Jeremias 13

1 Saaledes sagde HERREN til mig: »Gaa hen og køb dig et linned Bælte og bind det om din Lænd, lad det ikke komme i Vand!«

This is what the Lord told me to do: Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it on, but don't wash it.

2 Og jeg købte Bæltet efter HERRENS Ord og bandt det om min Lænd.

So I went and bought a loincloth as the Lord had instructed me, and I put it on.

3 Saa kom HERRENS Ord atter til mig saaledes:

Then the Lord gave me another message:

4 »Tag Bæltet, du købte og har om Lænden, og gaa til Frat og gem det der i en Klipperevne!«

Take the loincloth that you bought and put on, and go immediately to the River Perath and hide it there in a hole among the rocks.

5 Og jeg gik hen og gemte det ved Frat, som HERREN bød.

So I went and hid it at the River Perath, as the Lord had told me.

6 Men lang Tid efter sagde HERREN til mig: »Gaa til Frat og hent Bæltet, jeg bød dig gemme der!«

A long time later the Lord told me, Go to Perath, and get the loincloth that I ordered you to hide there.

7 Og jeg gik til Frat og gravede Bæltet op, hvor jeg havde gemt det: og se, Bæltet var ødelagt og duede ikke til noget.

I went to Perath and dug up the loincloth, and removed it from where I'd hidden it. Obviously it was ruined—completely useless.

8 Og HERRENS Ord kom til mig saaledes:

Then a message from the Lord came to me:

9 Saa siger HERREN: Saaledes vil jeg ødelægge Judas og Jerusalems store Herlighed.

This is what the Lord says: I will ruin the arrogance of Judah and the great arrogance of Jerusalem in exactly the same way.

10 Dette onde Folk, som vægrer sig ved at høre mine Ord og vandrer i deres Hjertes Stivsind og holder sig til andre Guder og dyrker og tilbeder dem, skal blive som dette Bælte, der ikke duer til noget.

These evil people refuse to listen to what I tell them. They follow their own stubborn and evil thinking and run off to worship other gods—they will be like this loincloth, completely useless.

11 Thi som Bæltet slutter sig tæt til en Mands Lænd, saaledes har jeg sluttet hele Israels Hus og hele Judas Hus tæt til mig, lyder det fra HERREN, for at de skulde være mit Folk og blive mig til Navnkundighed, Pris og Ære; men de hørte ikke.

In the same way that a loincloth holds tightly to the body, so I made all the people of Israel and Judah hold tightly to me, declares the Lord. Then they could have been my people, representing me, giving me honor and praise. But they refused to listen.

12 Og du skal sige til dette Folk: Saa siger HERREN, Israels Gud: Enhver Vindunk fyldes med Vin! Og siger de til dig: »Skulde vi ikke vide, at enhver Vindunk fyldes med Vin?«

So tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every wine jar shall be filled with wine. When they reply, “Don't we know that already? Of course every wine jar should be filled with wine!”

13 saa svar dem: Saa siger HERREN: Se, jeg vil fylde alle dette Lands Indbyggere, Kongerne, der sidder paa Davids Trone, Præsterne, Profeterne og alle Jerusalems Borgere, saa de bliver drukne;

then tell them that this is what the Lord says: I'm going to make everyone who lives in this land drunk—the kings sitting on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.

14 og jeg knuser dem mod hinanden, baade Fædre og Sønner, lyder det fra HERREN; uden Skaansel, Medynk og Barmhjertighed ødelægger jeg dem.

I'm going to smash them against each other like wine jars, both parents and children, declares the Lord. I won't let any mercy or pity or compassion stop me from destroying them.

15 Hør og lyt uden Hovmod, thi HERREN taler.

Listen and pay attention. Don't be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.

16 Lad HERREN eders Gud faa Ære, før det mørkner, før I støder eders Fødder paa Skumringsbjerge, saa I maa bie paa Lys, men han gør det til Mulm, han gør det til Mørke.

Honor the Lord your God before he brings the darkness, before you trip and fall in the twilight on the mountains. You long for light to come, but he send only gloom and complete darkness.

17 Men dersom I ikke hører, da græder min Sjæl i Løn for Hovmodets Skyld, den fælder saa bitre Taarer; mit Øje rinder med Graad, thi HERRENS Hjord føres bort.

But if you refuse to listen, I will weep secretly inside because of your pride. My tears pouring down because the Lord's flock has been captured.

18 Sig til Kongen og til Herskerinden: »Tag lavere Sæde, thi af eders Hoved faldt den dejlige Krone.«

Tell the king and the queen mother: Get down from your thrones, because your splendid crowns have fallen from your heads.

19 Sydlandets Byer er lukkede, ingen lukker op, hele Juda er bortført til sidste Mand.

The towns in the Negev are surrounded; no one can get through to them. The whole of Judah has been taken away into exile, everyone has been exiled.

20 Løft dine Øjne og se dem komme fra Nord! Hvor er den Hjord, du fik, dine dejlige Faar?

Look up and you'll see the invaders coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you to look after? Where are the sheep you were so proud of?

21 Hvad vil du sige, naar du faar dem til Herrer, hvem du lærte at komme til dig som Venner? Vil ikke Veer da gribe dig som Kvinde i Barnsnød?

What are you going to say when he puts your enemies in charge of you, people you once counted as your friends? Won't you suffer pains like a woman in labor?

22 Og siger du i dit Hjerte: »Hvi hændtes mig dette?« For din svare Skyld blev dit Slæb løftet op, dine Hæle skændet.

If you say to yourself, Why has this happened to me? it's because you have been so wicked. That's why your skirts were stripped off and you were raped.

23 Hvis en Neger kunde skifte sin Hud, en Panter sine Striber, saa kunde og I gøre godt, I Mestre i ondt!

Can Ethiopians change the color of their skin? Can a leopard change its spots? In the same way you can't change and do good because you're so used to doing evil.

24 Jeg spreder dem som Straa, der flyver for Ørkenens Vind;

I'm going to scatter you like chaff blown away by the desert wind.

25 det er din Lod, din tilmaalte Del fra mig, saa lyder det fra HERREN, fordi du lod mig gaa ad Glemme og stoled paa Løgn.

This is what's going to happen to you; this is what I have decided to do to you, declares the Lord, because you have forgotten me and believed in lies.

26 Ja, dit Slæb slaar jeg over dit Ansigt, din Skam skal ses,

I will pull your skirts up over your face, so you will be seen naked and ashamed.

27 dit Ægteskabsbrud og din Vrinsken, din skamløse Utugt; paa Højene og ude paa Marken saa jeg dine væmmelige Guder. Ve dig, Jerusalem, du bliver ej ren — hvor længe endnu?

I watched your acts of adultery and lust, how you prostituted yourselves shamelessly, worshiping idols on the hills and in the fields. Yes, I saw the disgusting things you did. Disaster is coming to you, Jerusalem! How long are you going to remain unclean?