Jeremiah 10

A Satire on Idolatry

1HearH8085 the wordH1697 whichH834 the LordH3068 speaksH1696 to you, O houseH1004 of IsraelH3478. 2ThusH3541 saysH559 the LordH3068, “1Do not learnH3925 the wayH1870 of the nationsH1471, And do not be terrifiedH2865 by the signsH226 of the heavensH8064 AlthoughH3588 the nationsH1471 are terrifiedH2865 by them;3For the customsH2708 of the peoplesH5971 are 23delusionH1892; BecauseH3588 4it is woodH6086 cutH3772 from the forestH3293, The workH4639 of the handsH3027 of a craftsmanH2796 with a cuttingH4621 toolH4621.4They 5decorateH3302 it with silverH3701 and with goldH2091; They 6fastenH2388 it with nailsH4548 and with hammersH4717 So that it will not totterH6328.5Like a scarecrowH8560 in a cucumberH4750 fieldH4750 are they, And they 7cannotH3808 speakH1696; They mustH5375 be 8carriedH5375, BecauseH3588 they cannotH3808 walkH6805! Do not fearH3372 them, For they 9can doH7489 noH3808 harmH7489, NorH1571H369 can they doH3190 anyH1571 goodH3190.”

610ThereH369 is noneH369 likeH3644 You, O LordH3068; You are 11greatH1419, and greatH1419 is Your nameH8034 in mightH1369.712WhoH4310 would not fearH3372 You, O 13KingH4428 of the nationsH1471? IndeedH3588 it is Your dueH2969! For among allH3605 the 14wiseH2450 menH2450 of the nationsH1471 And in allH3605 their kingdomsH4438, ThereH369 is noneH369 likeH3644 You.8But they are altogetherH259 15stupidH1197 and foolishH3688 In their disciplineH4148 of 16delusionH1892--17their idol is woodH6086!9BeatenH7554 18silverH3701 is broughtH935 from 19TarshishH8659, And 20goldH2091 from UphazH210, The workH4639 of a craftsmanH2796 and of the handsH3027 of a goldsmithH6884; VioletH8504 and purpleH713 are their clothingH3830; They are allH3605 the 21workH4639 of skilledH2450 menH2450.10But the LordH3068 is the 22trueH571 GodH430; He is the 23livingH2416 GodH430 and the 24everlastingH5769 KingH4428. At His wrathH7110 the 25earthH776 quakesH7493, And the nationsH1471 cannotH3808 26endureH3557 His indignationH2195.

1127ThusH1836 you shall sayH560 to them, “The 28godsH426 that did not makeH5648 the heavensH8065 and the earthH778 will 29perishH7 from the earthH778 and from underH8460 the 30heavensH8065.”

12It is 31He who madeH6213 the earthH776 by His powerH3581, Who 32establishedH3559 the worldH8398 by His wisdomH2451; And by His understandingH8394 He has 33stretchedH5186 out the heavensH8064.13When He uttersH5414 His 34voiceH6963, there is a tumultH1995 of watersH4325 in the heavensH8064, And He causes the 35cloudsH5387 to ascendH5927 from the endH7097 of the earthH776; He makesH6213 lightningH1300 for the rainH4306, And bringsH3318 out the 36windH7307 from His storehousesH214.14EveryH3605 manH120 is 37stupidH1197, devoidH4480 of knowledgeH1847; EveryH3605 goldsmithH6884 is putH954 to shameH954 by his 38idolsH6459; For his moltenH5262 imagesH5262 are deceitfulH8267, And there is noH3808 breathH7307 in them.15They are 39worthlessH1892, a workH4639 of mockeryH8595; In the 40timeH6256 of their punishmentH6486 they will perishH6.16The 41portionH2506 of JacobH3290 is not like theseH428; For the 4243MakerH3335 of allH3605 is He, And 44IsraelH3478 is the tribeH7626 of His inheritanceH5159; The 45LordH3068 of hostsH6635 is His nameH8034.

1746PickH622 up your bundleH3666 from the groundH776, You who dwellH3427 under siegeH4692!18For thusH3541 saysH559 the LordH3068, “BeholdH2009, I am 47slingingH7049 out the inhabitantsH3427 of the landH776 At thisH2088 timeH6471, And will causeH6887 them distressH6887, That they may 48be foundH4672.”

1949WoeH188 is me, becauseH5921 of my 50injuryH7667! My 51woundH4347 is incurableH2470. But I saidH559, “TrulyH389 thisH2088 is a sicknessH2483, And I 52must bearH5375 it.”20My 53tentH168 is destroyedH7703, And allH3605 my ropesH4340 are brokenH5423; My 54sonsH1121 have goneH3318 from me and are noH369 moreH369. ThereH369 is 55noH369 oneH369 to stretchH5186 out my tentH168 againH5750 Or to setH6965 up my curtainsH3407.21For the shepherdsH7462 have becomeH1197 stupidH1197 And 56have not soughtH1875 the LordH3068; ThereforeH5921H3651 they have not prosperedH7919, And 57allH3605 their flockH4830 is scatteredH6327.22The soundH6963 of a 58reportH8052! BeholdH2009, it comesH935-- A greatH1419 commotionH7494 59out of the landH776 of the northH6828-- To 60makeH7760 the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063 A desolationH8077, a hauntH4583 of jackalsH8565.

23I knowH3045, O LordH3068, that 61a man’sH120 wayH1870 is not in himselfH376, 62NorH3808 is it in a manH376 who walksH1980 to directH3559 his stepsH6806.2463CorrectH3256 me, O LordH3068, but with justiceH4941; Not with Your angerH639, orH6435 You will 64bringH4591 me to nothingH4591.2565PourH8210 out Your wrathH2534 on the nationsH1471 that 66do not knowH3045 You And on the familiesH4940 that 67do not callH7121 Your nameH8034; For they have devouredH398 JacobH3290; They have 68devouredH398 him and consumedH3615 him And have laidH8074 wasteH8074 his 69habitationH5116.