Jeremiah 10

1 Listen to the word that the Lord has spoken concerning you, O house of Israel.

“Hear the word that Yahweh is announcing to you, house of Israel.

2 Thus says the Lord: “Do not choose to learn according to the ways of the Gentiles. And do not be willing to dread the signs of heaven, which the Gentiles fear.

Yahweh says this, 'Do not learn the ways of the nations, and do not be dismayed by the signs in the heavens, for the nations are dismayed by these.

3 For the laws of the people are empty. For the work of the hand of the craftsman has cut a tree from the forest with an axe.

For the religious customs of these people are worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and the craftsman carves the wood.

4 He has adorned it with silver and gold. He has put it together with nail and hammer, so that it will not fall apart.

Then they decorate it with silver and gold. They strengthen it with hammer and nails so it will not fall over.

5 They have been fabricated in the likeness of a palm tree, and they will not speak. They must be carried to be moved, because they do not have the ability to walk. Therefore, do not be willing to fear them, for they can do neither evil nor good.”

What they make with their hands is like scarecrows in a cucumber field, because they, too, can say nothing, and they have to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they cannot bring about evil, nor are they able to do anything good.'”

6 O Lord, there is nothing similar to you. You are great, and your name is great in strength.

There is no one like you, Yahweh. You are great, and your name is great in power.

7 Who will not fear you, O King of the nations? For honor is yours. Among all the wise of the nations, and within all their kingdoms, there is nothing similar to you.

Who does not fear you, king of the nations? For this is what you deserve, for there is no one like you among all the wise men of the nations or all their royal kingdoms.

8 Together, they will all be proven to be unwise and foolish. The doctrine of their vanity is made of wood.

They are all the same, they are brutish and stupid, disciples of idols that are nothing but wood.

9 Rolled silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. It is the work of a craftsman, and of the hand of a coppersmith. Hyacinth and purple is their clothing. All these things are the work of artists.

They bring hammered silver from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz made by artificers, the hands of refiners. Their clothes are blue and purple cloth. Their skillful men made all of these things.

10 But the Lord is the true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. Before his indignation, the earth will shake. And the Gentiles will not be able to withstand his threats.

But Yahweh is the true God. He is the living God and eternal king. The earth quakes at his anger, and the nations cannot endure his anger.

11 “And so, you shall speak to them in this way: The gods that have not made heaven and earth, let them perish from the earth and from among those places which are under heaven.

You will speak to them like this, “The gods that did not make the heavens and earth will perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”

12 He made the earth by his power, he prepared the world in his wisdom, and he stretched out the heavens with his understanding.

But it was he who made the earth by his power, and he established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he stretched out the heavens.

13 At his voice, he grants a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he lifts up the clouds from the ends of the earth. He causes the lightning with the rain, and he leads forth the wind from his storehouses.

His voice makes the roar of waters in the heavens, and he brings up the mists from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain and sends out wind from his storehouse.

14 Every man has become a fool concerning knowledge; every artist has been confounded by his graven image. For what he has formed is false, and there is no spirit in these things.

Every man has become ignorant, without knowledge. Every metalworker is put to shame by his idols. For his cast images are frauds; there is no life in them.

15 These things are empty, and they are a work deserving of ridicule. In the time of their visitation, they will perish.

They are useless, the work of mockers; they will perish at the time of their punishment.

16 Jacob’s portion is not like their portion. For his portion is from the One who formed all things. And Israel is the staff of his inheritance. The Lord of hosts is his name.

But God, the portion of Jacob, is not like these, for he is the molder of all things. Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; Yahweh of hosts is his name.

17 Gather your shame from the earth, you who are living under siege.”

Gather your bundle and leave the land, you people who have been living under the siege.

18 For thus says the Lord: “Behold, in this turn, I will cast the inhabitants of the land far away. And I will afflict them no matter where they may be found.”

For Yahweh says this, “See, I am about to throw the inhabitants of the land out this time. I will cause them distress, and they will find it to be so.”

19 Woe to me, concerning my destruction! My wound is very grievous. And yet I said: Clearly, this infirmity is mine, and I will carry it.

Woe to me! Because of my broken bones, my wound is infected. So I said, “Surely this is agony, but I must bear it.”

20 My tent has been destroyed. All my cords have been broken. My sons have gone away from me; they did not remain. There is no one to stretch out my tent any more, nor to set up my curtains.

My tent is devastated, and all of my tent cords are cut in two. They have taken my children away from me, so they no longer exist. There is no longer anyone to spread out my tent or to raise up my tent curtains.

21 For the pastors have acted foolishly, and they have not sought the Lord. Because of this, they have not understood, and all their flock has been dispersed.

For the shepherds are stupid and they do not seek Yahweh; so they have not prospered, and all their flock has been scattered.

22 Behold, the sound of a voice approaches, a great commotion from the land of the north: so that he may make the cities of Judah into a wilderness and into a dwelling place for serpents.

The report of news has arrived, “See! It is coming, a great earthquake is coming from the land of the north To make the cities of Judah into ruins, hideouts for jackals.”

23 I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not his own. Neither is it given to man to walk and to direct his own steps.

I know, Yahweh, that the way of a man does not come from himself. No person walking directs his own steps.

24 Correct me, O Lord, yet truly, do so with judgment, and not in your fury. Otherwise, you will reduce me to nothing.

Discipline me, Yahweh, with justice, not in your anger or you would destroy me.

25 Pour out your indignation upon the nations that have not known you, and upon the provinces that have not invoked your name. For they have fed upon Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and they have utterly destroyed his honor.

Pour your fury on the nations that do not know you and on the families that do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob and consumed him so as to completely destroy him and demolish his habitation.