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.

Yahweh said this to me, “Go and buy a linen undergarment and put it on around your waist, but do not put it in water first.”

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

So I bought an undergarment as Yahweh directed, and I put in on around my waist.

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

Then the word of Yahweh came to me a second time, 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.

“Take the undergarment that you purchased that is around your waist, get up and go now to Perath. Hide it there in a rock crevice.”

5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.

So I went and hid it in Perath, just as Yahweh had 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.

After many days, Yahweh said to me, “Get up and go back to Perath. Take from there the undergarment that I had told you to hide.”

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.

So I went back to Perath and dug out the undergarment where I had hid it, and behold, it was destroyed and completely useless.

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

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

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

“Yahweh says this: In the same way I will destroy the great arrogance of Judah and 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.

This wicked people who refuses to listen to my word, who walk in the hardness of their heart, who go after other gods to worship them and bow down to them—they will be like this undergarment that is good 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.

For just as an undergarment clings to someone's hips, so I have made all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah cling to me—this is Yahweh's declaration—to be my people, to bring me fame, praise, and honor. But they would 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,

So you must speak this word to them, 'Yahweh, the God of Israel, says this: Every jar will be filled with wine.' They will say to you, 'Do we not indeed know that every jar will be filled with wine?'

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.

So say to them, 'Yahweh says this: See, I am about to fill with drunkenness every inhabitant of this land, the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

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.

Then I will smash each man against the other, fathers and children together—this is Yahweh's declaration—I will not pity them or have compassion, and I will not spare them from destruction.'”

15 Hear you, and give ear, and be not proud: for the Lord has spoken.

Listen and pay attention. Do not be arrogant, for Yahweh had 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.

Give honor to Yahweh your God before he brings darkness, and before he causes your feet to stumble on the mountains at twilight. For you are hoping for light, but he will turn the place into a deep darkness, into a dark cloud.

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.

So if you will not listen, I will weep alone because of your arrogance. My eyes will certainly weep and flow with tears, for Yahweh's flock has been taken captive.

18 Say you to the king and the princes, Humble yourselves, and sit down; for your crown of glory is removed from your head.

“Say to the king and to the queen mother, 'Come down from your thrones, for your splendid crowns have fallen from your heads.'

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.

The cities in the Negev will be shut up, with no one to open them. All Judah will be taken captive, completely taken captive.

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?

Lift up your eyes and look at the ones coming from the north. Where is the flock he gave to you, the flock that was so beautiful to you?

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?

What will you say when God sets over you those you had trained to be your special allies? Are these not the beginnings of the labor pains that will seize you just like a woman in childbirth?

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.

Then you might say in your heart, 'Why are these things happening to me?' It will be for the multitude of your iniquities that your skirts are raised up and you have been violated.

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

Can the people of Cush change their skin color, or a leopard change its spots? If so, then you yourself, although accustomed to wickedness, would be able to do good.

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

So I will scatter them like chaff that perishes in the desert wind.

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,

This is what I have given to you, the portion I have decreed for you—this is Yahweh's declaration— because you have forgotten me and trusted in deceit.

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

So also I myself will strip your skirts off you, and your private parts will 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]?

I have seen your adultery and neighing, the wickedness of your prostitution on the hills and in the fields, and I have seen these detestable things! Woe to you, Jerusalem! How long until you are made clean again?”