Jeremiah 13

1 Thus says the LORD to me, Go and get you a linen girdle, and put it on your loins, and put it not in water.

Thus said Jehovah unto me, 'Go, and thou hast got for thee a girdle of linen, and hast placed it on thy loins, and into water thou dost not cause it to enter:'

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

and I get the girdle, according to the word of Jehovah, and I place [it] on my loins.

3 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying,

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying,

4 Take the girdle that you have got, which is on your loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

'Take the girdle that thou hast got, that [is] on thy loins, and rise, go to Phrat, and hide it there in a hole of the rock;

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

and I go and hide it by Phrat, as Jehovah commanded me.

6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said to me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from there, which I commanded you to hide there.

And it cometh to pass, at the end of many days, that Jehovah saith unto me, 'Rise, go to Phrat, and take thence the girdle, that I commanded thee to hide there;'

7 Then I went to Euphrates, and dig, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

and I go to Phrat, and dig, and take the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and lo, the girdle hath been marred, it is not profitable for anything.

8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 'Thus said Jehovah:

9 Thus says the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

Thus do I mar the excellency of Judah, And the great excellency of Jerusalem.

10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk 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, Yea it is — as this girdle, that is not profitable for anything.

11 For as the girdle sticks to the loins of a man, so have I caused to stick to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says the LORD; that they might be to 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 cleaveth unto the loins of a man, So I caused to cleave unto Me The whole house of Israel, And the whole house of Judah, an affirmation of Jehovah, To be to Me for a people, and for a name, And for praise, and for beauty, And they have not hearkened.

12 Therefore you shall speak to them this word; Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say to you, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

And thou hast said unto them this word, Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, 'Every bottle is full of wine,' And they have said unto thee: 'Do we not certainly know that every bottle is full of wine?'

13 Then shall you say to them, Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit on David’s throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

And thou hast said unto them, 'Thus said Jehovah: Lo, 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, even the fathers and the sons together, says the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

And have dashed them one against another, And the fathers and the sons together, An affirmation of Jehovah, I do not pity, nor spare, nor have I mercy, So as not to destroy them.

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

Hear, and give ear — be not haughty, For Jehovah hath spoken.

16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

Give ye to Jehovah your God honour, Before He doth cause darkness, And before your feet stumble on dark mountains, And ye have waited for light, And He hath made it for death-shade, And hath appointed [it] for thick darkness.

17 But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and my eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock is carried away captive.

And if ye do not hear it, In secret places doth my soul weep, because of pride, Yea, it weepeth sore, And the tear cometh down mine eyes, For the flock of Jehovah hath been taken captive.

18 Say to the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.

Say to the king and to the mistress: Make yourselves low — sit still, For come down have your principalities, The crown of your beauty.

19 The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.

The cities of the south have been shut up, And there is none opening, Judah hath been removed — all of her, She hath been removed completely —

20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?

Lift up your eyes, and see those coming in from the north, Where [is] the drove given to thee, thy beautiful flock?

21 What will you say when he shall punish you? for you have taught them to be captains, and as chief over you: shall not sorrows take you, as a woman in travail?

What dost thou say, when He looketh after thee? And thou — thou hast taught them [to be] over thee — leaders for head? Do not pangs seize thee as a travailing woman?

22 And if you say in your heart, Why come these things on me? For the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts discovered, and your heels made bore.

And when thou dost say in thy heart, 'Wherefore have these met me?' For the abundance of thine iniquity Have thy skirts been uncovered, Have thy heels suffered violence.

23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

Doth a Cushite change his skin? and a leopard his spots? Ye also are able to do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness.

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

25 This is your lot, the portion of your measures from me, says the LORD; because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

This [is] thy lot, the portion of thy measures from Me — an affirmation of Jehovah, Because thou hast forgotten me, And dost trust in falsehood.

26 Therefore will I discover your skirts on your face, that your shame may appear.

I also have made bare thy skirts before thy face, And thy shame hath been seen.

27 I have seen your adulteries, and your neighings, the lewdness of your prostitution, and your abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! will you not be made clean? when shall it once be?

Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, The wickedness of thy whoredom, on heights in a field, I have seen thine abominations. Woe to thee, O Jerusalem, Thou art not cleansed, after when [is it] again?