יִרְמְיָהוּ 10

1 שִׁמְע֣וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Listen to the message the Lord is sending to you, people of Israel.

2 כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אֶל־דֶּ֤רֶךְ הַגֹּויִם֙ אַל־תִּלְמָ֔דוּ וּמֵאֹתֹ֥ות הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם אַל־תֵּחָ֑תּוּ כִּֽי־יֵחַ֥תּוּ הַגֹּויִ֖ם מֵהֵֽמָּה׃

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 כִּֽי־חֻקֹּ֥ות הָֽעַמִּ֖ים הֶ֣בֶל ה֑וּא כִּֽי־עֵץ֙ מִיַּ֣עַר כְּרָתֹ֔ו מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵ֥י־חָרָ֖שׁ בַּֽמַּעֲצָֽד׃

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 בְּכֶ֥סֶף וּבְזָהָ֖ב יְיַפֵּ֑הוּ בְּמַסְמְרֹ֧ות וּבְמַקָּבֹ֛ות יְחַזְּק֖וּם וְלֹ֥וא יָפִֽיק׃

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

5 כְּתֹ֨מֶר מִקְשָׁ֥ה הֵ֙מָּה֙ וְלֹ֣א יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ נָשֹׂ֥וא יִנָּשׂ֖וּא כִּ֣י לֹ֣א יִצְעָ֑דוּ אַל־תִּֽירְא֤וּ מֵהֶם֙ כִּי־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֔עוּ וְגַם־הֵיטֵ֖יב אֵ֥ין אֹותָֽם׃ ס

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 מֵאֵ֥ין כָּמֹ֖וךָ יְהוָ֑ה גָּדֹ֥ול אַתָּ֛ה וְגָדֹ֥ול שִׁמְךָ֖ בִּגְבוּרָֽה׃

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

7 מִ֣י לֹ֤א יִֽרָאֲךָ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ הַגֹּויִ֔ם כִּ֥י לְךָ֖ יָאָ֑תָה כִּ֣י בְכָל־חַכְמֵ֧י הַגֹּויִ֛ם וּבְכָל־מַלְכוּתָ֖ם מֵאֵ֥ין כָּמֹֽוךָ׃

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 וּבְאַחַ֖ת יִבְעֲר֣וּ וְיִכְסָ֑לוּ מוּסַ֥ר הֲבָלִ֖ים עֵ֥ץ הֽוּא׃

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

9 כֶּ֣סֶף מְרֻקָּ֞ע מִתַּרְשִׁ֣ישׁ יוּבָ֗א וְזָהָב֙ מֵֽאוּפָ֔ז מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חָרָ֖שׁ וִידֵ֣י צֹורֵ֑ף תְּכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ לְבוּשָׁ֔ם מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חֲכָמִ֖ים כֻּלָּֽם׃

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 וַֽיהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ אֱמֶ֔ת הֽוּא־אֱלֹהִ֥ים חַיִּ֖ים וּמֶ֣לֶךְ עֹולָ֑ם מִקִּצְפֹּו֙ תִּרְעַ֣שׁ הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹֽא־יָכִ֥לוּ גֹויִ֖ם זַעְמֹֽו׃ ס

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 כִּדְנָה֙ תֵּאמְר֣וּן לְהֹ֔ום אֱלָ֣הַיָּ֔א דִּֽי־שְׁמַיָּ֥א וְאַרְקָ֖א לָ֣א עֲבַ֑דוּ יֵאבַ֧דוּ מֵֽאַרְעָ֛א וּמִן־תְּחֹ֥ות שְׁמַיָּ֖א אֵֽלֶּה׃ ס

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 עֹשֵׂ֥ה אֶ֙רֶץ֙ בְּכֹחֹ֔ו מֵכִ֥ין תֵּבֵ֖ל בְּחָכְמָתֹ֑ו וּבִתְבוּנָתֹ֖ו נָטָ֥ה שָׁמָֽיִם׃

