< 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 saith the Lord to me: Go, and get thee a linen girdle, and thou shalt put it about thy loins, and shalt not put it into water.
2 So I bought a sash according to the word of Jehovah, and put it upon my loins.
And I got a girdle accoding 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 the second time, 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 which thou hast got, which is about thy 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.
And I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, 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.
And it came to pass after many days, that the Lord said to me: Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from thence the girdle, which I commanded thee 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.
And I went to the Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle out of the place where I had hid it: and behold the girdle was rotten, so that it was fit for no use.
8 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
9 Thus says Jehovah, After this manner I will mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
Thus saith the Lord: after this manner will I make the pride of Juda, and the great pride of Jerusalem to rot.
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.
This wicked people, that will not hear my words, and that walk in the perverseness of their heart, and have gone after strange gods to serve them, and to adore them: and they shall be as this girdle which is fit for no use.
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 the girdle sticketh close to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me all of the house of Israel, and all the house of Juda, saith the Lord: that they might be my people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
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?
Thou shalt speak therefore to them this word: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Every bottle shall be filled with wine, and they shall say to thee: Do we not know that every bottle shall 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.
And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings of the race of David that sit upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. with drunkenness.
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 every man from his brother, and fathers and sons in like manner, saith the Lord: I will not spare, and I will not pardon: nor will I have mercy, but to destroy them.
15 Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud, for Jehovah has spoken.
Hear ye, and give ear: Be not proud, for the Lord hath 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 ye glory to the Lord your God, before it be dark, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains: you shall look for light, and he will turn it into the shadow of death, and 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 hear this, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride: weeping it shall weep, and my eyes shall run down the tears, because the flock of the Lord is carried away 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: Humble yourselves, sit down: for the crown of your glory is come down 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 of the south are shut up, and there is none to open them: all Juda is carried away captive with an entire captivity.
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, you that come from the north: where is the flock that is given thee, thy beautiful cattle?
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 wilt thou say when he shall visit thee? for thou hast taught them against thee, and instructed them against thy own head: shall not sorrows lay hold on thee, as a woman in labour?
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 thou shalt say in thy heart: Why are these things come upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity, thy nakedness is discovered, the soles of thy feet are defiled.
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 can change his skin, or the leopard his spots: you may also do well, when you have learned evil.
24 Therefore I will scatter them as the stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness.
And I will scatter them as stubble, which is carried away by the wind in the desert.
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 thy lot, and the portion of thy measure from me, saith the Lord, because thou hast forgotten me, and hast trusted in falsehood.
26 Therefore I will also uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and thy shame shall appear.
Wherefore I have also bared my thighs against thy face, and thy shame hath appeared.
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?
I have seen thy adulteries, and thy neighing, the wickedness of thy fornication: and thy abominations, upon the hills in the field. Woe to thee, Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean after me: how long yet?

< Jeremiah 13 >