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Yahweh Alone Is the Living God

10 Hear the word which Yahweh speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says Yahweh,

(A)Do not learn the way of the nations,
And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens
Although the nations are terrified by them;
For the statutes of the peoples are (B)vanity
Because (C)it is wood cut from the forest,
The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.
They (D)make it beautiful with silver and with gold;
They (E)strengthen it with nails and with hammers
So that it will not totter.
Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they,
And they (F)cannot speak;
They must be (G)carried
Because they cannot take a step!
Do not fear them,
For they (H)can do no harm,
Nor can they do any good.”

(I)There is none like You, O Yahweh;
You are (J)great, and great is Your name in might.
(K)Who would not fear You, O (L)King of the nations?
Indeed it is Your due!
For among all the (M)wise men of the nations
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.
But they are altogether (N)senseless and foolish;
They are in a discipline of [a]vanities—it is mere wood!
Beaten (O)silver is brought from (P)Tarshish,
And (Q)gold from Uphaz,
The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith;
Blue and purple are their clothing;
They are all the (R)work of wise craftsmen.
10 But Yahweh is the (S)true God;
He is the (T)living God and the (U)everlasting King.
At His wrath the (V)earth quakes,
And the nations cannot (W)endure His indignation.

11 [b]Thus you shall say to them, “The (X)gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will (Y)perish from the earth and from under [c]the heavens.”

12 It is (Z)He who made the earth by His power,
Who (AA)established the world by His wisdom;
And by His understanding He has (AB)stretched out the heavens.
13 When He gives forth His (AC)voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
And He causes the (AD)clouds to ascend from the end of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain,
And brings out the (AE)wind from His storehouses.
14 Every man is (AF)senseless, devoid of knowledge;
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his graven images;
For his molten images are a lie,
And there is no breath in them.
15 They are (AG)vanity, a work of mockery;
In the (AH)time of their punishment they will perish.
16 The (AI)portion of Jacob is not like these;
For the [d](AJ)Maker of all is He,
And (AK)Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;
(AL)Yahweh of hosts is His name.

17 (AM)Gather up your bundle from the ground,
You who inhabit a land under siege!

18 For thus says Yahweh,

“Behold, I am (AN)slinging out the inhabitants of the land
At this time,
And will cause them distress,
That they may find it.”

19 (AO)Woe is me, because of my [e]injury!
My (AP)wound is desperately sick.
But I said, “Truly this is a sickness,
And I (AQ)must bear it.”
20 My (AR)tent is destroyed,
And all my ropes are torn out;
My (AS)sons have gone from me and are no more.
There is (AT)no one to stretch out my tent again
Or to set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become senseless
And (AU)have not sought Yahweh;
Therefore they have not prospered,
And (AV)all their flock is scattered.
22 The sound of a (AW)report! Behold, it comes—
A great quaking (AX)out of the land of the north—
To (AY)make the cities of Judah
A desolation, a haunt of jackals.

23 I know, O Yahweh, that (AZ)a man’s way is not in himself,
(BA)Nor is it in a man who walks to [f]direct his steps.
24 (BB)Discipline me, O Yahweh, but with justice;
Not with Your anger, lest You [g]bring me to nothing.
25 (BC)Pour out Your wrath on the nations that (BD)do not know You
And on the families that (BE)do not call Your name,
For they have devoured Jacob;
They have (BF)devoured him and consumed him
And have made desolate his [h]abode.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 10:8 Or idols
  2. Jeremiah 10:11 This verse is in Aram
  3. Jeremiah 10:11 Or these
  4. Jeremiah 10:16 Lit Fashioner
  5. Jeremiah 10:19 Lit breaking
  6. Jeremiah 10:23 Lit establish
  7. Jeremiah 10:24 Lit diminish me
  8. Jeremiah 10:25 Or pasture

False Gods Contrasted with the Creator

10 Hear the word that the Lord has spoken to[a] you, house of Israel. 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,
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.
He decorates it with silver and gold.(B)
It is fastened with hammer and nails,(C)
so it won’t totter.
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)

Yahweh, there is no one like You.(H)
You are great;
Your name is great in power.(I)
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.
They are both stupid and foolish,
instructed by worthless idols
made of wood!
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

17 Gather up your belongings[f] from the ground,(AE)
you who live under 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

  1. Jeremiah 10:1 Or against
  2. Jeremiah 10:9 Or Ophir
  3. Jeremiah 10:11 This is the only Aram v. in Jr.
  4. Jeremiah 10:13 Lit At His giving of the voice
  5. Jeremiah 10:16 = the Lord
  6. Jeremiah 10:17 Lit bundle