Jer 10 | ABEn | STEP | Hear the word of the lord ! which he spoke to you, O house of Israel.

Jeremiah 10

CHAPTER 10 A Warning against Vain Idols

1 Hear the word of the lord! which he spoke to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the lord, [³according to ⁴the ⁵ways ⁶of the ⁷nations ¹Do not ²learn]! And from the signs of the heaven do not fear! for [²are fearing ³them ¹nations]. 3 For the laws of the nations are vain. An idol is a tree [²from out of ³the ⁴forest ¹being cut], the work of a fabricator, even a molten casting. 4 [³in silver ⁴and ⁵gold ²being bedecked ¹It is]. By a hammer and nail they stiffen them, 5 and they do not move. [²a silver ³turned piece ¹It is] -- they do not speak. Being lifted they shall be lifted, for they shall not mount themselves. You should not fear them, for in no way should they do evil, and [²good ¹there is no] in them. 6 There is not one likened to you, O lord. Great are you, and great is your name in strength. 7 Who shall not fear you, O king of nations? For to you it is becoming. For among all the wise of the nations, and among all their kingdoms, there is not one likened to you. 8 At the same time [²foolish ³and ⁴unthinking ¹they are]. [⁴a teacher ⁵of vanities ¹Their ²tree ³is]. 9 [²silver ¹Amalgamated] from Tarshish; [²shall come ¹gold] from Uphaz; and by the hand of goldsmiths [²works ³of craftsmen ¹they are all]. [³blue ⁴and ⁵purple ¹They shall put on ²them]. 11 Thus you shall say to them, The gods who [³the ⁴heaven ⁵and ⁶the ⁷earth ¹did not ²make] let them be destroyed from the earth, and from beneath this heaven! 12 The lord is the one making the earth by his strength; erecting the world by his wisdom; and by his intellect he stretched out the heaven, 13 and the multitude of water in the heaven; and he led clouds from the end of the earth; [²lightnings ³for ⁴the rain ¹he made], and he brought out winds from his treasuries. 14 [³was made moronish ¹Every ²man] from knowledge; [³was disgraced ¹every ²goldsmith] over his carved idols; for [²false ¹they cast] in a furnace; there is no breath in them. 15 They are vanities, [²works ¹mocking]. In the time of their visitation they shall be destroyed. 16 [²is not ¹Such] the portion of Jacob, for the one shaping all things is he, and Israel is the rod of his inheritance -- the lord of forces is his name.

The Coming Destruction

17 He gathered [²from outside ¹his support] dwelling in choice vessels. 18 For thus says the lord, Behold, I trip up the ones dwelling this land. And I will squeeze them out so that it should be found. 19 Woe over your destruction, [²is painful ¹your wound]. And I said, Really this is my wound, and it overtook me. 20 My tent is in miserable condition, it was destroyed; and all of my hide coverings were pulled apart. My sons and my sheep are no more; there is no more place for my tent, nor a place for my hide coverings. 21 For the shepherds were unwise, and [³the lord ¹they do not ²seek]. On account of this [⁴comprehended not ¹all ²the ³sheep of the pasture], and are dispersed. 22 [³a sound ⁴of a report ¹Behold ²there comes], and [²quake ¹a great] from out of the land of the north, to order the cities of Judah for extinction, and a bed for ostriches. 23 I know, O lord, that [⁴is not ³of man ¹the ²way] his own; nor shall a man go and keep [²straight ¹his goings]. 24 Correct us, O lord, only with equity, and not in rage! that [²not ⁴us few ¹you should ³make]. 25 Pour out your rage upon the nations! the ones not knowing you; and upon kingdoms which [²your name ¹called not upon]. For they devoured Jacob, and completely consumed Israel, and [²his pasture ¹made desolate].