Jeremiah 10
New Life Version
True Worship and False Gods
10 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O people of Israel. 2 The Lord says, “Do not learn the way of the nations. And do not be afraid of the things seen in the heavens, even if the nations are afraid of them. 3 For the ways of the people are of no use. They cut wood from the trees. A workman cuts it with an ax. 4 They make it beautiful with silver and gold. They put it together with nails so that it cannot fall apart. 5 Their false gods are like a wooden man set up in a vegetable field to make birds be afraid and stay away. They cannot speak. They must be carried, because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot hurt you. And they cannot help you.”
6 There is no one like You, O Lord. You are great, and Your name is great in power. 7 Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For You should be honored with fear. Among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their lands, there is no one like You. 8 They are all poor thinkers and foolish. What can they learn from a false god of wood? 9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of an able workman and of one who works with gold. Their clothing is blue and purple. They are all the work of able workmen. 10 But the Lord is the true God. He is the living God and the King Who lives forever. The earth shakes at His anger. And the nations cannot last when He is angry.
11 This is what you should say to them: “The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will be destroyed from the earth and from under the heavens.”
A Song of Praise
12 It is He Who made the earth by His power, and the world by His wisdom. By His understanding He has spread out the heavens. 13 When He speaks, there is a storm of waters in the heavens. He makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and brings out the wind from His store-houses. 14 Every man is a poor thinker and without learning. Every one who works with gold is put to shame by his false gods. For his objects of worship fool people. There is no breath in them. 15 They are without worth, and make fun of the truth. In the time of their punishment, they will be destroyed. 16 He Who is the God of Jacob is not like these, for He has made all things. And Israel is His chosen family. The Lord of All is His name.
People of Jerusalem Will Be Taken Away
17 Pick up your load from the ground, you who are shut in by armies! 18 For the Lord says, “See, I am throwing out the people of the land at this time. And I will trouble them, that they may feel it.”
19 It is bad for me because I am hurt! My sore cannot be healed. But I said, “For sure this sickness is mine, and I must suffer with it.” 20 My tent is destroyed and all my ropes are broken. My sons have gone from me and are no more. There is no one to put up my tent again or to set up my curtains. 21 For the shepherds are poor thinkers and have not asked for the Lord’s help. So they have not done well, and all their flock is sent different places. 22 Listen, the sound of news! See, it comes! Much noise of moving is coming out of the land of the north to destroy the cities of Judah, and to make it a place where wild dogs live.
Jeremiah’s Prayer
23 O Lord, I know that a man’s way is not known by himself. It is not in man to lead his own steps. 24 Punish me when I need it, O Lord, but be fair. Do not punish me in Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing. 25 Pour out Your anger on the nations that do not know You, and on the families that do not call on Your name. For they have destroyed Jacob. They have destroyed him and have laid waste his land.
Jeremiah 10
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 10
The True God. 1 Listen to the word that the Lord addresses to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the Lord:
Do not adopt the ways of the nations
or become frightened at the signs in the heavens,[a]
even though the nations are terrified of them.
3 For the carved images of the nations are powerless;
they are nothing more than wood cut from a forest,
fashioned with a knife by craftsmen
4 and embellished with silver and gold.
Then they are fastened with hammers and nails
to prevent them from toppling.
5 Like scarecrows in a cucumber field
they are unable to speak,
and they must be carried from place to place
since they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them,
for they can do no harm,
nor do they have any power to do good.
6 O Lord, there is no one like you;
you are great,
and great is the might of your name.
7 Who would not fear you,
O King of the nations?
This is your due.
Of all the wisest men in the nations
and throughout all their kingdoms,
there is no one like you.
8 They are all senseless and foolish,
and the idols they venerate are nothing but wood,
9 adorned with beaten silver from Tarshish
and gold from Ophir.
Their idols are the work of craftsmen and goldsmiths
and clothed with violet and purple;
all of them are the product of skilled workers.
10 But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King.
When confronted with his wrath the earth quakes,
and no nation can endure his fury.
11 Convey this message to them: The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.
12 The Lord made the earth by his power,
established the world by his wisdom
and spread out the heavens by his understanding.
13 When his voice thunders forth,
the waters in the heavens are in tumult,
and he brings forth clouds
from the most remote areas of the earth.
