1 HEAR ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.
7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.
8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.
9 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.
10 But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
11 Thus 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.
12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
16 The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The Lord of hosts is his name.
17 Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.
18 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.
19 Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.
20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children 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.
21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the Lord: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.
23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
24 O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.
25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

1Heare ye the word which the Lord speaketh vnto you, O house of Israel.

2Thus sayeth the Lord, Learne not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signes of heauen, for the heathen are dismayed at them.

3For the customes of the people are vaine: for one cutteth a tree out of the forrest (the worke of the handes of the workeman) with the axe.

4They decke it with siluer and with golde, they fasten it with nayles, and with hammers that it mooue not.

5They are vpright as the palme tree, but speake not: they must needes bee borne, because they cannot goe: be not afraid of them, for they cannot doe euil, neither also is it in them to doe good.

6Forasmuch as there is none like vnto thee, O Lord, thou art great, and thy Name is great in might.

7Who would not feare thee, O King of nations? for to thee doeth it appertaine: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdomes, there is none like vnto thee.

8But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stocke is a doctrine of vanities.

9Siluer spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the worke of the workeman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the worke of cunning men.

10But the Lord is the true God, he is the liuing God, and an euerlasting King: at his wrath the earth shal tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

11Thus shal ye say vnto them, The Gods that haue not made the heauens, & the earth, euen they shall perish from the earth, & from vnder these heauens.

12Hee hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisedome, and hath stretched out the heauens by his discretion.

13When he vttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heauens, and hee causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: hee maketh lightnings with raine, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

14Euery man is brutish in his knowledge, euery founder is confounded by the grauen image: for his moulten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

15They are vanity, and the worke of errours: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

16The portion of Iacob is not like them: for he is the fourmer of all things, and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the Lord of hostes is his Name.

17 Gather vp thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortresse.

18For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distresse them, that they may find it so.

19 Woe is mee for my hurt, my wound is grieuous: but I sayd, Truely this is a griefe, and I must beare it.

20My Tabernacle is spoyled, and all my cordes are broken: my children are gone foorth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch foorth my tent any more, and to set vp my curtaines.

21For the Pastours are become brutish, and haue not sought the Lord: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flockes shall be scattered.

22Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the North countrey, to make the cities of Iudah desolate, and a denne of dragons.

23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himselfe: it is not in man that walketh, to direct his steps.

24O Lord, correct mee, but with iudgement, not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

25Powre out thy fury vpon the heathen that know thee not, and vpon the families that call not on thy Name: for they haue eaten vp Iacob, and deuoured him, and consumed him, and haue made his habitation desolate.

III == Isa 40:19-20 ; 44:9-10 ; 45:20

IV == Isa 41:7 ; 46:7

V == Ps 115:5 , 7 ; 135:16 ; Isa 41:23 ; 46:1 , 7 ; Hab 2:19 ; 1st Cor 12:2

VI == Ex 15:11 ; Ps 86:8 , 10

VII == Ps 89:6 ; Rev 15:4

VIII == Ps 115:8 ; Isa 41:29 ; Hab 2:18 ; Zech 10:2 ; Rom 1:21-22

IX == Ps 115:4 ; Dan 10:5

X == Ps 10:16 ; 31:5 ; 1st Tim 6:17

XI == Ps 96:5 ; Isa 2:18 ; Jer 10:15 ; Zech 13:2

XII == Gen 1:1 , 6 , 9 ; Job 9:8 ; Ps 93:1 ; 104:2 ; 136:5-6 ; Isa 40:22 ; Jer 51:15

XIII == Job 38:34 ; Ps 135:7

XIV == Prov 30:2

XVI == Deut 32:9 ; Ps 16:5 ; 73:26 ; 74:2 ; 119:57

XVII == Jer 6:1 ; Ezek 12:3

XVIII == 1st Sam 25:29 ; Jer 16:13 ; Ezek 6:10

XIX == Ps 77:10 ; Jer 4:19 ; 8:21 ; 9:1 ; Mic 7:9

XX == Jer 4:20

XXII == Jer 1:15 ; 4:6 ; 5:15 ; 6:22 ; 9:11

XXIII == Prov 16:1 ; 20:24

XXIV == Ps 6:1 ; 38:1 ; Jer 30:11

XXV == Deut 27:26 ; Job 18:21 ; Ps 79:6 ; Jer 8:16 ; Gal 3:10 ; 1st Thess 4:5 ; 2nd Thess 1:8

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

2 Thus says the LORD: Learn not the customs of the nations, and have no fear of the signs of the heavens, though the nations fear them.

