Jeremiah 10:8

The people of those nations ¹  are both stupid and foolish. Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless! ² 

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

But they are altogether stupid and foolish In their discipline of delusion—their idol is wood!

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

Stupidly, they line them up--a lineup of sticks, good for nothing but making smoke.

But they are together like beasts and foolish: the teaching of false gods is wood.

They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction given by idols is no better than wood!

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

The people of those nations ¹  are both stupid and foolish. Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless! ² 

¹ tn Or “Those wise people and kings are…” It is unclear whether the subject is the “they” of the nations in the preceding verse, or the wise people and kings referred to. The text merely has “they.”

² tn Heb “The instruction of vanities [worthless idols] is wood.” The meaning of this line is a little uncertain. Various proposals have been made to make sense, most of which involve radical emendation of the text. For some examples see J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah (NICOT), 323-24, fn 6. However, this is probably a case of the bold predication that discussed in GKC 452 §141.d, some examples of which may be seen in Ps 109:4 “I am prayer,” and Ps 120:7 “I am peace.”