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The True God and Idols(A)

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

Do not learn the way of the nations;
    do not be terrified at the signs of heaven,
    although the nations are terrified at them.
For the customs of the people are vain;
    for with the axe one cuts a tree out of the forest,
    the work of the hands of the workman.
They deck it with silver and with gold;
    they fasten it with nails and with hammers
    so that it may not move.
They are as a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
    but do not speak;
they must be carried,
    because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them,
    for they cannot do evil,
    nor can they do good.

There is no one like You, O Lord.
    You are great,
    and Your name is great in might.
Who would not fear You,
    O King of the nations?
    Indeed, it is Your due.
For among all the wise men of the nations,
    and in all their kingdoms,
    there is no one like You.

But they are altogether unthinking and foolish;
    the tree is a doctrine of vanities.
Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish,
    and gold from Uphaz,
the work of the workman and of the hands of the founder;
    blue and purple are their clothing;
    they all are the work of skilled men.
10 But the Lord is the true God;
    He is the living God and an everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth trembles,
    and the nations cannot endure His indignation.

11 Thus you shall say to them: The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.

12 He has made the earth by His power.
    He has established the world by His wisdom
    and has stretched out the heavens by His discretion.
13 When He utters His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens,
    and He causes the vapors to ascend from the remote parts of the earth;
He makes lightning with rain,
    and brings out the wind from His storehouses.

14 Every man is stupid, without knowledge;
    every goldsmith is put to shame by an idol;
for his molded image is false,
    and there is no breath in them.
15 They are vain and a work of mockery;
    in the time of their punishment they shall perish.
16 The portion of Jacob is not like them,
    for He is the Maker of all things,
and Israel is the rod of His inheritance.
    The Lord of Hosts is His name.

The Exile Prophesied

17 Gather up your wares out of the land,
    O inhabitant of the fortress.
18 For thus says the Lord:
    I will sling out
    the inhabitants of the land at this time,
and will distress them
    that they may be found.

19 Woe is me because of my brokenness!
    My wound is grievous.
But I said,
    “Truly this is an illness, and I must bear it.”
20 My tabernacle is devastated,
    and all my cords are broken.
My sons have gone from me and are no more.
    There is no one to spread my tent anymore,
    and to set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become unthinking
    and have not sought the Lord.
Therefore they have not prospered,
    and all their flocks are scattered.
22 Listen! The sound of the report has come,
    and a great commotion out of the north country,
to make the cities of Judah desolate
    and a den of jackals.

The Prayer of Jeremiah

23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself;
    it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
24 O Lord, correct me, but with justice,
    not in Your anger,
    lest You bring me to nothing.
25 Pour out Your fury upon the nations
    that do not know You
    and upon the families that do not call on Your name;
for they have eaten up Jacob
    and devoured him, and consumed him,
    and have made his habitation desolate.

10 Hear ye the word which Jehovah speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: thus saith Jehovah, Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them. For the [a]customs of the peoples are vanity; for [b]one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are like a [c]palm-tree, of turned work, and speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.

There is none like unto thee, O Jehovah; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who should not fear thee, O King of the nations? for [d]to thee doth it appertain; forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royal estate, there is none like unto thee. But they are [e]together brutish and foolish: [f]the instruction of idols! it is but a stock. There is silver beaten into plates, which is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the artificer and of the hands of the goldsmith; blue and purple for their clothing; they are all the work of skilful men. 10 But Jehovah is [g]the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth trembleth, and the nations are not able to abide his indignation.

11 [h]Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, [i]these shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.

12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding hath he stretched out the heavens. 13 [j]When he uttereth his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries. 14 Every man [k]is become brutish and is without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his graven image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. 15 They are vanity, a work of [l]delusion: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. 16 The portion of Jacob is not like these; for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: Jehovah of hosts is his name.

17 Gather up [m]thy wares out of the land, [n]O thou that abidest in the siege. 18 For thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and will distress them, that they may [o]feel it.

19 Woe is me because of my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is my [p]grief, and I must bear it. 20 My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth from me, and they are not: there is none to spread my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. 21 For the shepherds are become brutish, and have not inquired of Jehovah: therefore they have not [q]prospered, and all their flocks are scattered. 22 The voice of tidings, behold, it cometh, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling-place of jackals.

23 O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24 O Jehovah, correct me, but in [r]measure; not in thine anger, lest thou [s]bring me to nothing. 25 Pour out thy wrath upon the nations that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name; for they have devoured Jacob, yea, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his [t]habitation.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 10:3 Hebrew statutes.
  2. Jeremiah 10:3 Or, it is but a tree which one cutteth
  3. Jeremiah 10:5 Or, pillar
  4. Jeremiah 10:7 Or, it beseemeth thee
  5. Jeremiah 10:8 Or, through one thing
  6. Jeremiah 10:8 Or, the stock is a doctrine of vanities
  7. Jeremiah 10:10 Or, God in truth
  8. Jeremiah 10:11 This verse is in Aramaic.
  9. Jeremiah 10:11 Or, they shall . . . under these heavens
  10. Jeremiah 10:13 Or, at the sound of his giving an abundance of waters . . . when he causeth etc. (or he causeth etc.)
  11. Jeremiah 10:14 Or, is too brutish to know
  12. Jeremiah 10:15 Or, mockery
  13. Jeremiah 10:17 Or, thy bundle from the ground
  14. Jeremiah 10:17 Or, O inhabitant (Hebrew inhabitress) of the fortress
  15. Jeremiah 10:18 Hebrew find.
  16. Jeremiah 10:19 Or, sickness
  17. Jeremiah 10:21 Or, dealt wisely
  18. Jeremiah 10:24 Hebrew judgment.
  19. Jeremiah 10:24 Hebrew diminish me.
  20. Jeremiah 10:25 Or, pasture