Jeremias 10

Idols and the True God

1 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.

2 Thus says the Lord:

*(Lev. 18:3; 20:23; Deut. 12:30)"Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;

Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,

For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the peoples are futile;

For *Is. 40:19; 45:20one cuts a tree from the forest,

The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.

4 They decorate it with silver and gold;

They *Is. 41:7fasten it with nails and hammers

So that it will not topple.

5 They are upright, like a palm tree,

And *Ps. 115:5; Is. 46:7; Jer. 10:5; 1 Cor. 12:2they cannot speak;

They must be *Ps. 115:7; Is. 46:1, 7carried,

Because they cannot go bythemselves.

Do not be afraid of them,

For *Is. 41:23, 24they cannot do evil,

Nor can they do any good."

6 Inasmuch as thereis none *Ex. 15:11; Deut. 33:26; Ps. 86:8, 10; Is. 46:5–9; Jer. 10:16like You, O Lord

(You are great, and Your name is great in might),

7 *Jer. 5:22; Rev. 15:4Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?

For this is Your rightful due.

For *Ps. 89:6among all the wise men of the nations,

And in all their kingdoms,

Thereis none like You.

8 But they are altogether *Ps. 115:8; Hab. 2:18dull-hearted and foolish;

A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.

9 Silver is beaten into plates;

It is brought from Tarshish,

And *Dan. 10:5gold from Uphaz,

The work of the craftsman

And of the hands of the metalsmith;

Blue and purple are their clothing;

They are all *Ps. 115:4the work of skillful men.

10 But the Lordis the true God;

He is*1 Tim. 6:17the living God and the *Ps. 10:16everlasting King.

At His wrath the earth will tremble,

And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.

11 Thus you shall say to them: *Ps. 96:5"The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth *Is. 2:18; Zeph. 2:11shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens."

12 He *Gen. 1:1, 6, 7; Jer. 51:15has made the earth by His power,

He has *Ps. 93:1established the world by His wisdom,

And *Job 9:8; Ps. 104:2; Is. 40:22has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.

13 *Job 38:34When He utters His voice,

Thereis a multitude of waters in the heavens:

*Ps. 135:7"And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.

He makes lightning for the rain,

He brings the wind out of His treasuries."

14 *Jer. 51:17Everyone is *Prov. 30:2dull-hearted, without knowledge;

*Is. 42:17; 44:11Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image;

*Hab. 2:18For his molded image is falsehood,

And thereis no breath in them.

15 They are futile, a work of errors;

In the time of their punishment they shall perish.

16 *Ps. 16:5; Jer. 51:19; Lam. 3:24The Portion of Jacob is not like them,

For He is the Maker of all things,

And *Deut. 32:9; Ps. 74:2Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;

*Is. 47:4The Lord of hosts is His name.

The Coming Captivity of Judah

17 *Jer. 6:1Gather up your wares from the land,

O inhabitant of the fortress!

18 For thus says the Lord:

"Behold, I will *1 Sam. 25:29; 2 Chr. 36:20throw out at this time

The inhabitants of the land,

And will distress them,

*Ezek. 6:10That they may find itso."

19 *Jer. 8:21Woe is me for my hurt!

My wound is severe.

But I say, *Ps. 77:10"Truly this is an infirmity,

And *Mic. 7:9I must bear it."

20 *Jer. 4:20; Lam. 2:4My tent is plundered,

And all my cords are broken;

My children have gone from me,

And they are*Jer. 31:15; Lam. 1:5no more.

Thereis no one to pitch my tent anymore,

Or set up my curtains.

21 For the shepherds have become dull-hearted,

And have not sought the Lord;

Therefore they shall not prosper,

And all their flocks shall be *Jer. 23:2scattered.

22 Behold, the noise of the report has come,

And a great commotion out of the *Jer. 5:15north country,

To make the cities of Judah desolate, a *Jer. 9:11den of jackals.

23 O Lord, I know the *Prov. 16:1; 20:24way of man is not in himself;

Itis not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

24 O Lord, *Ps. 6:1; 38:1; Jer. 30:11correct me, but with justice;

Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.

25 *Ps. 79:6, 7; Zeph. 3:8Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, *Job 18:21; 1 Thess. 4:5; (2 Thess. 1:8)who do not know You,

And on the families who do not call on Your name;

For they have eaten up Jacob,

*Jer. 8:16Devoured him and consumed him,

And made his dwelling place desolate.