THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
JEREMIAH
Jeremiah 10 ©
God forbids His people to be afraid of the signs of heaven, as the pagans were, vs, 1, 2. He describes at large and derides the vanity of idols, and the folly of idolatrous image worship, by opposing thereunto His Divine majesty and power, as also the service which Jacob owed Him especially, v. 3, etc. He prophecies and represents by wailings the destruction of Jerusalem, and all Judah, by the Babylonians, 17. Whereupon the prophet, in his own and the churches’ name, prays unto God for moderating of His judgment, and for punishment of the wicked enemies, 23.
HEAR ye the word which the LORD speaketh 1unto you, O house of Israel:
Thus saith the LORD, Learn not 2the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the 3signs of heaven; 4for the heathen are dismayed at them.
For the 5customs of the people are vain: for one cuttetha a 6tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
They 7deck it with silver and with gold; they fastenb8it with nails and with hammers, that 9it 10move not.
They are 11upright as the 12palm tree, but speakc not: they 13must needs be borne,d because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannote do 14evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee,f O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in 15might.
Whog would not fear thee, O King of 16nations? for to thee doth it 17appertain: forasmuch as among all the 18wise men of the nations, and in 19all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.
But they are 20altogether 21brutishh and foolish: the 22stock is a doctrine of vanities.
Silver 23spread into plates is brought from 24Tarshish, and gold from 25Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder:i blue and purple is 26their clothing: 27they are all the work of 28cunning men.
But the LORD is the 29true God, he is the 30living God, and an 31everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
32Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
33He hath made the earthj by his power, he hath 34established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretchedk out the heavens by his discretion.
When he uttereth his 35voice, there is a 36multitude of waters in the 37heavens, and he causeth the vapoursl to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings 38with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his 39treasures.
40Everym man is brutish 41in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the 42graven image: for his molten image is 43falsehood, and there is no 44breath in 45them.
They are vanity, and 46the work of errors: in the time of 47their visitation they shall perish.
The 48portion of Jacobnis not like 49them: 50for he is the former of all things; and Israel is theo51rod of his inheritance: The LORD of 52hosts is his name.
¶ 53Gather up thy 54wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.
For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will 55sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distressp them, that they may 56find it so.
¶ 57Woe is me for my 58hurt! my wound is grievous: but I 59said, 60Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.
My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my 61children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.
For the 62pastors are become 63brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not 64prosper, and all their 65flocks shall be scattered.
Behold, the noise of the bruitq is come, and a great commotion out of the northr country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.s
¶O LORD, I know thatt the 66way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his 67steps.
O LORD, 68correctu me, but withv69judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou 70bring me to nothing.
71Pourw out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee 72not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eatenx up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumedy him, and have made his habitation desolate.