Jeremiah 10 – NIRV & NIVUK

New International Reader’s Version

Jeremiah 10:1-25

The Lord Is the Only True God

1People of Israel, listen to what the Lord is telling you. 2He says,

“Do not follow the practices of other nations.

Do not be terrified by warnings in the sky.

Do not be afraid, even though the nations are terrified by them.

3The practices of these nations are worthless.

People cut a tree out of the forest.

A skilled worker shapes the wood with a sharp tool.

4Others decorate it with silver and gold.

They use a hammer to nail it to the floor.

They want to keep it from falling down.

5The statues of their gods can’t speak.

They are like scarecrows in a field of cucumbers.

Their statues have to be carried around

because they can’t walk.

So do not be afraid of their gods.

They can’t do you any harm.

And they can’t do you any good either.”

6Lord, no one is like you.

You are great.

You are mighty and powerful.

7King of the nations,

everyone should have respect for you.

That’s what people should give you.

Among all the wise leaders of the nations

there is no one like you.

No one can compare with you in all their kingdoms.

8All of them are foolish. They don’t have any sense.

They think they are taught by worthless wooden gods.

9Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish.

Gold is brought from Uphaz.

People skilled in working with wood and gold make a statue.

Then they put blue and purple clothes on it.

The whole thing is made by skilled workers.

10But you are the only true God.

You are the only living God.

You are the King who rules forever.

When you are angry, the earth trembles with fear.

The nations can’t stand up under your anger.

11The Lord speaks to the Jews living in Babylon. He says, “Here is what you must tell the people of the nations. Tell them, ‘Your gods did not make the heavens and the earth. In fact, these gods will disappear from the earth. They will vanish from under the heavens.’ ”

12But God used his power to make the earth.

His wisdom set the world in place.

His understanding spread out the heavens.

13When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar.

He makes clouds rise from one end of the earth to the other.

He sends lightning along with the rain.

He brings the wind out from his storerooms.

14No one has any sense or knows anything at all.

Everyone who works with gold is put to shame by his gods.

The metal gods he has made are fakes.

They can’t even breathe.

15They are worthless things that people make fun of.

When the Lord judges them, they will be destroyed.

16The God of Jacob is not like them.

He gives his people everything they need.

He made everything that exists.

And that includes Israel.

They are the people who belong to him.

His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.

The Land Will Be Destroyed

17People of Jerusalem, your enemies have surrounded you.

They are attacking you.

So gather up what belongs to you.

Then leave the land.

18The Lord says,

“I am about to throw out of this land

everyone who lives in it.

I will bring trouble on them.

They will be captured.”

19How terrible it will be for me!

I’ve been wounded!

And my wound can’t be healed!

In spite of that, I said to myself,

“I’m sick. But I’ll have to put up with it.”

20Jerusalem is like a tent that has been destroyed.

All its ropes have snapped.

My people have gone away from me.

Now no one is left to set up my tent.

I have no one to set up my shelter.

21The leaders of my people are like shepherds

who don’t have any sense.

They don’t ask the Lord for advice.

That’s why they don’t succeed.

And that’s why their whole flock

is scattered like sheep.

22Listen! A message is coming!

I hear the sound of a great army

marching down from the north!

It will turn Judah’s towns into a desert.

They will become a home for wild dogs.

Jeremiah Prays to the Lord

23Lord, I know that a person doesn’t control their own life.

They don’t direct their own steps.

24Correct me, Lord, but please be fair.

Don’t correct me when you are angry.

If you do, nothing will be left of me.

25Pour out your great anger on the nations.

They don’t pay any attention to you.

They refuse to worship you.

They have destroyed the people of Jacob.

They’ve wiped them out completely.

They’ve also destroyed the land they lived in.

New International Version – UK

Jeremiah 10:1-25

God and idols

1Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. 2This is what the Lord says:

‘Do not learn the ways of the nations

or be terrified by signs in the heavens,

though the nations are terrified by them.

3For the practices of the peoples are worthless;

they cut a tree out of the forest,

and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.

4They adorn it with silver and gold;

they fasten it with hammer and nails

so that it will not totter.

5Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,

their idols cannot speak;

they must be carried

because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them;

they can do no harm

nor can they do any good.’

6No-one is like you, Lord;

you are great,

and your name is mighty in power.

7Who should not fear you,

King of the nations?

This is your due.

Among all the wise leaders of the nations

and in all their kingdoms,

there is no-one like you.

8They are all senseless and foolish;

they are taught by worthless wooden idols.

9Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish

and gold from Uphaz.

What the craftsman and goldsmith have made

is then dressed in blue and purple –

all made by skilled workers.

10But the Lord is the true God;

he is the living God, the eternal King.

When he is angry, the earth trembles;

the nations cannot endure his wrath.

11‘Tell them this: “These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” ’10:11 The text of this verse is in Aramaic.

12But God made the earth by his power;

he founded the world by his wisdom

and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

13When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;

he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.

He sends lightning with the rain

and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

14Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;

every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.

The images he makes are a fraud;

they have no breath in them.

15They are worthless, the objects of mockery;

when their judgment comes, they will perish.

16He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,

for he is the Maker of all things,

including Israel, the people of his inheritance –

the Lord Almighty is his name.

Coming destruction

17Gather up your belongings to leave the land,

you who live under siege.

18For this is what the Lord says:

‘At this time I will hurl out

those who live in this land;

I will bring distress on them

so that they may be captured.’

19Woe to me because of my injury!

My wound is incurable!

Yet I said to myself,

‘This is my sickness, and I must endure it.’

20My tent is destroyed;

all its ropes are snapped.

My children are gone from me and are no more;

no-one is left now to pitch my tent

or to set up my shelter.

21The shepherds are senseless

and do not enquire of the Lord;

so they do not prosper

and all their flock is scattered.

22Listen! The report is coming –

a great commotion from the land of the north!

It will make the towns of Judah desolate,

a haunt of jackals.

Jeremiah’s prayer

23Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own;

it is not for them to direct their steps.

24Discipline me, Lord, but only in due measure –

not in your anger,

or you will reduce me to nothing.

25Pour out your wrath on the nations

that do not acknowledge you,

on the peoples who do not call on your name.

For they have devoured Jacob;

they have devoured him completely

and destroyed his homeland.