Jeremiah 10
1 Heare ye the worde of the Lord that he speaketh vnto you, O house of Israel.
Listen to the message the Lord is sending to you, people of Israel.
2 Thus saith the Lord, Learne not the way of the heathen, and be not afraid for the signes of heauen, though the heathen be afraid of such.
This is what the Lord says: Don't adopt the practices of other nations. Don't be terrified as they are by signs in the heavens that they interpret as predicting disaster.
3 For the customes of the people are vaine: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest (which is the worke of the handes of the carpenter) with the axe,
The religious beliefs of the peoples are pointless. They chop down a tree in the forest and a craftsman carves the wood with a tool to make an idol.
4 And another decketh it with siluer, and with golde: they fasten it with nailes, and hammers, that it fall not.
They decorate it with silver and gold, and nail it down with a hammer so it won't fall over.
5 The idoles stande vp as the palme tree, but speake not: they are borne because they cannot go feare them not, for they cannot do euill, neither can they do good.
Just like a scarecrow in a field of cucumbers, their idols can't speak. They have to be carried around because they can't walk. You don't have to be afraid of them because they can't hurt you—and they can't do you any good either.
6 There is none like vnto thee, O Lord: thou art great, and thy name is great in power.
There's no one like you, Lord! You are so great! You are incredibly powerful!
7 Who would not feare thee, O King of nations? for to thee appertaineth the dominion: for among all the wise men of the Gentiles, and in al their kingdomes there is none like thee.
Everyone should respect you, King of the nations. This is how you should be treated. There's no one like you among all the wise men of every nation and kingdom.
8 But, altogether they dote, and are foolish: for the stocke is a doctrine of vanitie.
Yet these “wise men” are completely foolish and stupid, because they think they can be taught by useless idols made of wood!
9 Siluer plates are brought from Tarshish, and golde from Vphaz, for the worke of the workeman, and the handes of the founder: the blewe silke, and the purple is their clothing: all these things are made by cunning men.
Sheets of hammered silver are shipped in from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, to be used by craftsmen and metalworkers. These idols are dressed in clothes of blue and purple made by experts.
10 But the Lord is the God of trueth: he is the liuing God, and an euerlasting King: at his anger the earth shall tremble, and the nations cannot abide his wrath.
But the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and eternal King. The earth shakes when he is angry; the nations can't withstand his fury.
11 (Thus shall you say vnto them, The gods that haue not made the heauens and the earth, shall perish from the earth, and from vnder these heauens)
This is what you are to tell the nations: “These gods, who didn't make either the heavens or the earth, will be wiped out from this earth and from under these heavens.”
12 He hath made the earth by his power, and established the worlde by his wisedome, and hath stretched out the heauen by his discretion.
It was God who made the earth by his power. He created the world by his wisdom and by his understanding he put the heavens in place.
13 Hee giueth by his voyce the multitude of waters in the heauen, and he causeth the cloudes to ascend from the endes of the earth: he turneth lightnings to rayne, and bringeth forth the winde out of his treasures.
The waters of the heavens rain down with a roar at his command. He makes the clouds to rise all over the earth. He makes lightning to accompany rain, and sends the wind from his storehouses.
14 Euery man is a beast by his owne knowledge: euery founder is confounded by the grauen image: for his melting is but falsehood, and there is no breath therein.
Everyone is stupid; they don't know anything. Every metalworker is embarrassed by the idols they make. For their images made of molten metal are fraudulent—they're not alive!
15 They are vanitie, and the worke of errours: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
They are useless, an object to be laughed at. They will be destroyed at the time of their punishment.
16 The portion of Iaakob is not like them: for he is the maker of all things, and Israel is the rodde of his inheritance: the Lord of hostes is his Name.
The God of Jacob is not like these idols, for he is the Creator of everything, and Israel is the tribe that belongs to him. The Lord Almighty is his name.
17 Gather vp thy wares out of the land, O thou that dwellest in the strong place.
You people living in Jerusalem under siege, get all your things together ready to leave,
18 For thus sayth the Lord, Beholde, at this time I will throwe as with a sling the inhabitants of the lande, and will trouble them, and they shall finde it so.
because this is what the Lord says: Look! Right now I'm about to throw out the people living in this country, bringing them trouble they will really feel.
19 Wo is me for my destruction, and my grieuous plague: but I thought, Yet it is my sorow, and I will beare it.
The people of Jerusalem responded, “We're suffering terribly because we've been badly hurt—our injuries are really serious. We thought it wouldn't be that bad and that we could bear it.
20 My tabernacle is destroyed, and all my coardes are broken: my children are gone from me, and are not: there is none to spread out my tent any more, and to set vp my curtaines.
Our tents have been destroyed; all our ropes have been broken. Our children have been taken from us and are no more. We don't have anyone left to put up our tents or hang our curtains.”
21 For the Pastours are become beasts, and haue not sought the Lord: therefore haue they none vnderstanding: and all the flockes of their pastures are scattered.
The “shepherds” have become stupid—they don't ask the Lord for advice. That's why they have failed, and all their flock has been scattered.
22 Beholde, the noyse of the brute is come, and a great commotion out of the North countrey to make the cities of Iudah desolate, and a denne of dragons.
Listen to the news that an noisy army is invading from a country to the north. The towns of Judah will be knocked down, they will be places where only jackals live.
23 O Lord, I knowe, that the way of man is not in himselfe, neyther is it in man to walke and to direct his steps.
I realize, Lord, that people don't control their own lives—no one really knows how to choose their way.
24 O Lord, correct mee, but with iudgement, not in thine anger, least thou bring mee to nothing.
Please discipline me fairly, Lord—not while you're angry, otherwise you'll kill me!
25 Powre out thy wrath vpon the heathen, that knowe thee not, and vpon the families that call not on thy Name: for they haue eaten vp Iaakob and deuoured him and consumed him, and haue made his habitation desolate.
Pour out your fury on the nations that don't recognize you as God, and on their families that don't worship you. For they have completely destroyed the Israelites, wiping us out. They have devastated our country.
