Jeremiah 10

1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh to you, O house of Israel:

Hear ye the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning you, O house of Israel:

2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

Thus hath said the Lord, Do not habituate yourselves on the way of the nations, and at the signs of the heavens be ye not dismayed; although the nations should be dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.

For the statutes of these people concern what is vanity; for it is but a tree which a man hath cut out of a forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

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

With silver and with gold do they ornament it; with nails and with hammers do they fasten it, that it move not from its place.

5 They [are] upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also [is it] in them to do good.

As a wrought-out palm-like column are they, and cannot speak; they must needs be borne, because they cannot step along. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do any harm, so also to do any good is not in them.

6 Forasmuch as [there is] none like to thee, O LORD; thou [art] great, and thy name [is] great in might.

Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord: thou [alone] art great, and great is thy name in might.

7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise [men] of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, [there is] none like to thee.

Who would not fear thee, O King of the nations? for to thee doth it appertain; because among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, [they say] there is none like unto thee.

8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock [is] a doctrine of vanities.

But at once shall they be shown to be brutish and foolish: it is a doctrine of vanities, it concerneth but wood.

9 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple [is] their clothing: they [are] all the work of skillful [men].

The beaten out silver is brought from Tharshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the goldsmith: blue and purple is their clothing; the work of skilful men are they all.

10 But the LORD [is] the true God, he [is] the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

But the Lord God is the truth, he is the living God, and the everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall quake, and nations cannot endure his indignation.

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

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

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

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

13 When he uttereth his voice, [there is] a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

At the sound when he giveth a multitude of waters in the heavens, and causeth clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth; when he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures:

14 Every man is brutish in [his] knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image [is] falsehood, and [there is] no breath in them.

Then standeth every man as brutish without knowledge; ashamed is every goldsmith because of the graven image; for falsehood is his molten work, and there is no breath therein.

15 They [are] vanity, [and] the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

They are vanity, the work of deception; in the time of their punishment shall they vanish.

16 The portion of Jacob [is] not like them: for he [is] the former of all [things]; and Israel [is] the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts [is] his name.

Not like these is the portion of Jacob; for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: The Lord of hosts is his name.

17 Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.

Gather up thy wares from the ground, O inhabitress of the beleaguered city.

18 For thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them that they may find [it so].

For thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will cast forth as with a sling the inhabitants of the land at this time, and I will enclose them, in order that they may find them.

19 Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this [is] a grief, and I must bear it.

Woe is me for my breach! my wound is painful; but I thought, This is but pain, and I shall be able to bear it.

20 My tabernacle is laid waste, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone from me, and they [are] not: [there is] none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

[But now] my tent is laid waste, and all my cords are torn asunder; my children are gone away from me, and they are not [here]; there is no one to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

21 For the pastors have become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

For the shepherds were brutish, and the Lord had they not sought; therefore have they not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered.

22 Behold, the sound of the noise is come, and a great commotion from the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, [and] a den of dragons.

Behold, the noise of the report is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to render the cities of Judah desolate, a dwelling for monsters.

23 O LORD, I know that the way of man [is] not in himself: [it is] not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in his own power: it is not in man that passeth away to direct his own steps.

24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thy anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

Correct me, O Lord, but with justice; not in thy anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

Pour out thy fury over the nations that know thee not, and over the families that have not called on thy name; for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his dwelling desolate.