Jeremiah 10:3,8 - Compare All Versions

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For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.

They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols.

for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.

They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood!

Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.

People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood!

for the customs of the peoples are worthless. Someone cuts down a tree from the forest; it is worked by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel.

They are both stupid and foolish, instructed by worthless idols made of wood!

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.

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

For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.

But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.

Listen to the Message that GOD is sending your way, House of Israel. Listen most carefully: “Don’t take the godless nations as your models. Don’t be impressed by their glamour and glitz, no matter how much they’re impressed. The religion of these peoples is nothing but smoke. An idol is nothing but a tree chopped down, then shaped by a woodsman’s ax. They trim it with tinsel and balls, use hammer and nails to keep it upright. It’s like a scarecrow in a cabbage patch—can’t talk! Deadwood that has to be carried—can’t walk! Don’t be impressed by such stuff. It’s useless for either good or evil.”

All this is nothing compared to you, O GOD. You’re wondrously great, famously great. Who can fail to be impressed by you, King of the nations? It’s your very nature to be worshiped! Look far and wide among the elite of the nations. The best they can come up with is nothing compared to you. Stupidly, they line them up—a lineup of sticks, good for nothing but making smoke. Gilded with silver foil from Tarshish, covered with gold from Uphaz, Hung with violet and purple fabrics— no matter how fancy the sticks, they’re still sticks.

For the customs of the peoples are futile; For it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.

But they are altogether stupid and foolish; The instruction from idols is nothing but wood!

For the customs and decrees of the peoples are [mere] delusion [exercises in futility]; It is only wood which one cuts from the forest [to make a god], The work of the hands of the craftsman with the axe or cutting tool.

But they are altogether irrational and stupid and foolish In their discipline of delusion—their idol is [only] wood [it is ridiculous, empty and worthless]!

For the religion of these people is worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools.

The people of those nations are both stupid and foolish. Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless!