Jeremiah 13

1 Thus said Jehovah unto me: Go and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins; but dip it not 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 And I bought a girdle 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 unto me the second time, saying,

And there is a word of YHWH to me a second time, saying,

4 Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole 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 had commanded me.

and I go and hide it by the Euphrates, as YHWH commanded me.

6 And it came to pass at the end of many days, that Jehovah said unto me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence 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 And I went to the Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and behold, the girdle was spoiled, 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 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

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

9 Thus saith Jehovah: After this manner will I spoil 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 go after other gods, to serve them and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle 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 a girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith Jehovah; that they might be unto 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 And thou shalt speak unto them this word: Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Every skin shall be filled with wine. And they will say unto thee, Do we not very well know that every skin 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 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings that sit for David upon his 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, both the fathers and the sons together, saith Jehovah; I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy so as not to 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 lifted up; for Jehovah hath spoken.

Hear, and give ear—do not be haughty, For YHWH has spoken.

16 Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the mountains of twilight; and ye shall look for light, but he will turn it into the shadow of death, and make [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 And if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for [your] pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because Jehovah's flock is gone into captivity.

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 unto the king and to the queen: Humble yourselves, sit down low; for from your heads shall come down the crown of your magnificence.

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]; all Judah is carried away captive: 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 them that 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 wilt thou say when he shall visit thee, since thou thyself hast trained them to be princes in chief over thee? Shall not sorrows take thee, as 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, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, [and] thy heels have suffered 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 an Ethiopian change his skin, or a leopard his spots? [Then] may ye also 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 And I will scatter them as stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.

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

25 This shall be thy lot, thy measured portion from me, saith Jehovah; because thou hast forgotten me, and confided 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 will I also turn thy skirts over thy face, and thy shame shall be seen.

I have also made your skirts bare before your face, And your shame has been seen.

27 Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy fornication, on the hills, in the fields, — thine abominations, have I seen. Woe unto thee, Jerusalem! Wilt thou not be made clean? after how long a time yet?

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?”