< 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.
Thus says the Lord, Go and procure for yourself a linen girdle, and put it about your loins, and let it not be put in water.
2 So I bought a sash according to the word of Jehovah, and put it upon my loins.
So I procured the girdle according to the word of the Lord, and put it about my loins.
3 And the word of Jehovah came to me the second time, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
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 girdle that is upon your loins, and arise, and go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.
5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as Jehovah commanded me.
So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord 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.
And it came to pass after many days, that the Lord said to me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take thence the girdle, which 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 the river Euphrates, and dug, and took the girdle out of the place where I [had] buried it: and, behold, it was rotten, utterly good for nothing.
8 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thus says the Lord,
9 Thus says Jehovah, After this manner I will mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
Thus will I mar the pride of Juda, and the 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.
[even] this great pride [of the men] that will not listen to my words, and have gone after strange gods, to serve them, and to worship them: and they shall be as this girdle, which can be used for nothing.
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 as a girdle cleaves about the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave to myself the house of Israel, and the whole house of Juda; that they might be to me a famous people, and a praise, and a glory: but they did not listen to me.
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?
And you shall say to this people, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and it shall come to pass, if they shall say to you, Shall we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? that you shall say to them,
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.
Thus says the Lord, Behold, I [will] fill the inhabitants of this land, and their kings the sons of David that sit upon their throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and Juda and all the dwellers in Jerusalem, with strong drink.
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.
And I will scatter them a man and his brother, and their fathers and their sons together: I will not have compassion, says the Lord, and I will not spare, neither will I pity [to save them] from destruction.
15 Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud, for Jehovah has spoken.
Hear you, and give ear, and be not proud: 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 cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and you shall wait for light, and behold the shadow of death, and they shall be brought into 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 will not listen, your soul shall weep in secret because of pride, and your eyes shall pour down tears, because the Lord's flock is sorely bruised.
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 you to the king and the princes, Humble yourselves, and sit down; for your crown of glory is removed from your head.
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 towards the south were shut, and there was none to open [them]: Juda is removed [into captivity, ]they have suffered a complete removal.
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, O Jerusalem, and behold them that come from the north; where is the flock that was given you, the sheep of your glory?
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 they shall visit you, for you did teach them lessons for rule against yourself; shall not pangs seize you as a woman in travail?
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 should say in your heart, Therefore have these things happened to me? Because of the abundance of your iniquity have your skirts been discovered, that your heels might be 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.
If the Ethiopian shall change his skin, or the leopardess her spots, then shall you be able to do good, having learnt evil.
24 Therefore I will scatter them as the stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness.
So I scattered them as sticks carried by the wind into the wilderness.
25 This is thy lot, the portion measured to thee from me, says Jehovah, because thou have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.
Thus is your lot, and the reward of your disobedience to me, says the Lord; as you did forget me, and trust in lies,
26 Therefore I will also uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and thy shame shall appear.
I also will expose your skirts upon your face, and your shame shall 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 adultery also, and your neighing, and the looseness of your fornication: on the hills and in the fields I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem, for you have not been purified so as to follow me; how long yet [shall it be]?

< Jeremiah 13 >