Jeremiah 10

A Satire on Idolatry

1HearH8085 the wordH1697 whichH834 the LordH3068 speaksH1696 to you, houseH1004 of IsraelH3478. 2ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559: “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 2futileH1892; For 3it is woodH6086 cutH3772 from the forestH3293, The workH4639 of the handsH3027 of a craftsmanH2796 with a cuttingH4621 toolH4621.4They 4decorateH3302 the idol with silverH3701 and goldH2091; They 5fastenH2388 it with nailsH4548 and hammersH4717 So that it will not totterH6328.5They are like a scarecrowH8560 in a cucumberH4750 fieldH4750, And they 6cannotH3808 speakH1696; They mustH5375 be 7carriedH5375, BecauseH3588 they cannotH3808 walkH6805! Do not fearH3372 them, For they 8can doH7489 noH3808 harmH7489, NorH1571H369 can they doH3190 anyH1571 goodH3190.”

69ThereH369 isH369 noneH369 likeH3644 You, LordH3068; You are 10greatH1419, and Your nameH8034 is greatH1419 in mightH1369.711WhoH4310 would not fearH3372 You, O 12KingH4428 of the nationsH1471? For it is Your dueH2969! For among allH3605 the 13wiseH2450 menH2450 of the nationsH1471 And in allH3605 their kingdomsH4438, ThereH369 isH369 noneH369 likeH3644 You.8But they areH1197 altogetherH259 14stupidH1197 and foolishH3688; The instructionH4148 from idolsH1892 is nothing but woodH6086!9BeatenH7554 15silverH3701 is broughtH935 from 16TarshishH8659, And 17goldH2091 from UphazH210, The workH4639 of a craftsmanH2796 and of the handsH3027 of a goldsmithH6884; Their clothingH3830 is of violetH8504 and purpleH713; They are allH3605 the 18workH4639 of skilledH2450 peopleH2450.10But the LordH3068 is the 19trueH571 GodH430; He is the 20livingH2416 GodH430 and the 21everlastingH5769 KingH4428. The 22earthH776 quakesH7493 at His wrathH7110, And the nationsH1471 cannotH3808 23endureH3557 His indignationH2195.

1124ThisH3541 is whatH1836 you shall sayH560 to them: “The 25godsH426 that did not makeH5648 the heavensH8065 and the earthH778 will 26perishH7 from the earthH778 and from underH8460 these heavensH8065.”

12It is 27He who madeH6213 the earthH776 by His powerH3581, Who 28establishedH3559 the worldH8398 by His wisdomH2451; And by His understandingH8394 He has 29stretchedH5186 outH5186 the heavensH8064.13When He uttersH5414 His 30voiceH6963, there is a roarH1995 of watersH4325 in the heavensH8064, And He makes the 31cloudsH5387 ascendH5927 from the endH7097 of the earthH776; He makesH6213 lightningH1300 for the rainH4306, And bringsH3318 outH3318 the 32windH7307 from His storehousesH214.14EveryH3605 personH120 isH1197 33stupidH1197, devoidH4480 of knowledgeH1847; EveryH3605 goldsmithH6884 is putH954 toH954 shameH954 by his idolsH6459, For his castH5262 metalH5262 imagesH5262 are deceitfulH8267, And there is noH3808 breathH7307 in them.15They are 34worthlessH1892, a workH4639 of mockeryH8595; At the 35timeH6256 of their punishmentH6486 they will perishH6.16The 36PortionH2506 of JacobH3290 is not like theseH428; For He is the 3738MakerH3335 of everythingH3605, And 39IsraelH3478 is the tribeH7626 of His inheritanceH5159; The 40LordH3068 of armiesH6635 is His nameH8034.

1741PickH622 upH622 your bundleH3666 from the groundH776, You who liveH3427 under siegeH4692!18For thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559: “BeholdH2009, I am 42slingingH7049 outH7049 the inhabitantsH3427 of the landH776 At thisH2088 timeH6471, And I will causeH6887 them distressH6887, SoH4616 thatH4616 they may 43be foundH4672.”

1944WoeH188 to me, becauseH5921 of my 45injuryH7667! My 46woundH4347 is incurableH2470. But I saidH559, “ThisH2088 certainlyH389 is a sicknessH2483, And I 47must endureH5375 it.”20My 48tentH168 is destroyedH7703, And allH3605 my ropesH4340 areH5423 brokenH5423. My 49sonsH1121 have goneH3318 fromH3318 me and are noH369 moreH369. ThereH369 isH369 50noH369 oneH369 to stretchH5186 outH5186 my tentH168 againH5750 Or to setH6965 upH6965 my curtainsH3407.21For the shepherdsH7462 have becomeH1197 stupidH1197 And 51have not soughtH1875 the LordH3068. ThereforeH5921H3651 they have not prosperedH7919, And 52allH3605 their flockH4830 is scatteredH6327.22The soundH6963 of a 53reportH8052! BeholdH2009, it is comingH935-- A greatH1419 roarH7494 54from the landH776 of the northH6828-- To 55makeH7760 the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063 A desolationH8077, a hauntH4583 of jackalsH8565.

23I knowH3045, LordH3068, that 56a person’sH120 wayH1870 is not in himselfH376, 57NorH3808 is it in a personH376 who walksH1980 to directH3559 his stepsH6806.2458CorrectH3256 me, LordH3068, but with justiceH4941; Not with Your angerH639, orH6435 You will 59bringH4591 me toH4591 nothingH4591.2560PourH8210 outH8210 Your wrathH2534 on the nationsH1471 that 61do not knowH3045 You, And on the familiesH4940 who 62do not callH7121 upon Your nameH8034; For they have devouredH398 JacobH3290; They have 63devouredH398 him and consumedH3615 him, And have laidH8074 wasteH8074 his 64settlementH5116.