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.

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 And I bought a girdle according to the word of Jehovah, and put it upon my loins.

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

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

Then the word of Yahweh came 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 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 Jehovah had commanded me.

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

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 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.

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 Jehovah came unto me, saying,

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

9 Thus saith Jehovah: After this manner will I spoil the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

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

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 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.

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 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.

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 ye, and give ear, be not lifted up; for Jehovah hath spoken.

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

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 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 queen mother, 'Come down from your thrones, for your splendid crowns have fallen from your heads.'

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 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, and behold them that come from the north. Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

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 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 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 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.

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 Can an Ethiopian change his skin, or a leopard his spots? [Then] may ye also do good, who are accustomed to do 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 And I will scatter them as stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.

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

25 This shall be thy lot, thy measured portion from me, saith Jehovah; because thou hast forgotten me, and confided in falsehood.

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 Therefore will I also turn thy skirts over thy face, and thy shame shall be seen.

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

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?”