Jeremiah 10:3–8

3 For the practices of the peoples are worthless;

they cut a tree out of the forest,

and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.

4 They adorn it with silver and gold;

they fasten it with hammer and nails

so it will not totter.

5 Like 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.”

6 No one is like you, Lord;

you are great,

and your name is mighty in power.

7 Who 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.

8 They are all senseless and foolish;

they are taught by worthless wooden idols.

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.

3 Their ways are futile and foolish.

They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.

4 They decorate it with gold and silver

and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails

so it won’t fall over.

5 Their gods are like

helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field!

They cannot speak,

and they need to be carried because they cannot walk.

Do not be afraid of such gods,

for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”

6 Lord, there is no one like you!

For you are great, and your name is full of power.

7 Who would not fear you, O King of nations?

That title belongs to you alone!

Among all the wise people of the earth

and in all the kingdoms of the world,

there is no one like you.

8 People who worship idols are stupid and foolish.

The things they worship are made of wood!

3 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.

4 They decorate it with silver and gold;

They fasten it with nails and hammers

So that it will not topple.

5 They are upright, like a palm tree,

And they cannot speak;

They must be carried,

Because they cannot go by themselves.

Do not be afraid of them,

For they cannot do evil,

Nor can they do any good.”

6 Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord

(You are great, and Your name is great in might),

7 Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?

For this is Your rightful due.

For among all the wise men of the nations,

And in all their kingdoms,

There is none like You.

8 But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish;

A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.

3 The customs of other people are worth nothing.

Their idols are just wood cut from the forest,

shaped by a worker with his chisel.

4 They decorate their idols with silver and gold.

With hammers and nails they fasten them down

so they won’t fall over.

5 Their idols are like scarecrows in melon fields;

they cannot talk.

Since they cannot walk,

they must be carried.

Do not be afraid of those idols,

because they can’t hurt you,

and they can’t help you either.”

6 Lord, there is no one like you.

You are great,

and your name is great and powerful.

7 Everyone should respect you, King of the nations;

you deserve respect.

Of all the wise people among the nations

and in all the kingdoms,

none of them is as wise as you.

8 Those wise people are stupid and foolish.

Their teachings come from worthless wooden idols.

3 For the customs of the peoples are vanity; 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 like a palm-tree, of turned work, and speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.

6 There is none like unto thee, O Jehovah; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. 7 Who should not fear thee, O King of the nations? for to thee doth it appertain; forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royal estate, there is none like unto thee. 8 But they are together brutish and foolish: the instruction of idols! it is but a stock.

3 For the statutes of the peoples are vanity; for it is a tree cut out of the forest, worked with a chisel by the hands of the artizan; 4 they deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are as a palm-column of turned work, and they speak not; they are carried, for they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. 6 There is none like unto thee, Jehovah; 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; for among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. 8 But they are one and all senseless and foolish; the teaching of vanities is a stock.

3 The religion of the people is worthless. 

Woodcutters cut down trees from the forest. 

The hands of craftsmen prepare them with axes. 

4 Craftsmen decorate them with silver and gold 

and fasten them ⸤together⸥ with hammers and nails 

so that they won’t fall over. 

5 These trees are like scarecrows in cucumber gardens. 

They aren’t able to speak. 

They have to be carried, because they can’t walk. 

Don’t be afraid of them. 

They can’t harm you. 

They can’t do you any good either. 

6 No one is like you, O Lord. 

You are great. 

Your name is powerful. 

7 Everyone fears you, O King of the Nations. 

This is what you deserve. 

No one is like you among all the wise people in the nations 

or in all their kingdoms. 

8 They are complete idiots. 

They learn nonsense from wooden idols. 

3 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.

4 He decorates it with silver and gold.

It is fastened with hammer and nails,

so it won’t totter.

5 Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch,

their idols cannot speak.

They must be carried because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them for they can do no harm —

and they cannot do any good.

6 Yahweh, there is no one like You.

You are great;

Your name is great in power.

7 Who should not fear You,

King of the nations?

It is what You deserve.

For among all the wise people of the nations

and among all their kingdoms,

there is no one like You.

8 They are both stupid and foolish,

instructed by worthless idols

made of wood!

3 For the customs of the peoples are false:

a tree from the forest is cut down

and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan;

4 they deck it with silver and gold;

they fasten it with hammers and nails

so that it cannot move.

5 Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,

and they cannot speak;

they have to be carried,

for they cannot walk.

Do not be afraid of them,

for they cannot do evil,

nor is it in them to do good.

6 There is none like you, O Lord;

you are great, and your name is great in might.

7 Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?

For that is your due;

among all the wise ones of the nations

and in all their kingdoms

there is no one like you.

8 They are both stupid and foolish;

the instruction given by idols

is no better than wood!

3 For the statutes of the peoples are vanity,

for it is a tree cut down from the forest,

the work of the hands of a craftsman with the tool.

4 He decorates it with silver and gold,

they strengthen it with nails and hammers,

so that it does not stagger.

5 They are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,

they cannot speak.

Indeed, they must be carried,

for they cannot march.

You must not be afraid of them,

for they cannot do evil;

furthermore, to do good is not in them.”

6 There is none like you, O Yahweh,

you are great and your name is great in might.

7 Who would not revere you, O king of the nations?

For you it is fitting.

For among all the wise men of the nations,

and in all their kingdoms,

there is none like you.

8 At the same time they are stupid and foolish,

in the instruction of idols, it is wood.

3 The practices of those nations are worthless.

People cut a tree out of the forest.

A skilled worker shapes the wood with a sharp tool.

4 Others decorate it with silver and gold.

They use a hammer to nail it to the floor.

They want to keep it from falling down.

5 The statues of their gods can’t speak.

They are like scarecrows in a field of melons.

They have to be carried around

because they can’t walk.

So do not worship them.

They can’t do you any harm.

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

6 Lord, no one is like you.

You are great.

You are mighty and powerful.

7 King of the nations,

everyone should have respect for you.

That’s what people should give you.

Among all of the wise people in the nations

there is no one like you.

No one can compare with you in all of their kingdoms.

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

They think they are taught by worthless wooden gods.

3 For the customs of the peoples are delusion;

Because it is wood cut from the forest,

The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.

4 “They decorate it with silver and with gold;

They fasten it with nails and with hammers

So that it will not totter.

5 “Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they,

And they cannot speak;

They must be carried,

Because they cannot walk!

Do not fear them,

For they can do no harm,

Nor can they do any good.”

6 There is none like You, O Lord;

You are great, and great is Your name in might.

7 Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?

Indeed it is Your due!

For among all the wise men of the nations

And in all their kingdoms,

There is none like You.

8 But they are altogether stupid and foolish

In their discipline of delusion—their idol is wood!