Jeremiah 13

1 Thus says Jehovah to me, Go, and buy thee a linen sash, and put it upon thy loins, and do not put it in water.

This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.”

2 So I bought a sash according to the word of Jehovah, and put it upon my loins.

So I bought a loincloth as the LORD had instructed me, and I put it around my waist.

3 And the word of Jehovah came to me the second time, saying,

Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time:

4 Take the sash that thou have bought, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

“Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go at once to Perath and hide it there in a crevice of the rocks.”

5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as Jehovah commanded me.

So I went and hid it at Perath, as the LORD had commanded me.

6 And it came to pass after many days, that Jehovah said to me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the sash from there, which I commanded thee to hide there.

Many days later the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to Perath, and get the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.”

7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the sash from the place where I had hid it. And, behold, the sash was rotten. It was good for nothing.

So I went to Perath and dug up the loincloth, and I took it from the place where I had hidden it. But now it was ruined—of no use at all.

8 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

Then the word of the LORD came to me:

9 Thus says Jehovah, After this manner I will mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

“This is what the LORD says: In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and have gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this sash, which is good for nothing.

These evil people, who refuse to listen to My words, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, and who go after other gods to serve and worship them, they will be like this loincloth—of no use at all.

11 For as the sash clings to the loins of a man, so I have caused to cling to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says Jehovah, that they may be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory, but they would not hear.

For just as a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I have made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to Me, declares the LORD, so that they might be My people for My renown and praise and glory. But they did not listen.

12 Therefore thou shall speak to them this word. Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel: Every bottle shall be filled with wine. And they shall say to thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

Therefore you are to tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Every wineskin shall be filled with wine.’ And when they reply, ‘Don’t we surely know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?’

13 Then thou shall say to them, Thus says Jehovah: Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.

14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says Jehovah. I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them.

I will smash them against one another, fathers and sons alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no mercy or pity or compassion to keep Me from destroying them.’”

15 Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud, for Jehovah has spoken.

Listen and give heed. Do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken.

16 Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains. And, while ye look for light, he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it gross darkness.

Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness.

17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride. And my eye shall weep greatly, and run down with tears, because Jehovah's flock is taken captive.

But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.

18 Say thou to the king and to the queen-mother: Humble yourselves. Sit down, for your coronets have come down, even the crown of your glory.

Say to the king and to the queen mother: “Take a lowly seat, for your glorious crowns have fallen from your heads.”

19 The cities of the South are shut up, and there is none to open them. Judah is carried away captive, all of it. It is wholly carried away captive.

The cities of the Negev have been shut tight, and no one can open them. All Judah has been carried into exile, wholly taken captive.

20 Lift up your eyes, and behold those who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

Lift up your eyes and see those coming from the north. Where is the flock entrusted to you, the sheep that were your pride?

21 What will thou say when he shall set over thee as head those whom thou thyself have taught to be friends to thee? Shall not sorrows take hold of thee as of a woman in travail?

What will you say when He sets over you close allies whom you yourself trained? Will not pangs of anguish grip you, as they do a woman in labor?

22 And if thou say in thy heart, Why have these things come upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity thy skirts are uncovered, and thy heels suffer violence.

And if you ask yourself, “Why has this happened to me?” It is because of the magnitude of your iniquity that your skirts have been stripped off and your body has been exposed.

23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then ye also may do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither are you able to do good— you who are accustomed to doing evil.

24 Therefore I will scatter them as the stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness.

“I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind.

25 This is thy lot, the portion measured to thee from me, says Jehovah, because thou have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

This is your lot, the portion I have measured to you,” declares the LORD, “because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood.

26 Therefore I will also uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and thy shame shall appear.

So I will pull your skirts up over your face, that your shame may be seen.

27 I have seen thine abominations, even thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, on the hills, in the field. Woe to thee, O Jerusalem! Thou will not be made clean. How long shall it yet be?

Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution on the hills and in the fields— I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”