Jeremiah 13
1 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."
Thus says the Lord to me: “Go, and obtain for yourself a linen waistcloth. And you shall place it over your loins, and you shall not put it into water.”
2 So I bought a belt according to the word of Jehovah, and put it on my waist.
And so I obtained a waistcloth, according to the word of the Lord, and I placed it around my loins.
3 The word of Jehovah came to me the second time, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying:
4 "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."
“Take the waistcloth, which you obtained, which is around your loins, and, rising up, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in an opening of the rock.”
5 So I went, and hid it by the Perath, as Jehovah commanded me.
And so I went, and I hid it by the Euphrates, just as the Lord had instructed me.
6 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."
And it happened that, after many days, the Lord said to me: “Rise up, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the waistcloth, which I instructed you to hide there.”
7 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.
And so I went to the Euphrates, and I dug up and took the waistcloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the waistcloth had rotted, so that it was not fit for any use.
8 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
9 "Thus says Jehovah, 'In this way I will mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
“Thus says the Lord: In the same way, I will cause the arrogance of Judah and the arrogance of Jerusalem to rot.
10 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.
This most wicked people, they are not willing to listen to my words, for they walk in the depravity of their own heart, and they have gone after strange gods, so as to serve them and to adore them. And so, they will become like this waistcloth, which is not fit for any use.
11 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.
For just as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me the entire house of Israel and the entire house of Judah, says the Lord, so that they would be to me: a people, and a name, and a praise, and a glory. But they did not listen.
12 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?'
Therefore, you shall speak to them this word: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Every bottle will be filled with wine.’ And they will say to you: ‘Are we ignorant that every bottle will be filled with wine?’
13 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.
And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings from the stock of David who sit upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, unto inebriation.
14 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."'"
And I will scatter them, a man from his brother, and fathers and sons similarly, says the Lord. I will not spare them, and I will not pardon them, and I will not take pity, so as not to destroy them.”
15 "Hear, and give ear; do not be proud; for Jehovah has spoken.
Hear and pay close attention. Do not choose to lift yourself up, for the Lord has spoken.
16 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.
Give glory to the Lord your God, before darkness falls, and before your feet stumble on the darkened mountains. You will expect light, but he will turn it into the shadow of death and into utter darkness.
17 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."
But if you will not listen to this, then my soul will weep in secret before the face of your pride. It will weep bitterly, and my eyes will flow with tears, because the flock of the Lord has been taken captive.
18 "Say to the king and to the queen mother, 'Take a lowly seat, for your glorious crowns have come down from your heads.
“Say to the king and to the female ruler: Humble yourselves, sit down. For the crown of your glory has gone down from your head.
19 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.'"
The cities of the south have been closed, and there is no one who may open them. All of Judah has been taken away into complete captivity.
20 "Lift up your eyes, and see those who come from the north: where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?
Lift up your eyes and see, you who are arriving from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you, your famous cattle?
21 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?
What will you say when he visits upon you? For you have taught them against you, and you have instructed them with your own head. Will not pains take hold of you, as with a woman in labor?
22 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.
But if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ it is because of the greatness of your iniquity that your shame has been uncovered and the soles of your feet have been defiled.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil.
If the Ethiopian is able to change his skin, or the leopard is able to change his spots, then you also may be able to do well, though you have learned evil.
24 'therefore I will scatter them, as the stubble that passes away, by the wind of the wilderness.
And I will scatter them like chaff, which is carried away by the wind in the desert.
25 This is your lot, the portion measured to you from me,' says Jehovah; 'because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.
This is your lot, and this is the portion of your measure from me, says the Lord, because you have forgotten me, and you have had confidence in what is false.
26 therefore I will also uncover your skirts on your face, and your shame shall appear.
Therefore, I have even bared your thighs before your face, and your shame has been seen.
27 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?'"
For I have seen your adulteries, and your neighing for the wickedness of your fornication, and your abominations upon the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! How much longer before you will be made clean after me?”
