Jeremiah 10

Modern

Literal

The Sovereignty of God

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

¹Hear the word that YHWH speaks to you, O house of Israel.

²This is what the LORD says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations

or be terrified by the signs in the heavens,

though the nations themselves are terrified by them.

²Thus says YHWH: “Upon the way of the nations do not train; and do not be dismayed from the signs of the heavens, for the nations are dismayed by them.

³For the customs of the peoples are worthless;

they cut down a tree from the forest;

it is shaped with a chisel

by the hands of a craftsman.

³For the customs of the peoples are vanity! For one cuts down a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman, with the ax.

⁴They adorn it with silver and gold

and fasten it with hammer and nails,

so that it will not totter.

⁴They decorate it with silver and with gold, they fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter.

⁵Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch,

their idols cannot speak.

They must be carried

because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them, for they can do no harm,

and neither can they do any good.”

⁵They are like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, and they do not speak; They must be carried, because they can not step. You should not be afraid of them, for they can do no harm, and also to do good is not in them.”

⁶There is none like You, O LORD.

You are great, and Your name is mighty in power.

⁶There is none like You, O YHWH! You are great, and great is Your name in might.

⁷Who would not fear You, O King of nations?

This is Your due.

For among all the wise men of the nations,

and in all their kingdoms,

there is none like You.

⁷Who does not fear You O King of the nations? Indeed, it is fitting for you! Because among all the wise ones of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, is none like You.

⁸But they are altogether senseless and foolish,

instructed by worthless idols made of wood!

⁸But they are altogether senseless and foolish, the teaching of of vanities, it is of wood!

⁹Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish,

and gold from Uphaz—

the work of a craftsman

from the hands of a goldsmith.

Their clothes are blue and purple,

all fashioned by skilled workers.

⁹Beaten Silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of a craftsman and of the hands of a refiner; blue and purple are their clothing, the work of skillful ones—all of them.

¹⁰But the LORD is the true God;

He is the living God and eternal King.

The earth quakes at His wrath,

and the nations cannot endure His indignation.

¹⁰And YHWH is the true God; He is the living God, and King forever! At His wrath the earth trembles, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.

¹¹Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”^a

¹¹Thus you shall say to them: “The gods that the heavens and the earth have not made shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.

¹²The LORD made the earth by His power;

He established the world by His wisdom

and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.

¹²He has made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom, and by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.

¹³When He thunders,

the waters in the heavens roar;

He causes the clouds to rise

from the ends of the earth.

He generates the lightning with the rain

and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

¹³When He gives forth His voice, a tumult of waters is in the heavens, and He makes the vapors to rise from the end of the earth; He makes the lightning for the rain, and He brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

¹⁴Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge;

every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols.

For his molten images are a fraud,

and there is no breath in them.

¹⁴All mankind has become stupid in knowledge! Every refiner is put to shame by an idol; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is not breath in them.

¹⁵They are worthless, a work to be mocked.

In the time of their punishment they will perish.

¹⁵They are vanity, a work of errors; in the time of their punishment they shall perish.

¹⁶The Portion of Jacob is not like these,

for He is the Maker of all things,

and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance—

the LORD of Hosts is His name.

¹⁶The portion of Jacob is not like these; for the Maker of all is He, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance—YHWH of Hosts is His name!

The Coming Captivity of Judah

¹⁷Gather up your belongings from this land, you who live under siege.

¹⁷Gather up your bundle from the land, O inhabitant of the fortress!

¹⁸For this is what the LORD says:

“Behold, at this time I will sling out

the inhabitants of the land

and bring distress upon them

so that they may be captured.”

¹⁸For thus says YHWH: “Behold, I am slinging out those dwelling in the land at this time, and I will cause distress for them, so that they are found out!”

¹⁹Woe to me because of my brokenness;

my wound is grievous!

But I said, “This is truly my sickness,

and I must bear it.”

¹⁹Woe to me because of my brokenness—my wound is grievous! And I said, “Truly this is a sickness, and I must bear it.

²⁰My tent is destroyed,

and all its ropes are snapped.

My sons have departed from me

and are no more.

I have no one left to pitch my tent

or set up my curtains.

²⁰My tent is plundered, and all my cords are broken; my children have gone forth from me, and they are no more; there is no one stretching out my tent anymore and raising up my curtains.

²¹For the shepherds have become senseless;

they do not seek the LORD.

Therefore they have not prospered,

and all their flock is scattered.

²¹For the shepherds have become stupid, and they have not sought YHWH! Upon thus they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered.

²²Listen! The sound of a report is coming—

a great commotion from the land to the north.

It will make the cities of Judah a desolation,

a haunt for jackals.^a

²²The sound of a report! Behold, it is coming—and a great commotion from the land of the north—to appoint the cities of Judah a desolation, a habitation for jackals!

²³I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own;

no one who walks directs his own steps.

²³I know, O YHWH, that the way of man is not in himself; not of man is the going and establishing his steps.

²⁴Correct me, O LORD,

but only with justice —

not in Your anger,

or You will bring me to nothing.

²⁴Discipline me, O YHWH, but with justice—not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.

²⁵Pour out Your wrath on the nations

that do not acknowledge You,

and on the families

that do not call on Your name.

For they have devoured Jacob;

they have consumed him and finished him off;

they have devastated his homeland.

²⁵Pour out Your fury on the nations who do not know You, and on the families who do not call on Your name; for they have eaten up Jacob, and have devoured him and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate!