Jeremiah 10

1 Hear ye the word which Jehovah speaks to you, O house of Israel.

Hear ye the word which Yahweh hath spoken unto you, O house of Israel: —

2 Thus says Jehovah: Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed at them.

Thus, saith Yahweh—Unto the way of the nations, become not ye accustomed, Nor at the signs of the heavens, be ye dismayed, —Because the nations are dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the peoples are vanity. For a man cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe.

For as for the prescribed customs of the peoples, vanity, they are, —For a tree out of the forest, one cutteth down, Work for the hands of a skilled workman with the axe:

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

With silver and with gold, he decketh it, —With nails and with hammers, they fasten them, that it may not totter.

5 They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and do not speak. They must be carried, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor is it in them to do good.

Mere palm-trunks turned, they are and cannot speak, They must needs be, carried, for they cannot take a step, Be not afraid of them, for they cannot do harm, And even to do good, is not in their power.

6 There is none like thee, O Jehovah. Thou are great, and thy name is great in might.

None, there is, like unto thee, O Yahweh, —Great, art, thou, And, great, is thy Name, for might.

7 Who should not fear thee, O King of the nations? For to thee it appertains, inasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royal estate, there is none like thee.

Who would not revere thee, O King of nations? For, thee, doth it beseem; Forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations And throughout all their royal estate, None, there is like unto thee.

8 But they are together brutish and foolish, the instruction of idols! It is but a block of wood.

But at once, do they become brutish and stupid, —An example of utmost vanity, is, a tree!

9 There is silver beaten into plates, which is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the artificer and of the hands of the goldsmith, blue and purple for their clothing. They are all the work of skilful men.

Silver spread into plates, from Tarshish is brought, And gold, from Uphaz, Work for the craftsman and for the hands of the smith, —Blue and purple, is their clothing, Work for the skilled, are they all.

10 But Jehovah is the true God. He is the living God, and an everlasting King. At his wrath the earth trembles, and the nations are not able to abide his indignation.

But, Yahweh, is God in truth, He, is a God that, liveth, And a King of times age-abiding, —At his anger, quaketh the earth, And nations cannot endure his wrath.

11 Thus ye shall say to them: The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, these shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.

Thus, shall ye say unto them, The gods that made not the heavens, And the earth, Shall perish out of the earth, And from under these heavens!

12 He has made the earth by his power. He has established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he has stretched out the heavens.

He that made the earth by his power, That 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 causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain, and brings forth the wind out of his treasuries.

At the voice that he uttered, there was a tumult of waters in the heavens, And he caused vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth, —The lightnings for rain, he made, And brought forth wind out of his treasuries.

14 Every man has become brutish, without knowledge. Every goldsmith is put to shame by his graven image. For his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

Every son of earth hath become too brutish to discern, Every goldsmith, hath been put to shame by a graven image, —For a falsehood, is his molten image, Seeing there is no breath in them.

15 They are vanity, a work of delusion. In the time of their visitation they shall perish.

Vanity, they are, the handiwork of mockeries, —In the time of their visitation, shall they perish.

16 The portion of Jacob is not like these. For he is the former of all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance. Jehovah of hosts is his name.

Not like these, is the portion of Jacob, For the fashioner of all things, is, he, And, Israel, is his inherited sceptre, —Yahweh of hosts, is his name.

17 Gather up thy wares out of the land, O thou who abides in the siege.

Fold up, from the ground thy travelling carpet, —O inhabitress of the fortress;

18 For thus says Jehovah, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and will distress them, that they may feel it.

For, thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me! slinging out the inhabitants of the land at this throw, —And I will distress them that they may discover it.

19 Woe is me because of my hurt! My wound is grievous, but I said, Truly this is my grief, and I must bear it.

Woe to me! for my grievous injury, Severe, is my wound, —But, I, said, Verily, this, is an affliction and I must bear it:

20 My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken. My sons have gone forth from me, and they are not. There is none to spread my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

My tent, is laid waste, And all my tent-cords, are broken, —My children, are gone forth from me and they, are not. There is none, To stretch out any more my tent, Or to set up my curtains.

21 For the shepherds have become brutish, and have not inquired of Jehovah. Therefore they have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered.

For the shepherds, have become brutish, And Yahweh, have they not sought, —For this cause, have they not prospered, And, all their flock, is scattered.

22 The voice of news. Behold, it comes, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling-place of jackals.

The noise of a rumour! lo it hath come! Even a great commotion out of the land of the North, —To make the cities of Judah, A desolation, A den of jackals.

23 O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his steps.

I know O Yahweh, That not to a son of earth, pertaineth his own path, —Not, to the man who walketh, also to direct his own steps.

24 O Jehovah, correct me, but in measure, not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

Chastise me, O Yahweh But yet in measure, —Not in thine anger, lest thou make me few.

25 Pour out thy wrath upon the nations that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name. For they have devoured Jacob. Yea, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.

Pour out thy wrath—Upon the nations that know thee not, and Upon the families that, upon thy Name, have not called, —For they have devoured Jacob Yea they have devoured him and consumed him, And, his habitation, have they made desolate.