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
Jeremiah 10
Names of God Bible
10 Listen to the message that Yahweh has spoken to you, nation of Israel. 2 This is what Yahweh says:
Don’t learn the practices of the nations.
Don’t be frightened by the signs in the sky
because the nations are frightened by them.
3 The religion of the people is worthless.
Woodcutters cut down trees from the forest.
The hands of craftsmen prepare them with axes.
4 Craftsmen decorate them with silver and gold
and fasten them together with hammers and nails
so that they won’t fall over.
5 These trees are like scarecrows in cucumber gardens.
They aren’t able to speak.
They have to be carried, because they can’t walk.
Don’t be afraid of them.
They can’t harm you.
They can’t do you any good either.
6 No one is like you, O Yahweh.
You are great.
Your name is powerful.
7 Everyone fears you, O Melek of the Nations.
This is what you deserve.
No one is like you among all the wise people in the nations
or in all their kingdoms.
8 They are complete idiots.
They learn nonsense from wooden idols.
9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz.
Craftsmen and goldsmiths shape these metals.
The clothing for the idols is blue and purple,
all made by skilled workers.
10 But Yahweh is the only God.
He is the living God and eternal king.
The earth trembles when he is angry.
The nations can’t endure his fury.
11 Tell them this: These gods will disappear from the earth
and from under heaven because they didn’t make heaven and earth.
12 Yahweh made the earth by his power.
He set up the world by his skill.
He stretched out the world by his understanding.
13 He speaks, and the water in the sky produces a storm.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning flash with the rain.
He brings wind out of his storehouses.
14 Everyone is stupid and ignorant.
Metalsmiths are put to shame by their idols.
Their statues are false gods.
They can’t breathe.
15 They are worthless jokes.
When they are punished, they disappear.
16 Jacob’s God isn’t like them.
He made everything,
and Israel is the tribe that belongs to him.
His name is Yahweh Tsebaoth.
17 Pick up your bags. You are being blockaded.
18 This is what Yahweh says:
I am going to throw out those who live in the land at this time
and cause trouble for them so that they will feel it.
19 Oh, I’m wounded!
My wound is serious.
Then I thought that this is my punishment, and I will bear it.
20 My tent is destroyed, and all my ropes are broken.
My children have left me and have disappeared.
There’s no one to set up my tent again
or put up my tent curtains.
21 The shepherds are foolish.
They don’t look to Yahweh for help.
That is why they won’t succeed,
and all their flocks will be scattered.
22 The report has arrived.
A tremendous uproar is coming from the land of the north.
Its army will destroy Judah’s cities
and make them homes for jackals.
23 O Yahweh, I know that the way humans act is not under their control.
Humans do not direct their steps as they walk.
24 Correct me, O Yahweh, but please be fair.
Don’t correct me when you’re angry.
Otherwise, you’ll reduce me to nothing.
25 Pour out your fury on the nations who don’t know you
and on people who don’t worship you.
They have devoured the descendants of Jacob.
They have devoured them completely.
They have destroyed their homes.
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The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.