Jeremiah 10

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

Listen to the message the Lord is sending to you, 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 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 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.

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

They decorate it with silver and gold, and nail it down with a hammer so it won't fall over.

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."

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 you, LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might.

There's no one like you, Lord! You are so great! You are incredibly powerful!

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.

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

Yet these “wise men” are completely foolish and stupid, because they think they can be taught by useless idols made of 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.

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 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 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 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 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 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:

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 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.

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 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.

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 vanity, a work of delusion: 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 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 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 up your wares out of the land, you who live under siege.

You people living in Jerusalem under siege, get all your things together ready to leave,

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.'

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

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

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 LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man who walks 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 LORD, correct me, but in measure: not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.

Please discipline me fairly, Lord—not while you're angry, otherwise you'll kill me!

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."

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.