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.

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

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

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

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

And the word of the LORD came unto me the 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 girdle that you have got, which is upon your loins, and arise, go to 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.

So I went, and hid it by 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.

And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, 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.

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

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

Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

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

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

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.

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 as the girdle cleaves 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, says the LORD; 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.

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,

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

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

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.

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.

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

Hear all of you, and give ear; 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.

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

But if all of you 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 the LORD's flock is carried away 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 unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.

19 The cities toward the south were shut, and there was none to open [them]: Juda is removed [into captivity, ]they have suffered a complete removal.

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.

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 behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?

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 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?

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.

And if you say in your heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts discovered, and your heels made bare.

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

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

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

Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passes away by the wind of 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,

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

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

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

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 adulteries, and your neighings, the lewdness of your whoredom, and your abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto you, O Jerusalem! will you not be made clean? when shall it once be?