Jeremiah 10
Lexham English Bible
10 Hear the word that Yahweh speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says Yahweh:
“You must not learn the way of the nations,
and you must not be dismayed by the signs of the heavens,
for the nations are dismayed by them.
3 For the statutes of the peoples are vanity,
for it is a tree cut down from the forest,
the work of the hands of a craftsman with the tool.
4 He decorates it with silver and gold,
they strengthen it with nails and hammers,
so that it does not stagger.
5 They are like scarecrows[a] in a cucumber field,
they cannot speak.
Indeed, they must be carried,
for they cannot march.
You must not be afraid of them,
for they cannot do evil;
furthermore, to do good is not in them.”
6 There is none like you, O Yahweh,
you are great and your name is great in might.
7 Who would not revere you, O king of the nations?
For you it is fitting.
For among all the wise men of the nations,
and in all their kingdoms,[b]
there is none like you.
8 At the same time[c] they are stupid and foolish,
in the instruction of idols, it is wood.
9 Silver beaten from Tarshish is brought,
and gold from Uphaz,
the work of the craftsman and the hands of the goldsmith.
Blue and purple are their clothing,
all of them are the work of skillful people.
10 But Yahweh is the true God,
he is the living God,
and an everlasting king.[d]
Because of his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his anger.
11 “Thus[e] you shall say to them,
‘Gods who did not make the heavens and the earth
will perish from the earth and from under these heavens.
12 He is the maker of the earth by his power,
who created the world by his wisdom,
and by his understanding he stretched out heaven.
13 When he utters his voice[f] there is a noise of water in the heavens,
and he causes the mist to rise from the ends[g] of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
and he causes the wind to go out from his storehouses.
14 Everyone[h] is stupid, without knowledge,[i]
every goldsmith is ashamed by his divine image,
for his cast image is an illusion,
and there is no breath in them.
15 They are vanity, a work of mockery,
at the time of their punishment, they will perish.
16 The portion of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the creator of everything,
and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance,
Yahweh of hosts is his name.
17 Gather your bundle from the ground,
you who live under the siege.’”
18 For thus says Yahweh,
“Look, I am about to sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time,
and I will bring distress to them, so that they may feel it.”
The Nation Accepts Its Judgment
19 Woe to me, because of my wound.
My wound is incurable.
But I said, “Surely this is my sickness,
and I must bear it.”
20 My tent is devastated,
and all my tent cords are torn.
My children have gone out from me,
and they are not.
There is no one who pitches my tent again,
or one who puts up my tent curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become stupid,
they do not seek Yahweh.
Therefore[j] they do not have insight,
and all of their flock are scattered.
22 Listen, news:[k]
Look, it is coming,
a great roar from the land of the north,
to make the cities of Judah a desolation,
a lair of jackals.
23 I know, O Yahweh, that to the human is not his own way,
nor to a person is the walking and the directing of his own step.
24 Chastise[l] me, O Yahweh, but in moderation,
not in your anger, lest you eradicate me.
25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not know you,
and on the peoples that do not call on your name,
for they have devoured Jacob,
they have devoured and consumed him,
and they have caused his settlement to be desolate.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 10:5 Hebrew “scarecrow”
- Jeremiah 10:7 Hebrew “kingdom”
- Jeremiah 10:8 Literally “And in one”
- Jeremiah 10:10 Literally “a king of eternity”
- Jeremiah 10:11 Literally “Like this”
- Jeremiah 10:13 Literally “At the voice of his giving”
- Jeremiah 10:13 Hebrew “end”
- Jeremiah 10:14 Literally “All humankind”
- Jeremiah 10:14 Literally “from knowledge”
- Jeremiah 10:21 Literally “Unto thus”
- Jeremiah 10:22 Or “a report”
- Jeremiah 10:24 Or “Discipline”
Jeremiah 10
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Idolatry Has Brought Ruin on Israel
10 Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the Lord:
Do not learn the way of the nations
or be dismayed at the signs of the heavens,
for the nations are dismayed at them.(A)
3 For the customs of the peoples are false:
a tree from the forest is cut down
and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan;(B)
4 they deck it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammers and nails
so that it cannot move.(C)
5 Their idols[a] are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,
and they cannot speak;
they have to be carried,
for they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them,
for they cannot do evil,
nor is it in them to do good.(D)
6 There is none like you, O Lord;
you are great, and your name is great in might.(E)
7 Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
For that is your due;
among all the wise ones of the nations
and in all their kingdoms
there is no one like you.(F)
8 They are both stupid and foolish;
the instruction given by idols
is no better than wood
9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish
and gold from Uphaz.
They are the work of the artisan and of the hands of the goldsmith;
their clothing is blue and purple;
they are all the product of skilled workers.(H)
10 But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King.
At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation.[c](I)
11 Thus shall you say to them: The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.[d](J)
12 It is he who made the earth by his power,
who established the world by his wisdom
and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.(K)
13 When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.(L)
14 Everyone is stupid and without knowledge;
goldsmiths are all put to shame by their idols,
for their images are false,
and there is no breath in them.(M)
15 They are worthless, a work of delusion;
at the time of their punishment they shall perish.
16 The portion of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the one who formed all things,
and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;
the Lord of hosts is his name.(N)
The Coming Exile
17 Gather up your bundle from the ground,
O you who live under siege!
18 For thus says the Lord:
I am going to sling out the inhabitants of the land
at this time,
and I will bring distress on them,
so that they shall feel it.
19 Woe is me because of my hurt!
My wound is severe.
But I said, “Truly this is my punishment,
and I must bear it.”(O)
20 My tent is destroyed,
and all my cords are broken;
my children have gone from me,
and they are no more;
there is no one to spread my tent again
and to set up my curtains.(P)
21 For the shepherds are stupid
and do not inquire of the Lord;
therefore they have not prospered,
and all their flock is scattered.(Q)
22 Hear, a noise! Listen, it is coming—
a great commotion from the land of the north
to make the cities of Judah a desolation,
a lair of jackals.(R)
23 I know, O Lord, that the way of humans is not in their control,
that mortals as they walk cannot direct their steps.(S)
24 Correct me, O Lord, but in just measure;
not in your anger, or you will bring me to nothing.(T)
25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not know you
and on the peoples that do not call on your name,
for they have devoured Jacob;
they have devoured him and consumed him
and have laid waste his habitation.(U)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.