Jeremiah, 10

1. Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

1. Hear the word which Yahweh speaks to you, people of Israel,

2. Thus 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.

2. "Do not follow the way of the foreign nations and do not fear signs in the sky as they do. The Awesome God of these nations is but nothing.

3. For 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.

3. It is only wood cut from a tree in the forest and shaped by a craftsman's chisel.

4. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

4. They adorn it with silver from Tarshish and gold from Ophir and then fasten it with hammer and nails to keep it from falling.

5. They [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.

5. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field; they cannot speak. They have to be carried because they cannot walk. Have no fear of them; they can do neither harm nor good."

6. Forasmuch as [there is] none like unto thee, O LORD; thou [art] great, and thy name [is] great in might.

6. No one equals you, Yahweh, you are great. Power is yours, and great is your Name!

7. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise [men] of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, [there is] none like unto thee.

7. Who would not fear you, King of nations? You are to be feared, for among the wise of the nations and in all their kingdoms no one equals you.

8. But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock [is] a doctrine of vanities.

8. They are all brutish and stupid; their idols are proof of their foolishness.

9. 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 [is] their clothing: they [are] all the work of cunning [men].

9.

10. But the LORD [is] the true God, he [is] the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

10. But Yahweh is the true God, the living God and eternal King. His anger makes the earth quake; the nations cannot endure his fury.

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

11. You will say this to them, "The gods who did not make either the heavens or the earth shall disappear 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 hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

12. By his power he made the earth, by his wisdom he established the world; by his understanding he extended the heavens.

13. When he uttereth his voice, [there is] a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

13. When he raises his voice the waters pile up in the heavens. He calls the clouds from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and from his storehouse sends out the wind.

14. Every man is brutish in [his] knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image [is] falsehood, and [there is] no breath in them.

14. At this all men feel stupid and without knowledge. Every goldsmith is ashamed of his idol which is a fraud without breath.

15. They [are] vanity, [and] the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

15. They are worthless, ridiculous objects; they shall perish when the time of retribution comes.

16. The portion of Jacob [is] not like them: for he [is] the former of all [things]; and Israel [is] the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts [is] his name.

16. He instead has formed the universe and Israel as well, the tribe of his inheritance, for he is the portion of Jacob: Yahweh, God of hosts is his name.

17. Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.

17. Gather up your belongings and leave the land, you who are the victims of siege,

18. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find [it so].

18. for thus says Yahweh, "I am hurling far away the inhabitants of this land, and I will let them be pursued and captured."

19. Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this [is] a grief, and I must bear it.

19. Woe is me! What suffering! My wound is incurable! But I shall say; "Mine is this illness, I must bear it."

20. My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they [are] not: [there is] none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

20. My tent is destroyed, all its cords are snapped. My children have left me and are no more; no one is left to pitch my tent or to set my shelter up.

21. For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

21. For the pastors have become senseless and have not consulted Yahweh; they have not prospered and all their flocks are scattered.

22. Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, [and] a den of dragons.

22. Heed the news! Pay attention! A great commotion is heard from the north; they are coming to make the cities of Judah a desolate land, a den of jackals.

23. O LORD, I know that the way of man [is] not in himself: [it is] not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

23. You know, Yahweh, that man's life is not within his own control and it is not for him to direct his steps!

24. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

24. Correct us, Yahweh, with prudence, not in anger, lest you destroy us completely.

25. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

25. Put out your anger on the nations that do not know you, on the people who do not call on your Name. For they have devoured Jacob and consumed him thoroughly; his homeland is already laid waste.