3 For the cult idols of the nations are nothing, wood cut from the forest, Wrought by craftsmen with the adze,

4 adorned with silver and gold. With nails and hammers they are fastened, that they may not totter.

5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, they cannot speak; They must be carried about, for they cannot walk. Fear them not, they can do no harm, neither is it in their power to do good.

6 No one is like you, O LORD, great are you, great and mighty is your name.

7 Who would not fear you, King of the nations, for it is your due! Among all the wisest of the nations, and in all their domain, there is none like you.

8 One and all they are dumb and senseless, these idols they teach about are wooden:

9 Silver strips brought from Tarshish, and gold from Ophir, The work of the craftsman and the handiwork of the smelter, Clothed with violet and purple - all of them the work of artisans.

11 Thus shall you say of them: Let the gods that did not make heaven and earth perish from the earth, and from beneath these heavens!

10 The LORD is true God, he is the living God, the eternal King, Before whose anger the earth quakes, whose wrath the nations cannot endure:

12 He who made the earth by his power, established the world by his wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by his skill.

13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar, and he brings up clouds from the end of the earth; He makes the lightning flash in the rain, and releases stormwinds from their chambers.

14 Every man is stupid, ignorant; every artisan is put to shame by his idol: He has molded a fraud, without breath of life.

15 Nothingness are they, a ridiculous work; they will perish in their time of punishment.

16 Not like these is the portion of Jacob: he is the creator of all things; Israel is his very own tribe, LORD of hosts is his name.

17 Lift your bundle and leave the land, O city living in a state of siege!

18 For thus says the LORD: Behold, this time I will sling away the inhabitants of the land; I will hem them in, that they may be taken.

19 Woe is me! I am undone, my wound is incurable; Yet I had thought: if I make light of my wound, I can bear it.

20 My tent is ruined, all its cords are severed. My sons have left me, they are no more: no one to pitch my tent, no one to raise its curtains.

21 Yes, the shepherds were stupid as cattle, the LORD they sought not; Therefore they had no success, and all their flocks were scattered.

22 Listen! a noise! it comes closer, a great uproar from the northern land: To turn the cities of Judah into a desert haunt of jackals.

23 You know, O LORD, that man is not master of his way; Man's course is not within his choice, nor is it for him to direct his step.

24 Punish us, O LORD, but with equity, not in anger, lest you have us dwindle away.

25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not, on the tribes that call not upon your name; For they have devoured Jacob utterly, and laid waste his dwelling.

v 1-5. The entire house of Israel is addressed, even the northern tribes already in captivity. They were not to fear natural phenomenon in the sky the way the heathen do. Then He brings out the stupidity of worshiping man made gods.

v 6-16. Now Jeremiah contrasts these idols to the true everlasting God before whom all nations would tremble. God is not only the creator, but He who maintains His creation by rain etc. The expanse of the universe is seen in the term, He stretched out the heavens also in Isa. 45:12. Here, verse 11 is the only verse in Jeremiah written in Aramaic instead of Hebrew, probably because it was addressed to the pagan idolaters in the area. While the idols and false gods are lifeless falsehood full of errors, they will perish before God who formed all things and made Israel His inheritance.

v 17,18. The first 16 verses were like a parenthesis, ridiculing false gods, but now God warns that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be hurled into captivity.

v 19-22. Jeremiah again grieves over the collapse of the city, deportation of the young men, spiritual leaders not carrying for their flock and total destruction coming.

v 23-25. Jeremiah concludes his message from the temple gate with a prayer to the Lord. He acknowledges that while man is free to make his plans, blessing only comes when God directs our steps. He trusts God’s righteous justice, but  representing Judah, he fears His anger. Speaking as if it had already happened he asks God to also judge the other nations for what they have done to God’s people, Israel.