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10:1  ·Family [L House] of Israel, ·listen to what [L hear the word that] the Lord says to you.
10:2  This is what he says: “Don’t ·live like the people from [L learn the way/path of] other nations, and don’t be ·afraid of [terrified by] special signs in the ·sky [heavens; C astrology], even though the other nations are ·afraid [terrified] of them.
10:3  The ·customs [statutes; ordinances; requirements] of other people are ·worth nothing [meaningless; useless; L a breath]. ·Their idols are just wood cut from the forest [L A tree from the forest is cut down], shaped by a ·worker [craftsman] with his ·chisel [or ax; or adze; or blade].
10:4  They decorate their idols with silver and gold. With hammers and nails they fasten them down so they ·won’t fall over [can’t move].
10:5  Their idols are like scarecrows in ·melon [or cucumber] 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 [have no power to do good; Is. 40:18–20; 41:7, 29; 44:6–23; 46:5–7].”
10:6  Lord, there is no one like you. You are great, and your name is great and powerful.
10:7  ·Everyone should respect [L Who does not fear…?] you, King of the nations; ·you deserve respect [for it is your due]. Of all the wise people among the nations and in all the kingdoms, ·none of them is as wise as you [L there is none like you].
10:8  Those wise people are stupid and foolish. Their ·teachings [instructions] come from ·worthless [meaningless; useless] ·wooden idols [L pieces of wood].
10:9  Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish [C Tarshish may have been in Spain (Tartessus) or an island in the eastern Mediterranean; Jonah 1:3] and gold from Uphaz [C high quality], so the idols are made by craftsmen and ·goldsmiths [smelters]. They put blue and purple clothes on the idols. All these things are made by skilled workers.
10:10  But the Lord is the only true God. He is the only living God, the King forever. The earth ·shakes [trembles] when he is angry, and the nations cannot ·stand up to [endure] his anger.
10:11  “Tell them this message: ‘These gods did not make heaven and earth; they will ·be destroyed and disappear [perish] from heaven and earth [C this verse is in Aramaic, indicating it was a well known saying].’”
10:12  God made the earth by his power. He used his wisdom to ·build [L establish] the world and his understanding to stretch out the ·skies [heavens].
10:13  When he ·thunders [L gives forth his voice], the waters in the ·skies [heavens] ·roar [are in tumult]. He makes ·clouds [or mist] rise ·in the sky all over the earth [L from the ends of the earth]. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
10:14  People are so stupid and know so little. ·Goldsmiths [Smelters] are ·made ashamed [humiliated] by their idols, because those ·statues are only false gods [L images are false]. They have no breath in them.
10:15  They are ·worth nothing [useless; meaningless; L a breath]; ·people make fun of them [laughable; a derision]. When they are judged, they will ·be destroyed [perish].
10:16  But Jacob’s [C another name for Israel] Portion [C referring to the Lord; God gives himself to Israel] is not like ·the idols [L these]. He ·made [L formed] everything, and ·he chose Israel to be his special people [L Israel is the tribe of his inheritance]. The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] is his name.
10:17  ·Get everything you own [L Gather your goods] ·and prepare to leave [or from the ground], you people who are ·trapped by your enemies [L under siege].
10:18  This is what the Lord says: “At this time I will ·throw [L sling] out the people who live in this land. I will bring ·trouble [distress] to them so that they may be ·captured [L squeezed].”
10:19  ·How terrible it will be for me [Woe to me] because of my ·injury [fracture]. My wound ·cannot be healed [is severe]. Yet I told myself, “This is my ·sickness [or punishment]; I must ·suffer through [endure] it.”
10:20  My tent is ·ruined [destroyed; desolated], and all its ropes are broken. My children have gone away and left me. No one is left to ·put up [stretch out] my tent again or to set up ·a shelter for me [L my curtains].
10:21  The shepherds are stupid and don’t ·ask the Lord for advice [L seek the Lord]. So they do not have success, and all their flocks are scattered.
10:22  Listen! The news is coming. A ·loud noise [great commotion] comes from the north [C the Babylonian army] to make the towns of Judah an ·empty desert [desolation] and a ·home [haunt] for wild dogs [jackals]!
10:23  Lord, I know that ·our lives don’t really belong to us [L his way/path does not belong to people]. ·We can’t control our own lives [L People as they walk cannot establish their steps].
10:24  Lord, ·correct [teach; instruct] me, but be ·fair [just]. Don’t punish me in your anger, or you will ·destroy me [L make me dwindle].
10:25  Pour out your anger on other nations that do not know you and do not pray to you. Those nations have ·destroyed [consumed] the people of Jacob. They have ·eaten [consumed] them up completely and ·destroyed [desolated] their homeland.