Jeremiah 13

1 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.”

Thus saith Jehovah to me: Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it on thy loins, and put it not into water!

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

So I got a girdle according to the word of Jehovah, and put it on my loins.

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

Then the word of Jehovah came to me the second time, saying,

4 “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.”

Take the girdle which thou hast gotten, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

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

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

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

And after many days Jehovah said to me. Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take thence the girdle which I commanded thee to hide there.

7 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.

Then I went to the Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hidden it; and, behold, the girdle was marred, so that it was good for nothing.

8 Then the word of the LORD came to me:

Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying: —

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

Thus saith Jehovah: After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, And the great pride of Jerusalem.

10 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.

This evil people, Who refuse to hearken to my words, Who walk after the obstinacy of their heart, And walk after strange gods, To serve them and to worship them, Shall be like this girdle, Which is good for nothing.

11 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.

For as a girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, So have I caused to cleave to me the whole house of Israel, And the whole house of Judah, saith Jehovah, That they might be to me a people, And a name, and a praise, and a glory; But they hearkened not to me.

12 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?’

Then shalt thou speak to them in this manner. Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Every flagon shall be filled with wine. And they will say to thee, “Do we not know that every flagon shall be filled with wine?”

13 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.

Then shalt thou say to them, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, And the kings that sit upon David's throne, And the priests, and the prophets, And all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

14 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.’”

And I will dash them one against another, Even fathers and children together, saith Jehovah; I will not pity, nor spare, Nor show mercy, so as not to destroy them.

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

Hear ye, and attend! be not lifted up! For Jehovah speaketh.

16 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.

Give glory to Jehovah, your God, Before he bring darkness, And your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, And, while ye look for light, He turn it into deathlike shade, And make it gross darkness.

17 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.

But if ye will not hear, I will mourn in secret places for your pride, I will weep continually, And my eyes shall run down with tears, Because the flock of Jehovah is carried away captive.

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

Say to the king and to the queen, Sit ye down upon the ground, For your beautiful crown shall fall from your heads.

19 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.

The cities of the South are shut up, and none openeth them; Judah is carried away captive, all of it, Every man of it is carried away captive.

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

Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the North! Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

21 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?

What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? For thou thyself hast taught them to be lords over thee. Shall not sorrows seize thee, as a woman in travail?

22 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.

And if thou say in thine heart, “Wherefore are these things coming upon me?” For the greatness of thy iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, And thy heels made bare.

23 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.

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, Or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, Who have been accustomed to do evil.

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

Therefore will I scatter you like stubble, Which passeth away before the wind of the desert.

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

This is thy lot, The portion measured out for thee by me, saith Jehovah, Because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

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

Therefore will I lift up thy skirts over thy head, So that thy shame shall be seen.

27 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?”

Thine adulteries, thy neighings, The lewdness of thy whoredom on the hills, in the fields, All thy abominations, have I seen. Woe to thee, O Jerusalem! How long ere thou wilt become pure!