Jeremiah 10

1 Heare ye the worde of the Lord that he speaketh vnto you, O house 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.

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,

4 And another decketh it with siluer, and with golde: they fasten it with nailes, and hammers, that it fall not.

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.

6 There is none like vnto thee, O Lord: thou art great, and thy name is great in power.

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.

8 But, altogether they dote, and are foolish: for the stocke is a doctrine of vanitie.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

15 They are vanitie, and the worke of errours: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

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.

17 Gather vp thy wares out of the land, O thou that dwellest in the strong place.

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.

19 Wo is me for my destruction, and my grieuous plague: but I thought, Yet it is my sorow, and I will beare 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.

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.

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.

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.

24 O Lord, correct mee, but with iudgement, not in thine anger, least thou bring mee to nothing.

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.