Jeremiah 10

The Lord, not Idols, is the Only Worthy Object of Worship

1 You people of Israel,t listen to what the Lord has to say to you.

2 The Lord says,
“Do not start following pagan religious practices.t
Do not be in awe of signs that occurts in the sky
even though the nations hold them in awe.

3 For the religiont of these people is worthless.
They cut down a tree in the forest,
and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools.s

4 He decorates it with overlays of silver and gold.
He uses hammer and nails to fasten itt together
so that it will not fall over.

5 Such idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field.
They cannot talk.
They must be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them
because they cannot hurt you.
And they do not have any power to help you.”t

6 I said,t
“There is no one like you, Lord.t
You are great.
And you are renowned for your power.t

7 Everyone should revere you, O King of all nations,t
because you deserve to be revered.t
For there is no one like you
among any of the wise people of the nations nor among any of their kings.t

8 The people of those nationst are both stupid and foolish.
Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless!t

9 Hammered-out silver is brought from Tarshishs
and gold is brought from Uphazt to cover those idols.t
They are the handiwork of carpenters and goldsmiths.t
They are clothed in blue and purple clothes.t
They are all made by skillful workers.s

10 The Lord is the only true God.
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
When he shows his anger the earth shakes.
None of the nations can stand up to his fury.

11 You people of Israel should tell those nations this:
‘These gods did not make heaven and earth.
They will disappeart from the earth and from under the heavens.’ts

12 The Lord is the one whot by his power made the earth.
He is the one who by his wisdom established the world.
And by his understanding he spread out the skies.

13 When his voice thunders,t the heavenly ocean roars.
He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons.t
He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain.
He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it.t

14 All these idolaterst will prove to be stupid and ignorant.
Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made.
For the image he forges is merely a sham.t
There is no breath in any of those idols.t

15 They are worthless, mere objects to be mocked.t
When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.

16 The Lord, who is the inheritancets of Jacob’s descendants,t is not like them.
He is the one who created everything.
And the people of Israel are those he claims as his own.t
He is known as the Lord who rules over all.”ts

Jeremiah Laments for and Prays for the Soon-to-be-Judged People

17 Gather your belongings together and prepare to leave the land,
you people of Jerusalems who are being besieged.t

18 For the Lord says, “I will now throw out
those who live in this land.
I will bring so much trouble on them
that they will actually feel it.”t

19 And I cried out,t “We are doomed!t
Our wound is severe!
We once thought, ‘This is only an illness.
And we will be able to bear it!’ts

20 But our tents have been destroyed.
The ropes that held them in place have been ripped apart.t
Our children are gone and are not coming back.ts
There is no survivor to put our tents back up,
no one left to hang their tent curtains in place.

21 For our leaderst are stupid.
They have not sought the Lord’s advice.ts
So they do not act wisely,
and the people they are responsible forts have all been scattered.

22 Listen! News is coming even now.t
The rumble of a great army is heard approachingt from a land in the north.s
It is coming to turn the towns of Judah into rubble,
places where only jackals live.

23 Lord, we know that people do not control their own destiny.t
It is not in their power to determine what will happen to them.t

24 Correct us, Lord, but only in due measure.t
Do not punish us in anger or you will reduce us to nothing.t

25 Vent your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you.t
Vent it on the peoplest who do not worship you.t
For they have destroyed the people of Jacob.t
They have completely destroyed themt
and left their homeland in utter ruin.

JEREMIAH 10

The [Lord] Talks about Idols

1-2 The [Lord] said:
Listen to me,
you people of Israel.
Don't follow the customs
of those nations
who become frightened
when they see something strange
happen in the sky.

3 Their religion is worthless!
They chop down a tree,
carve the wood into an idol,

4 cover it with silver and gold,
and then nail it down
so it won't fall over.

5 An idol is no better
than a scarecrow.
It can't speak,
and it has to be carried,
because it can't walk.
Why worship an idol
that can't help or harm you?

Jeremiah Praises the [Lord]

6 Our [Lord], great and powerful,
you alone are God.

7  t You are King of the nations.
Everyone should worship you.
No human anywhere on earth
is wiser than you.

8 Idols are worthless,
and anyone who worships them
is a fool!

9 Idols are made by humans.
A carver shapes the wood.
A metalworker hammers out
a covering of gold from Uphaz
or of silver from Tarshish.
Then the idol is dressed
in blue and purple clothes.

10 You, [Lord], are the only true
and living God.
You will rule for all time.
When you are angry
the earth shakes,
and nations are destroyed.

11 You told me to say
that idols did not create
the heavens and the earth,
and that you, the [Lord],
will destroy every idol.

12 With your wisdom and power
you created the earth
and spread out the heavens.

13 The waters in the heavens roar
at your command.
You make clouds appear—
you send the winds
from your storehouse
and make lightning flash
in the rain.

14 People who make idols
are so stupid!
They will be disappointed,
because their false gods
are not alive.

15 Idols are merely a joke,
and when the time is right,
they will be destroyed.

16 But you, Israel's God,
created all things,
and you chose Israel
to be your very own.
Your name is the [Lord]
All-Powerful.

Judah Will Be Thrown //from Its Land

17 I said to the people of Judah,
“Gather your things;
you are surrounded.

18 The [Lord] said these troubles
will lead to your capture,
and he will throw you
from this land
like a rock from a sling.”t

19 The people answered,
“We are wounded
and doomed to die.
Why did we say
we could stand the pain?

20 Our homes are destroyed;
our children are dead.
No one is left
to help us find shelter.”

21 But I told them,
“Our leaders were stupid failures,
because they refused
to listen to the [Lord].
And so we've been scattered
like sheep.

22 “Sounds of destruction
rumble from the north
like distant thunder.
Soon our towns will be ruins
where only jackalst live.”

Jeremiah Prays

23 I know, [Lord], that we humans
are not in control
of our own lives.

24 Correct me, as I deserve,
but not in your anger,
or I will be dead.

25 Our enemies refuse
to admit that you are God
or to worship you.
They have wiped out our people
and left our nation
lying in ruins.
So get angry
and sweep them away!