Jeremiah 13
1 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.
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.
2 So I bought a girdle according to the word of Yahweh, —and put upon my loins.
So I procured the girdle according to the word of the Lord, and put it about my loins.
3 Then came the word of Yahweh unto me second time saying:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
4 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.
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.
5 So I went, and hid it, by the Euphrates, as Yahweh had commanded me.
So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.
6 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.
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.
7 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,
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.
8 Then came the word of Yahweh unto me saying:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thus says the Lord,
9 Thus, saith Yahweh, —After this manner, will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.
Thus will I mar the pride of Juda, and the pride of Jerusalem;
10 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.
[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.
11 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.
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.
12 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?
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,
13 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;
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.
14 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.
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.
15 Hear ye and give ear, be not haughty, —For Yahweh, hath spoken.
Hear you, and give ear, and be not proud: for the Lord has spoken.
16 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.
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.
17 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.
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.
18 Say thou to the king and to the queen-mother, Abase yourselves—Sit down, —For descended have your Head-tires, your Crown of adornment.
Say you to the king and the princes, Humble yourselves, and sit down; for your crown of glory is removed from your head.
19 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.
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.
20 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?
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?
21 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?
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?
22 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!
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.
23 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.
If the Ethiopian shall change his skin, or the leopardess her spots, then shall you be able to do good, having learned evil.
24 Therefore have I scattered them, As broken straw passing away, by the wind of the desert.
So I scattered them as sticks carried by the wind into the wilderness.
25 This is thy lot Thy measured portion from me, Declareth Yahweh; For that thou didst forget me, And confide in falsehood:
Thus is your lot, and the reward of your disobedience to me, says the Lord; as you did forget me, and trust in lies,
26 Therefore, even I myself, have drawn away thy skirts, over thy face, And thy shame hath been seen,
I also will expose your skirts upon your face, and your shame shall be seen;
27 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?
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]?
