Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;(AC)
Yahweh of Hosts is His name.(AD)
Exile After the Siege
18 For this is what the Lord says:
Look, I am slinging out(AF)
the land’s residents at this time
and bringing them such distress
that they will feel it.
Jeremiah Grieves
19 Woe to me because of my brokenness—
I am severely wounded!(AG)
I exclaimed, “This is my intense suffering,
but I must bear it.”
20 My tent is destroyed;(AH)
all my tent cords are snapped.
My sons have departed from me and are no more.
I have no one to pitch my tent again
or to hang up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds are stupid:
they don’t seek the Lord.(AI)
Therefore they have not prospered,
and their whole flock is scattered.
22 Listen! A noise—it is coming—
a great commotion(AJ) from the land to the north.
The cities of Judah will be made desolate,
a jackals’ den.(AK)
23 I know, Lord,
that a man’s way of life is not his own;
no one who walks determines his own steps.(AL)
24 Discipline me, Lord, but with justice—
not in Your anger,(AM)
or You will reduce me to nothing.
25 Pour out Your wrath on the nations
that don’t recognize You
and on the families
that don’t call on Your name,
for they have consumed Jacob;
they have consumed him and finished him off
and made his homeland desolate.(AN)
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 10:1 Or against
- Jeremiah 10:9 Or Ophir
- Jeremiah 10:11 This is the only Aram v. in Jr.
- Jeremiah 10:13 Lit At His giving of the voice
- Jeremiah 10:16 = the Lord
- Jeremiah 10:17 Lit bundle
Jeremiah 10
International Standard Version
The True God and Worthless Idols
10 Hear the message that the Lord has spoken to you, house of Israel. 2 This is what the Lord says:
“Don’t learn the way of the nations,
and don’t be terrified by signs in the heavens,
though the nations are terrified of them.
3 For the practices[a] of the people are worthless.
Indeed, a tree is cut down from the forest;
it’s the work of the hands of a craftsman[b] with an ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold.
They secure it with nails and hammers
so it won’t totter.
5 Their idols[c] are like scarecrows in a cucumber field.
They can’t speak!
They must always be carried
because they can’t walk!
Don’t be afraid of them
because they can do no harm,
nor can they do any good.”
6 There is no one like you, Lord.
You are great, and your name is great and powerful.
7 Who wouldn’t fear you, king of the nations?
This is what you deserve!
Indeed, among all the wise men of the nations,
and throughout all their kingdoms,
there is no one like you!
8 Everyone is stupid[d] and senseless.
They follow worthless instruction
from a piece of wood![e]
9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,
and gold from Uphaz.
The idols are[f] the work of a craftsman[g]
and of the hands of a goldsmith.
Their clothing is violet and purple.
The idols[h] are all the work of skilled craftsmen.
10 The Lord is the true God;
he’s the living God and the everlasting king.
At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation.
11 [i]Tell this to them: “The gods who[j] didn’t make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from these heavens.”
A Hymn of Praise to God
12 The Lord is[k] the one who made
the world by his power,
who established the earth by his wisdom
and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
13 When his voice sounds there is thunder
from the waters of heaven,
and he makes clouds rise up from
the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings wind out of his storehouses.
14 Everyone is stupid[l] and without knowledge.
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
for his images are false.[m]
There is no life[n] in them.
15 They’re worthless, a work of mockery,
and when the time of punishment comes,[o]
they’ll perish.
16 The Portion of Jacob[p] is not like these.
He made everything,
and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance.
The Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name.
The Coming Captivity of Judah
17 You who live under siege,
Gather up your bundle[q] from the ground.[r]
18 For this is what the Lord says:
“I’m going to throw out the inhabitants
of the land at this time,
and I’ll bring distress on them
so they’ll experience[s] it.”
19 Woe is me because of my injury.
My wound is severe.
I said, “Truly this is my sickness,
and I must bear it.
20 My tent is destroyed,
and all my tent cords are broken.
My sons have gone away from me,
they no longer live.
There is no one to pitch my tent again
and set up my curtains.
21 Because the shepherds are stupid[t]
and don’t seek[u] the Lord,
therefore, they don’t prosper,
and their flock is scattered.
22 The sound of a report, it’s coming now!
There is a great commotion from a land in the north
to make the towns of Judah desolate,
a refuge for jackals.”
Jeremiah’s Prayer
23 Lord, I know that a person’s life is not his to control,[v]
nor does a person establish his way in life.[w]
24 Lord, correct me, but with justice,
not with anger.
Otherwise, you’ll bring me to nothing.
25 Pour out your anger on the nations
that don’t acknowledge you,
and on the families that don’t call on your name.
For they have devoured Jacob;
they have devoured and consumed him;
they have devastated his habitation.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 10:3 Or customs, ordinances
- Jeremiah 10:3 Or engraver; i.e. a wood carver
- Jeremiah 10:5 Lit. They
- Jeremiah 10:8 I.e. like a beast
- Jeremiah 10:8 Lit. it is worthless instruction from wood
- Jeremiah 10:9 Lit. It is
- Jeremiah 10:9 Or engraver; i.e. a wood carver
- Jeremiah 10:9 Lit. They
- Jeremiah 10:11 This verse is in Aramaic, the language the exiles would speak in Babylon.
- Jeremiah 10:11 Lit. the one who
- Jeremiah 10:12 The Heb. lacks The Lord is
- Jeremiah 10:14 I.e. like a beast
- Jeremiah 10:14 Lit. deception
- Jeremiah 10:14 Or breath
- Jeremiah 10:15 Lit. at the time of their punishment
- Jeremiah 10:16 I.e. The Portion of Jacob is a name for the Lord
- Jeremiah 10:17 I.e. your possessions
- Jeremiah 10:17 Or land
- Jeremiah 10:18 Lit. find
- Jeremiah 10:21 I.e. like a beast
- Jeremiah 10:21 Or inquire of
- Jeremiah 10:23 Or does not belong to him
- Jeremiah 10:23 Or step as he walks
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