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, said Yahweh unto me, —Go and buy for thyself a linen girdle, and put upon thy loins, —but in water, shalt thou not place it.

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

So I bought a girdle according to the word of Yahweh, —and put upon my loins.

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

Then came the word of Yahweh unto me 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 girdle which thou hast bought which is upon thy loins, —and arise go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the cliff.

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

So I went, and hid it, by the Euphrates, as Yahweh had 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”;

And it came to pass, at the end of many days, —that Yahweh said unto me, —Arise go to the Euphrates, and take from thence the girdle, which I commanded thee 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.

So I went to the Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle out of the place where I had hidden it, —and lo! the girdle was spoiled, it was good for nothing,

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

Then came the word of Yahweh unto me saying:

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

Thus, saith Yahweh, —After this manner, will I spoil 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 wicked people who are refusing to hear my words, who are walking in the stubbornness of their heart, and have gone after other gods, to serve them and to bow down to them, yea let them be like this girdle, which is good 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 a girdle cleaveth unto the loins of a man, so caused I to cleave unto me—the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah Declareth Yahweh, to become mine—For a people, and For a name, and For a praise and For an adorning, —but they hearkened not.

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 shalt thou say unto them this word—Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, Every jar, is to be filled with wine; and they will say unto thee, Do we not, know well, that every jar, is to 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 shalt thou say unto them—Thus, saith Yahweh—Behold me! filling all the inhabitants of this land Even the kings that are sitting for David upon his 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.”

and I will dash them every man against his brother even the fathers and the sons together, Declareth Yahweh, —I will not pity, Neither will I spare, Neither will I have compassion, that I should not destroy them.

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

Hear ye and give ear, be not haughty, —For Yahweh, hath 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 ye to Yahweh your God—glory, Before he cause darkness, and Before your feet stumble upon the twilight mountains; Lest, when ye wait for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, And change it for thick 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 ye will not hear it, In secret places, shall my soul weep Because of the pride, And mine eye, shall flow over, and run down with tears, Because captive hath been taken the flock of Yahweh.

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 thou to the king and to the queen-mother, Abase yourselves—Sit down, —For descended have your Head-tires, your Crown of adornment.

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 of the South, are shut And there is none to open, —Judah hath been carried away captive, She hath altogether been carried away captive in full number.

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 Them who are coming in from the North, —Where is The flock that was given thee, Thy 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 wilt thou say when he shall bring punishment upon thee, Since, thou thyself, hast accustomed them to be over thee as friends in chief? Shall not, pangs, seize thee, as of a woman in childbirth?

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.

But if thou say in thy heart, Wherefore have these things befallen me? For the greatness of thine iniquity have Thy skirts been turned aside Thy heels suffered 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? Even, ye, may be able to do right, Who are accustomed to do wrong.

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

Therefore have I scattered them, As broken straw passing away, by the wind of the desert.

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 thy lot Thy measured portion from me, Declareth Yahweh; For that thou didst forget me, And confide in falsehood:

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

Therefore, even I myself, have drawn away thy skirts, over thy face, And thy shame hath been seen,

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?”

Thine adulteries and thy neighings, thine unchaste wickedness, Upon the hills in the field, I have seen thine abominations! Woe to thee, O Jerusalem, Wilt thou not become pure? After how long yet?