Jeremiah 10

1 Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, house of Israel.

Give ear to the word which the Lord says to you, O people of Israel:

2 Thus says the LORD, "Do not learn the way of the nations, and do not be dismayed at the signs of the sky; for the nations are dismayed at them.

This is what the Lord has said: Do not go in the way of the nations; have no fear of the signs of heaven, for the nations go in fear of them.

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

For that which is feared by the people is foolish: it is the work of the hands of the workman; for a tree is cut down by him out of the woods with his axe.

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

They make it beautiful with silver and gold; they make it strong with nails and hammers, so that it may not be moved.

5 They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and do not speak: they must be carried, because they can't go. Do not be afraid of them; for they can't do evil, neither is it in them to do good."

It is like a pillar in a garden of plants, and has no voice: it has to be lifted, for it has no power of walking. Have no fear of it; for it has no power of doing evil and it is not able to do any good.

6 "There is none like you, LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might.

There is no one like you, O Lord; you are great and your name is great in power.

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

Who would not have fear of you, O King of the nations? for it is your right: for among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.

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

But they are together like beasts and foolish: the teaching of false gods is wood.

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 skillful men.

Silver hammered into plates is sent from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the expert workman and of the hands of the gold-worker; blue and purple is their clothing, all the work of expert men.

10 But the LORD 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 withstand his indignation.

But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and an eternal king: when he is angry, the earth is shaking with fear, and the nations give way before his wrath.

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

This is what you are to say to them: The gods who have not made the heavens and the earth will be cut off from the earth and from under the heavens.

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

He has made the earth by his power, he has made the world strong in its place by his wisdom, and by his wise design the heavens have been stretched out.

13 when he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causes the vapors to ascend from the farthest parts of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain, and brings forth the wind out of his treasuries.

At the sound of his voice there is a massing of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mists go up from the ends of the earth; he makes the thunder-flames for the rain, and sends out the wind from his store-houses.

14 Every man has become brutish and without knowledge; every goldsmith is disappointed by his engraved image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

Then every man becomes like a beast without knowledge; every gold-worker is put to shame by the image he has made: for his metal image is deceit, and there is no breath in them.

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

They are nothing, a work of error: in the time of their punishment, destruction will overtake them.

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; the LORD of hosts is his name."

The heritage of Jacob is not like these; for the maker of all things is his heritage: the Lord of armies is his name.

17 'Gather up your wares out of the land, you who live under siege.

Get your goods together and go out of the land, O you who are shut up in the walled town.

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

For the Lord has said, I will send the people in flight like a stone from the land at this time, troubling them so that they will be conscious of 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.'

Sorrow is mine for I am wounded! my wound may not be made well; and I said, Cruel is my disease, I may not be free from it.

20 My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth from me, and they are no more: there is none to spread my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

My tent is pulled down and all my cords are broken: my children have gone from me, and they are not: no longer is there anyone to give help in stretching out my tent and hanging up my curtains.

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

For the keepers of the sheep have become like beasts, not looking to the Lord for directions: so they have not done wisely and all their flocks have been put to flight.

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

News is going about, see, it is coming, a great shaking is coming from the north country, so that the towns of Judah may be made waste and become the living-place of jackals.

23 LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.

O Lord, I am conscious that a man's way is not in himself: man has no power of guiding his steps.

24 LORD, correct me, but in measure: not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.

O Lord, put me right, but with wise purpose; not in your wrath, or you will make me small.

25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not know you, and on the families that do not call on your name: for they have devoured Jacob, yes, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation."

Let your wrath be let loose on the nations which have no knowledge of you, and on the families who give no worship to your name: for they have made a meal of Jacob, truly they have made a meal of him and put an end to him and made his fields a waste.