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 saith the Lord to me: Go, and get thee a linen girdle, and thou shalt put it about thy loins, and shalt not put it into water.

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

And I got a girdle accoding to the word of the Lord, and put it about my loins.

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

And the word of the Lord came to me the 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 girdle which thou hast got, which is about thy loins, and arise, and go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

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

And I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord had commanded 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 came to pass after many days, that the Lord said to me: Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from thence the girdle, which I commanded thee 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 I went to the Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle out of the place where I had hid it: and behold the girdle was rotten, so that it was fit for no 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 saith the Lord: after this manner will I make the pride of Juda, and the great pride 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 wicked people, that will not hear my words, and that walk in the perverseness of their heart, and have gone after strange gods to serve them, and to adore them: and they shall be as this girdle which is fit for no 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 as the girdle sticketh close to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me all of the house of Israel, and all the house of Juda, saith the Lord: that they might be my people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

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?'

Thou shalt speak therefore to them this word: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Every bottle shall be filled with wine, and they shall say to thee: Do we not know that every bottle shall 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 thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings of the race of David that sit upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. with drunkenness.

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 every man from his brother, and fathers and sons in like manner, saith the Lord: I will not spare, and I will not pardon: nor will I have mercy, but to destroy them.

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

Hear ye, and give ear: Be not proud, for the Lord hath 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 ye glory to the Lord your God, before it be dark, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains: you shall look for light, and he will turn it into the shadow of death, and into 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 hear this, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride: weeping it shall weep, and my eyes shall run down the tears, because the flock of the Lord is carried away 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 queen: Humble yourselves, sit down: for the crown of your glory is come 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 are shut up, and there is none to open them: all Juda is carried away captive with an entire 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 that come from the north: where is the flock that is given thee, thy beautiful 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 wilt thou say when he shall visit thee? for thou hast taught them against thee, and instructed them against thy own head: shall not sorrows lay hold on thee, as a woman in labour?

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.

And if thou shalt say in thy heart: Why are these things come upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity, thy nakedness is discovered, the soles of thy feet are 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 can change his skin, or the leopard his spots: you may also do well, when 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 as stubble, 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 thy lot, and the portion of thy measure from me, saith the Lord, because thou hast forgotten me, and hast trusted in falsehood.

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

Wherefore I have also bared my thighs against thy face, and thy shame hath appeared.

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?'"

I have seen thy adulteries, and thy neighing, the wickedness of thy fornication: and thy abominations, upon the hills in the field. Woe to thee, Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean after me: how long yet?