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 said YHWH to me: “Go, and you have acquired a girdle of linen for yourself, and have placed it on your loins, and you do not cause it to enter into water.”

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

And I get the girdle, according to the word of YHWH, and I place [it] on my loins.

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

And there is a word of YHWH to me a 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 that you have acquired, that [is] on your loins, and rise, 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 go and hide it by the Euphrates, as YHWH 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 comes to pass, at the end of many days, that YHWH says to me, “Rise, go to the Euphrates, and take the girdle there, 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.

and I go to the Euphrates, and dig, and take the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and behold, the girdle has been marred, it is not profitable for anything.

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

And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying, “Thus said YHWH:

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

Thus I mar the excellence of Judah, And the great excellence 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.

This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, Who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, And go after other gods to serve them, And to bow themselves to them, Indeed it is—as this girdle, that is not profitable for anything.

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 cleaves to the loins of a man, So I caused to cleave to Me The whole house of Israel, And the whole house of Judah,” A declaration of YHWH, “To be to Me for a people, and for a name, And for praise, and for beauty, And they have not listened.

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 have said this word to them, Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: Every bottle is full of wine, And they have said to you: Do we not certainly know that every bottle is full of 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 you have said to them, Thus said YHWH: Behold, I am filling all the inhabitants of this land, And the kings who sit for David on 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 have dashed them against one another, And the fathers and the sons together,” A declaration of YHWH, “I do not pity, nor spare, nor do I have mercy, So as not to destroy them.”

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

Hear, and give ear—do not be haughty, For YHWH 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 your God YHWH, Before He causes darkness, And before your feet stumble on dark mountains, And you have waited for light, And He has made it for death-shade, And has appointed [it] for 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.

And if you do not hear it, My soul weeps in secret places, because of pride, Indeed, it weeps and wails, And the tear comes down my eyes, For the flock of YHWH 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 mistress: Make yourselves low—sit still, For your principalities have come down, The crown of your beauty.

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 have been shut up, And there is none opening, Judah has been removed—all of her, She has been completely removed—

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 in from the north, Where [is] the drove given to you, your beautiful flock?

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 do you say when He looks after you? And you have taught them [to be] over you—leaders for head? Do pangs not seize you as a travailing woman?

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 when you say in your heart, “Why have these met me?” For the abundance of your iniquity Have your skirts been uncovered, Have your heels suffered violence.

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

“Does a Cushite change his skin? And a leopard his spots? Can you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil?

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

And I scatter them as stubble, Passing away, by a wind of 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.

This [is] your lot, the portion of your measures from Me,” A declaration of YHWH, “Because you have forgotten Me, And trust in falsehood.

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

I have also made your skirts bare before your face, And your shame has been 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 your neighings, The wickedness of your whoredom, on heights in a field, I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem, You are not [yet] made clean—after when [will you be] again?”