He causes lightning to flash during the rainfall
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
14 Everyone is ignorant and devoid of knowledge;
every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
for the figures he molds are fraudulent,
lacking even a semblance of breath.
15 They are worthless, worthy only of mockery;
when the time of judgment comes
they will no longer exist.
16 But not like these is the portion of Jacob,
for he is the Maker of all things,
and Israel is the tribe of his heritage;
the Lord of hosts is his name.
Destruction of Judah[b]
17 Gather up your belongings and depart from the land,
you who are living under siege.
18 For thus says the Lord:
This time I am determined to cast out
the inhabitants of this land,
and I will inflict such distress on them
that they will find it difficult to bear.
19 I face disaster because of my injuries.
My wounds are incurable.
However, I thought, “This is my punishment,
and somehow I must endure it.”
20 My tent has been destroyed,
and all of its ropes are severed.
My children have left me,
and they are no more.
No one remains to help me pitch my tent again
or to put up its curtains.
21 The shepherds have proved to be stupid;
they failed to search for the Lord.
As a result, they have not prospered,
and their entire flock is scattered.
22 Listen! There is a tremendous noise,
and it comes ever closer;
a great uproar from the land of the north;
the towns of Judah will be reduced to a desert
and become a lair for jackals.
Jeremiah’s Prayer
23 I am finally aware, O Lord,
that man is not in control of his destiny
and that it is not in his power
to determine the course of his life.
24 Correct me, O Lord,
but do so with moderation,
and not in your anger,
or you will reduce me to nothing.
25 Pour forth your wrath on the nations
that refuse to acknowledge you,
as well as on the tribes
that refuse to invoke your name.
For they have devoured Jacob;
they have devoured and made an end of him
and laid waste his homeland.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 10:2 Signs in the heavens: the allusion is to horoscopes based on the stars.
- Jeremiah 10:17 This lament is a continuation of chapter 9.
Jeremiah 10
New King James Version
Idols and the True God
10 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus says the Lord:
(A)“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are [a]futile;
For (B)one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
They (C)fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.
5 They are upright, like a palm tree,
And (D)they cannot speak;
They must be (E)carried,
Because they cannot go by themselves.
Do not be afraid of them,
For (F)they cannot do evil,
Nor can they do any good.”
6 Inasmuch as there is none (G)like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
7 (H)Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due.
For (I)among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.
8 But they are altogether (J)dull-hearted and foolish;
A wooden idol is a [b]worthless doctrine.
9 Silver is beaten into plates;
It is brought from Tarshish,
And (K)gold from Uphaz,
The work of the craftsman
And of the hands of the metalsmith;
Blue and purple are their clothing;
They are all (L)the work of skillful men.
10 But the Lord is the true God;
He is (M)the living God and the (N)everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
11 Thus you shall say to them: (O)“The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth (P)shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”
12 He (Q)has made the earth by His power,
He has (R)established the world by His wisdom,
And (S)has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.
13 (T)When He utters His voice,
There is a [c]multitude of waters in the heavens:
(U)“And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.”
14 (V)Everyone is (W)dull-hearted, without knowledge;
(X)Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image;
(Y)For his molded image is falsehood,
And there is no breath in them.
15 They are futile, a work of errors;
In the time of their punishment they shall perish.
16 (Z)The Portion of Jacob is not like them,
For He is the Maker of all things,
And (AA)Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;
(AB)The Lord of hosts is His name.
The Coming Captivity of Judah
18 For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will (AD)throw out at this time
The inhabitants of the land,
And will distress them,
(AE)That they may find it so.”
19 (AF)Woe is me for my hurt!
My wound is severe.
But I say, (AG)“Truly this is an infirmity,
And (AH)I must bear it.”
20 (AI)My tent is plundered,
And all my cords are broken;
My children have gone from me,
And they are (AJ)no more.
There is no one to pitch my tent anymore,
Or set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become dull-hearted,
And have not sought the Lord;
Therefore they shall not prosper,
And all their flocks shall be (AK)scattered.
22 Behold, the noise of the report has come,
And a great commotion out of the (AL)north country,
To make the cities of Judah desolate, a (AM)den of jackals.
