Jeremiæ 10
1 Audite verbum, quod locutus est Dominus super vos domus Israel.
Listen to the message the Lord is sending to you, people of Israel.
2 Haec dicit Dominus: Iuxta vias Gentium nolite discere: et a signis caeli nolite metuere, quae timent Gentes:
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 quia leges populorum vanae sunt: quia lignum de saltu praecidit opus manus artificis in ascia.
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 Argento, et auro decoravit illud: clavis et malleis compegit, ut non dissolvatur.
They decorate it with silver and gold, and nail it down with a hammer so it won't fall over.
5 In similitudinem palmae fabricata sunt, et non loquentur: portata tollentur, quia incedere non valent. nolite ergo timere ea, quia nec male possunt facere, nec bene.
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 Non est similis tui Domine: magnus es tu, et magnum nomen tuum in fortitudine.
There's no one like you, Lord! You are so great! You are incredibly powerful!
7 Quis non timebit te o rex Gentium? tuum est enim decus: inter cunctos sapientes Gentium, et in universis regnis eorum nullus est similis tui.
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 Pariter insipientes et fatui probabuntur: doctrina vanitatis eorum lignum est.
Yet these “wise men” are completely foolish and stupid, because they think they can be taught by useless idols made of wood!
9 Argentum involutum de Tharsis affertur, et aurum de Ophaz: opus artificis, et manus aerarii, hyacinthus et purpura indumentum eorum. opus artificum universa haec.
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 Dominus autem Deus verus est: ipse Deus vivens, et rex sempiternus. ab indignatione eius commovebitur terra: et non sustinebunt Gentes comminationem eius.
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 Sic ergo dicetis eis: Dii, qui caelos et terram non fecerunt, pereant de terra, et de his, quae sub caelo sunt.
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 Qui facit terram in fortitudine sua, praeparat orbem in sapientia sua, et prudentia sua extendit caelos.
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 Ad vocem suam dat multitudinem aquarum in caelo, et elevat nebulas ab extremitatibus terrae: fulgura in pluviam facit, et educit ventum de thesauris suis.
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 Stultus factus est omnis homo a scientia, confusus est artifex omnis in sculptili: quoniam falsum est quod conflavit, et non est spiritus in eis.
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 Vana sunt, et opus risu dignum: in tempore visitationis suae peribunt.
They are useless, an object to be laughed at. They will be destroyed at the time of their punishment.
16 Non est his similis pars Iacob: qui enim formavit omnia, ipse est: et Israel virga hereditatis eius: Dominus exercituum nomen illi.
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 Congrega de terra confusionem tuam, quae habitas in obsidione:
You people living in Jerusalem under siege, get all your things together ready to leave,
18 quia haec dicit Dominus: Ecce ego longe proiiciam habitatores terrae in hac vice: et tribulabo eos ita ut non inveniantur.
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 Vae mihi super contritione mea, pessima plaga mea. Ego autem dixi: Plane haec infirmitas mea est, et portabo illam.
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 Tabernaculum meum vastatum est, omnes funiculi mei dirupti sunt, filii mei exierunt a me, et non subsistunt: non est qui extendat ultra tentorium meum, et erigat pelles meas.
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 Quia stulte egerunt pastores, et Dominum non quaesierunt: propterea non intellexerunt, et omnis grex eorum dispersus est.
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 Vox auditionis ecce venit, et commotio magna de terra Aquilonis: ut ponat civitates Iuda solitudinem, et habitaculum draconum.
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 Scio Domine quia non est hominis via eius: nec viri est ut ambulet, et dirigat gressus suos.
I realize, Lord, that people don't control their own lives—no one really knows how to choose their way.
24 Corripe me Domine, verumtamen in iudicio: et non in furore tuo, ne forte ad nihilum redigas me.
Please discipline me fairly, Lord—not while you're angry, otherwise you'll kill me!
25 Effunde indignationem tuam super Gentes, quae non cognoverunt te, et super provincias, quae nomen tuum non invocaverunt: quia comederunt Iacob, et devoraverunt eum, et consumpserunt illum, et decus eius dissipaverunt.
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.
