Jeremias 13

1 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 procured the girdle according to the word of the Lord, and put it about my loins.

3 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

4 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 the Lord commanded me.

6 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 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 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thus says the Lord,

9 Thus will I mar the pride of Juda, and the pride of Jerusalem;

10 [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 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 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 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 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 you, and give ear, and be not proud: for the Lord has spoken.

16 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 If the Ethiopian shall change his skin, or the leopardess her spots, then shall you be able to do good, having learnt evil.

24 So I scattered them as sticks carried by the wind into the wilderness.

25 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 I also will expose your skirts upon your face, and your shame shall be seen;

27 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]?