Jeremiah chapter 10
English Standard Version
1Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2Thus says the Lord: "Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them,
3 for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. 4 They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. 5Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good." 6 There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. 7 Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. 8 They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood! 9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple; they are all the work of skilled men. 10 But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. 11Thus shall you say to them: "The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens."
12 It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. 13 When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses. 14 Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them. 15They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish. 16Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the Lord of hosts is his name. 17 Gather up your bundle from the ground, O you who dwell under siege! 18For thus says the Lord: "Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and I will bring distress on them, that they may feel it." 19Woe is me because of my hurt! My wound is grievous. But I said, "Truly this is an affliction, and I must bear it." 20 My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken; my children have gone from me, and they are not; there is no one to spread my tent again and to set up my curtains. 21 For the shepherds are stupid and do not inquire of the Lord; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered. 22A voice, a rumor! Behold, it comes! — a great commotion out of the north country to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a lair of jackals. 23 I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. 24 Correct me, O Lord, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. 25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not, and on the peoples that call not on your name, for they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.
New International Version
2This is what the Lord says: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them. 3For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. 4They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.
5Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good." 6No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.
7Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. 8They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. 9Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple— all made by skilled workers. 10But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath.
13When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. 14Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them. 15They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. 16He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the people of his inheritance— the Lord Almighty is his name. 17Gather up your belongings to leave the land, you who live under siege.
18For this is what the Lord says: "At this time I will hurl out those who live in this land; I will bring distress on them so that they may be captured." 19Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, "This is my sickness, and I must endure it." 20My tent is destroyed; all its ropes are snapped. My children are gone from me and are no more; no one is left now to pitch my tent or to set up my shelter. 21The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the Lord; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered. 22Listen! The report is coming— a great commotion from the land of the north! It will make the towns of Judah desolate, a haunt of jackals. 23 Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. 24Discipline me, Lord, but only in due measure— not in your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing. 25Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland.
New American Standard Bible
2This is what the Lord says: '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; 3For the customs of the peoples are futile; For it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. 4They decorate the idol with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not totter. 5They are like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.' 6There is none like You, Lord; You are great, and Your name is great in might. 7Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You. 8But they are altogether stupid and foolish; The instruction from idols is nothing but wood! 9Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith; Their clothing is of violet and purple; They are all the work of skilled people.
12 It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. 13When He utters His voice, there is a roar of waters in the heavens, And He makes the clouds ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, And brings out the wind from His storehouses. 14Every person is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his cast metal images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them. 15They are worthless, a work of mockery; At the time of their punishment they will perish. 16The Portion of Jacob is not like these; For He is the Maker of everything, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The Lord of armies is His name. 17Pick up your bundle from the ground, You who live under siege! 18For this is what the Lord says: 'Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land At this time, And I will cause them distress, So that they may be found.' 19Woe to me, because of my injury! My wound is incurable. But I said, 'This certainly is a sickness, And I must endure it.' 20My tent is destroyed, And all my ropes are broken. My sons have gone from me and are no more. There is no one to stretch out my tent again Or to set up my curtains. 21For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the Lord. Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered. 22The sound of a report! Behold, it is coming— A great roar from the land of the north— To make the cities of Judah A desolation, a haunt of jackals. 23I know, Lord, that a person’s way is not in himself, Nor is it in a person who walks to direct his steps. 24Correct me, Lord, but with justice; Not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing. 25Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You, And on the families who do not call upon Your name; For they have devoured Jacob; They have devoured him and consumed him, And have laid waste his settlement.
Christian Standard Bible
2This is what the Lord says: Do not learn the way of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, although the nations are terrified by them, 3for 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. 4He decorates it with silver and gold. It is fastened with hammer and nails, so it won’t totter.
5Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them for they can do no harm — and they cannot do any good. 6 Lord, there is no one like you. You are great; your name is great in power. 7Who should not fear you, King of the nations? 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. 8They are both stupid and foolish, instructed by worthless idols made of wood! 9Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. The work of a craftsman and of a goldsmith’s hands is clothed in blue and purple, all the work of skilled artisans. 10But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at his wrath, and the nations cannot endure his rage.
13When he thunders, the waters in the heavens are in turmoil, 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. 14Everyone is stupid and ignorant. Every goldsmith is put to shame by his carved image, for his cast images are a lie; there is no breath in them. 15They are worthless, a work to be mocked. At the time of their punishment they will be destroyed. 16Jacob’s Portion is not like these because he is the one who formed all things. Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the Lord of Armies is his name. 17Gather up your belongings from the ground, you who live under siege.
18For this is what the Lord says: Look, I am flinging away the land’s residents at this time and bringing them such distress that they will feel it. 19Woe to me because of my brokenness— I am severely wounded! I exclaimed, "This is my intense suffering, but I must bear it." 20My tent is destroyed; 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. 21For the shepherds are stupid: They don’t seek the Lord. Therefore they have not prospered, and their whole flock is scattered.
22Listen! A noise—it is coming— a great commotion from the land to the north. The cities of Judah will be made desolate, a jackals’ den. 23I know, Lord, that a person’s way of life is not his own; no one who walks determines his own steps. 24Discipline me, Lord, but with justice— not in your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing. 25Pour 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.
New Living Translation
2This is what the Lord says: 'Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though other nations are terrified by them. 3Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. 4They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over. 5Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.'
6Lord, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power. 7Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like you.
8People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood! 9They bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, and they give these materials to skillful craftsmen who make their idols. Then they dress these gods in royal blue and purple robes made by expert tailors. 10But the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath.
12But the Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens. 13When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. 14The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power. 15Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed. 16But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, his own special possession. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!
17Pack your bags and prepare to leave; the siege is about to begin. 18For this is what the Lord says: 'Suddenly, I will fling out all you who live in this land. I will pour great troubles upon you, and at last you will feel my anger.'
19My wound is severe, and my grief is great. My sickness is incurable, but I must bear it. 20My home is gone, and no one is left to help me rebuild it. My children have been taken away, and I will never see them again. 21The shepherds of my people have lost their senses. They no longer seek wisdom from the Lord. Therefore, they fail completely, and their flocks are scattered. 22Listen! Hear the terrifying roar of great armies as they roll down from the north. The towns of Judah will be destroyed and become a haunt for jackals.
23I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. 24So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die. 25Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you — on the peoples that do not call upon your name. For they have devoured your people Israel ; they have devoured and consumed them, making the land a desolate wilderness.
King James Version
1Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
5They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. 6Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.
New King James Version
2Thus says the Lord: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. 3For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. 4They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple. 5They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.” 6Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might), 7 Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You. 8But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine. 9Silver is beaten into plates; It is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of the craftsman And of the hands of the metalsmith; Blue and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skillful men. 10But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
12He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at 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 ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His treasuries.” 14 Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image; For his molded image is falsehood, And there is no breath in them. 15They are futile, a work of errors; 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 tribe of His inheritance; The Lord of hosts is His name. 17 Gather up your wares from the land, O inhabitant of the fortress!
18For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will throw out at this time The inhabitants of the land, And will distress them, That they may find it so.” 19 Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is severe. But I say, “Truly this is an infirmity, And I must bear it.” 20 My tent is plundered, And all my cords are broken; My children have gone from me, And they are no more. There is no one to pitch my tent anymore, Or set up my curtains. 21For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, And have not sought the Lord; Therefore they shall not prosper, And all their flocks shall be scattered. 22Behold, the noise of the report has come, And a great commotion out of the north country, To make the cities of Judah desolate, a den of jackals. 23O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. 24O Lord, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing. 25 Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know You, And on the families who do not call on Your name; For they have eaten up Jacob, Devoured him and consumed him, And made his dwelling place desolate.