23 O Lord, I know the (AN)way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
24 O Lord, (AO)correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
25 (AP)Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, (AQ)who do not know You,
And on the families who do not call on Your name;
For they have eaten up Jacob,
(AR)Devoured him and consumed him,
And made his dwelling place desolate.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 10:3 Lit. vanity
- Jeremiah 10:8 vain teaching
- Jeremiah 10:13 Or noise
- Jeremiah 10:17 Or you who dwell under siege
Jeremias 10
Bibelen på hverdagsdansk
Skabningens Herre
10 Israels folk, hør hvad Herren har at sige:
2 „I må ikke dyrke de fremmede folkeslags guder eller følge deres skikke. Lad jer ikke skræmme af tegn i solen, månen eller stjernerne, selv om andre folk frygter for den slags. 3 Deres overtro er nytteløs, og deres afguder er falske. De hugger et træ om i skoven, og en håndværker forarbejder det til afgudsbilleder. 4 Han pynter dem med guld og sølv, stiller dem op og hamrer dem fast, så de ikke vælter. 5 Sådan nogle afguder er som fugleskræmsler i en melonmark. De kan ikke tale, og de må bæres omkring, for de kan ikke gå. Dem skal I ikke være bange for. De kan ikke gøre nogen fortræd, men de gør heller ingen gavn.”
6 Da sagde jeg: „Åh, Herre, ingen kan sammenlignes med dig. Du er en stor Gud, og alle kender din magt. 7 Du er Konge over alle folkeslag på jorden. Alle burde vise dig ærefrygt. Ingen blandt jordens vismænd og mægtige konger kan sammenlignes med dig.”
8 De, der søger råd hos afguder af træ, er lige så tåbelige som deres træguder. 9 De importerer det fineste sølv fra Tarshish og guld fra Ofir for at udsmykke deres guder. Derefter klæder de dem i imponerende, rødviolette purpurkåber, som var de konger. Dog er de kun en dygtig kunsthåndværkers arbejde.
10 Men Herren er den eneste sande og virkelige Gud, vores Konge, som lever for evigt. Jorden skælver, når han er vred, og folkeslagene frygter hans harme.
11 Israels folk, mind de andre folkeslag om, at det ikke er deres såkaldte guder, der har skabt himlen og jorden. Tværtimod, en dag skal de forsvinde fra jordens overflade. 12 Det var Herren, der med sin vældige styrke, visdom og snilde grundlagde universet, skabte jorden og udspændte himmelhvælvingen. 13 Med sin tordnende røst får han regnen til at styrte ned. Han samler skyerne fra horisonten, skaber lyn og regn og slipper vinden løs.
14 Alle afgudsdyrkerne er tåbelige, de forstår ingenting. Guldsmedene vil engang skamme sig over at have lavet afgudsbilleder, som er det rene svindel og bedrag. Der er jo ikke gnist af liv i dem. 15 De er nytteløse og latterlige, og en skønne dag bliver de ødelagt. 16 Men Jakobs Gud er helt anderledes. Han er verdens Skaber, og Israel er hans udvalgte folk. Han er den almægtige Gud.
17 „Pak jeres ejendele,” siger Herren, „for Jerusalem kommer snart under belejring. 18 Jeg vil straffe jer hårdt og smide jer ud af landet.”
19 Da vil Jerusalem råbe i fortvivlelse: „Jeg er dødeligt såret, det er ude med mig! Jeg troede, det bare var en mindre sygdom, og at jeg ville komme over det. 20 Men nu er mit hus revet ned, og mine indbyggere er væk. Der er ingen tilbage til at bygge mig op igen.”
21 Årsagen til Jerusalems ulykke er, at folkets ledere er tåber, der ikke beder Herren om hjælp eller vejledning. De handler uden forstand, og dem, de skulle være ledere for, bliver spredt. 22 Hør! Der lyder krigslarm i nord, nu nærmer dommen sig. Judas byer skal jævnes med jorden og blive et tilholdssted for sjakaler.
23 Herre, vi ved, at det ikke står i menneskets magt at bestemme sin egen skæbne, for ingen har kontrol over sin livsbane. 24 Derfor er det nødvendigt, at du irettesætter os, Herre. Straf os, men gør det med måde, ikke i ubændig vrede, for ellers går vi til grunde. 25 Udøs hellere din vrede over de folkeslag, der ikke tilbeder dig, for det er dem, der ødelægger vores land, så der kun er ruiner tilbage.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Bibelen på hverdagsdansk (Danish New Living Bible) Copyright © 2002, 2006 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.