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Jeremiah 10
ESV

Jeremiah10

Idols and the Living God
1Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.
2Thus says the Lord:

“Learn not the way of the nations,
nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens
because the nations are dismayed at them,
310:3 Isa. 44:9for the customs of the peoples are vanity.10:3 Or vapor, or mist
10:3 Isa. 40:20; 45:20A tree from the forest is cut down
and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.
410:4 Isa. 40:19They decorate it with silver and gold;
10:4 Isa. 41:7they fasten it with hammer and nails
so that it cannot move.
5Their idols10:5 Hebrew They are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,
and 10:5 Ps. 115:5; 135:16; Hab. 2:18, 19; 1 Cor. 12:2they cannot speak;
10:5 Ps. 115:7; Isa. 46:7they have to be carried,
for they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them,
10:5 Isa. 41:23for they cannot do evil,
neither is it in them to do good.”

610:6 ch. 49:19; Ex. 15:11; Ps. 86:8, 10There is none like you, O Lord;
you are great, and your name is great in might.
710:7 ch. 5:22; Rev. 15:4Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
For this is your due;
for among all the wise ones of the nations
and in all their kingdoms
there is none like you.
810:8 [Isa. 41:29; Hab. 2:18; Zech. 10:2] They are both 10:8 ver. 21stupid and foolish;
the instruction of idols is but wood!
910:9 Isa. 40:19Beaten silver is brought from 10:9 Gen. 10:4; See 1 Kgs. 10:22Tarshish,
and gold from 10:9 Dan. 10:5Uphaz.
10:9 Isa. 40:19They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;
their clothing is violet and purple;
10:9 Ps. 115:4they are all the work of skilled men.
1010:10 Deut. 32:4; Ps. 31:5But the Lord is the true God;
10:10 Ps. 42:2he is the living God and the everlasting King.
At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

11Thus shall you say to them: 10:11 [Ps. 96:5] “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth 10:11 ver. 15; Isa. 2:18; Zech. 13:2shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”10:11 This verse is in Aramaic

1210:12 For ver. 12-16, see ch. 51:15-19It is he who 10:12 Gen. 1:1, 6, 9; Ps. 104:5; Prov. 3:19made the earth by his power,
10:12 Gen. 1:1, 6, 9; Ps. 104:5; Prov. 3:19who established the world by his wisdom,
and 10:12 Job 9:8by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
1310:13 [Job 38:34; Ps. 104:6, 7] When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
10:13 Ps. 135:7and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
10:13 Ps. 135:7He makes lightning 10:13 ch. 14:22; Job 5:10for the rain,
10:13 Ps. 135:7and he brings forth the wind 10:13 Job 38:22from his storehouses.
1410:14 ver. 8; Prov. 30:2; [Rom. 1:22] Every man is stupid and without knowledge;
10:14 See Isa. 42:17every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
for his images are false,
10:14 Ps. 135:17; Hab. 2:19and there is no breath in them.
15They are worthless, a work of delusion;
at the time of their punishment they shall perish.
16Not like these is he who is 10:16 Ps. 16:5the portion of Jacob,
for he is the one who formed all things,
10:16 Deut. 32:9and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;
10:16 ch. 31:35; 32:18; 50:34the Lord of hosts is his name.

1710:17 [ch. 6:1; Ezek. 12:3]Gather up your bundle from the ground,
O you who dwell under siege!
18For thus says the Lord:
10:18 1 Sam. 25:29“Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land
at this time,
10:18 Deut. 28:20and I will bring distress on them,
that they may feel it.”

19Woe is me because of my hurt!
10:19 ch. 14:17; 30:12My wound is grievous.
But I said, “Truly this is an affliction,
and I must bear it.”
2010:20 ch. 4:20; [Isa. 54:2] My tent is destroyed,
and all my cords are broken;
my children have gone from me,
10:20 ch. 31:15and they are not;
there is no one to spread my tent again
and 10:20 ch. 4:20; [Isa. 54:2] to set up my curtains.
2110:21 ch. 23:1; Ezek. 34:2For the shepherds 10:21 ver. 8are stupid
and do not inquire of the Lord;
therefore they have not prospered,
10:21 Ezek. 34:5, 6and all their flock is scattered.

22A voice, a rumor! Behold, it comes!—
10:22 See ch. 1:13a great commotion out of the north country
to make 10:22 See ch. 9:11the cities of Judah a desolation,
10:22 See ch. 9:11a lair of jackals.

2310:23 Prov. 16:1; 20:24; Dan. 5:23I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself,
that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
2410:24 ch. 30:11; 46:28; Ps. 6:1; 38:1Correct me, O Lord, but in justice;
not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.

2510:25 Ps. 79:6, 7Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not,
and on the peoples that call not on your name,
10:25 ch. 8:16; 30:16; Ps. 14:4for they have devoured Jacob;
they have devoured him and consumed him,
and have laid waste his habitation.