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 לְקֹ֨ול תִּתֹּ֜ו הֲמֹ֥ון מַ֙יִם֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיַּעֲלֶ֥ה נְשִׂאִ֖ים מִקְצֵ֣ה אֶרֶץ (הָאָ֑רֶץ) בְּרָקִ֤ים לַמָּטָר֙ עָשָׂ֔ה וַיֹּ֥וצֵא ר֖וּחַ מֵאֹצְרֹתָֽיו׃

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 נִבְעַ֤ר כָּל־אָדָם֙ מִדַּ֔עַת הֹבִ֥ישׁ כָּל־צֹורֵ֖ף מִפָּ֑סֶל כִּ֛י שֶׁ֥קֶר נִסְכֹּ֖ו וְלֹא־ר֥וּחַ בָּֽם׃

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 הֶ֣בֶל הֵ֔מָּה מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה תַּעְתֻּעִ֑ים בְּעֵ֥ת פְּקֻדָּתָ֖ם יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃

They are useless, an object to be laughed at. They will be destroyed at the time of their punishment.

16 לֹֽא־כְאֵ֜לֶּה חֵ֣לֶק יַעֲקֹ֗ב כִּֽי־יֹוצֵ֤ר הַכֹּל֙ ה֔וּא וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔ל שֵׁ֖בֶט נַֽחֲלָתֹ֑ו יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹ֖ות שְׁמֹֽו׃ ס

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 אִסְפִּ֥י מֵאֶ֖רֶץ כִּנְעָתֵ֑ךְ יֹשַׁבְתִּי (יֹשֶׁ֖בֶת) בַּמָּצֹֽור׃ ס

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

18 כִּֽי־כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנְנִ֥י קֹולֵ֛עַ אֶת־יֹושְׁבֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֑את וַהֲצֵרֹ֥ותִי לָהֶ֖ם לְמַ֥עַן יִמְצָֽאוּ׃ ס

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 אֹ֥וי לִי֙ עַל־שִׁבְרִ֔י נַחְלָ֖ה מַכָּתִ֑י וַאֲנִ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי אַ֛ךְ זֶ֥ה חֳלִ֖י וְאֶשָּׂאֶֽנּוּ׃

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 אָהֳלִ֣י שֻׁדָּ֔ד וְכָל־מֵיתָרַ֖י נִתָּ֑קוּ בָּנַ֤י יְצָאֻ֙נִי֙ וְאֵינָ֔ם אֵין־נֹטֶ֥ה עֹוד֙ אָהֳלִ֔י וּמֵקִ֖ים יְרִיעֹותָֽי׃

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 כִּ֤י נִבְעֲרוּ֙ הָֽרֹעִ֔ים וְאֶת־יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֣א דָרָ֑שׁוּ עַל־כֵּן֙ לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ וְכָל־מַרְעִיתָ֖ם נָפֹֽוצָה׃ ס

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 קֹ֤ול שְׁמוּעָה֙ הִנֵּ֣ה בָאָ֔ה וְרַ֥עַשׁ גָּדֹ֖ול מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפֹ֑ון לָשׂ֞וּם אֶת־עָרֵ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה שְׁמָמָ֖ה מְעֹ֥ון תַּנִּֽים׃ ס

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 יָדַ֣עְתִּי יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֛י לֹ֥א לָאָדָ֖ם דַּרְכֹּ֑ו לֹֽא־לְאִ֣ישׁ הֹלֵ֔ךְ וְהָכִ֖ין אֶֽת־צַעֲדֹֽו׃

I realize, Lord, that people don't control their own lives—no one really knows how to choose their way.

24 יַסְּרֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֖ה אַךְ־בְּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ֖ פֶּן־תַּמְעִטֵֽנִי׃

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

25 שְׁפֹ֣ךְ חֲמָתְךָ֗ עַל־הַגֹּויִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יְדָע֔וּךָ וְעַל֙ מִשְׁפָּחֹ֔ות אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּשִׁמְךָ֖ לֹ֣א קָרָ֑אוּ כִּֽי־אָכְל֣וּ אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַאֲכָלֻ֙הוּ֙ וַיְכַלֻּ֔הוּ וְאֶת־נָוֵ֖הוּ הֵשַֽׁמּוּ׃ פ

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.