Jeremiah 13

1 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.”

Thus says Jehovah to me, "Go, and buy yourself a linen belt, and put it on your waist, and do not put it in water."

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

So I bought a belt according to the word of Jehovah, and put it on my waist.

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

The word of Jehovah came to me the second time, saying,

4 “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”;

"Take the belt that you have bought, which is on your waist, and arise, go to the Perath, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock."

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

So I went, and hid it by the Perath, as Jehovah commanded me.

6 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”;

It happened after many days, that Jehovah said to me, "Arise, go to the Perath, and take the belt from there, which I commanded you to hide there."

7 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.

Then I went to the Perath, and dug, and took the belt from the place where I had hidden it; and look, the belt was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

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

Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

9 Thus I mar the excellence of Judah, And the great excellence of Jerusalem.

"Thus says Jehovah, 'In this way I will mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride 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 bow themselves to them, Indeed it is—as this girdle, that is not profitable for anything.

This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and are gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this belt, which is profitable for nothing.

11 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.

For as the belt clings to the waist of a man, so have I caused to cling to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah,' says Jehovah; 'that they might be my people, for a name, for praise, and for glory. But they would not listen.

12 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?

Therefore you shall speak to them this word: 'Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, "Every jar shall be filled with wine."' And if they shall say to you, 'Do we not certainly know that every jar shall be filled with wine?'

13 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,

Then you shall tell them, 'Thus says Jehovah, "Look, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit on David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

14 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.”

I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says Jehovah. I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them."'"

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

"Hear, and give ear; do not be proud; for Jehovah has spoken.

16 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.

Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it gross darkness.

17 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.

But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and my eye shall weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because Jehovah's flock is taken captive."

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

"Say to the king and to the queen mother, 'Take a lowly seat, for your glorious crowns have come down from your heads.

19 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—

The cities toward the Negev are shut, and there is no one to open them: Judah is carried away into exile, all of it; it is wholly carried away into exile.'"

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

"Lift up your eyes, and see those who come from the north: where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?

21 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?

What will you say, when he shall set over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you? Shall not sorrows take hold of you, as of a woman in travail?

22 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.

If you say in your heart, 'Why are these things come on me?' for the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts uncovered, and your heels suffer violence.

23 “Does a Cushite change his skin? And a leopard his spots? Can you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil?

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

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

'therefore I will scatter them, as the stubble that passes away, by the wind of the wilderness.

25 This [is] your lot, the portion of your measures from Me,” A declaration of YHWH, “Because you have forgotten Me, And trust in falsehood.

This is your lot, the portion measured to you from me,' says Jehovah; 'because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

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

therefore I will also uncover your skirts on your face, and your shame shall appear.

27 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?”

I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries, and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem. You will not be made clean; how long shall it yet be?'"