Jeremiah 13

1 Thus said Jehovah unto me, 'Go, and thou hast got for thee a girdle of linen, and hast placed it on thy loins, and into water thou dost not cause it to enter:'

Thus saith Jehovah to me: Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it on thy loins, and put it not into water!

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

So I got a girdle according to the word of Jehovah, and put it on my loins.

3 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying,

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

4 'Take the girdle that thou hast got, that [is] on thy loins, and rise, go to Phrat, and hide it there in a hole of the rock;

Take the girdle which thou hast gotten, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

5 and I go and hide it by Phrat, as Jehovah commanded me.

So I went and hid it near the Euphrates, as Jehovah commanded me.

6 And it cometh to pass, at the end of many days, that Jehovah saith unto me, 'Rise, go to Phrat, and take thence the girdle, that I commanded thee to hide there;'

And after many days Jehovah said to me. Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take thence the girdle which I commanded thee to hide there.

7 and I go to Phrat, and dig, and take the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and lo, the girdle hath been marred, it is not profitable for anything.

Then I went to the Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hidden it; and, behold, the girdle was marred, so that it was good for nothing.

8 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 'Thus said Jehovah:

Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying: —

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

Thus saith Jehovah: After this manner will I 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, Yea it is — as this girdle, that is not profitable for anything.

This evil people, Who refuse to hearken to my words, Who walk after the obstinacy of their heart, And walk after strange gods, To serve them and to worship them, Shall be like this girdle, Which is good for nothing.

11 For, as the girdle cleaveth unto the loins of a man, So I caused to cleave unto Me The whole house of Israel, And the whole house of Judah, an affirmation of Jehovah, To be to Me for a people, and for a name, And for praise, and for beauty, And they have not hearkened.

For as a girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, So have I caused to cleave to me the whole house of Israel, And the whole house of Judah, saith Jehovah, That they might be to me a people, And a name, and a praise, and a glory; But they hearkened not to me.

12 And thou hast said unto them this word, Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, 'Every bottle is full of wine,' And they have said unto thee: 'Do we not certainly know that every bottle is full of wine?'

Then shalt thou speak to them in this manner. Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Every flagon shall be filled with wine. And they will say to thee, “Do we not know that every flagon shall be filled with wine?”

13 And thou hast said unto them, 'Thus said Jehovah: Lo, 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 to them, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, And the kings that sit upon David's throne, And the priests, and the prophets, And all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

14 And have dashed them one against another, And the fathers and the sons together, An affirmation of Jehovah, I do not pity, nor spare, nor have I mercy, So as not to destroy them.

And I will dash them one against another, Even fathers and children together, saith Jehovah; I will not pity, nor spare, Nor show mercy, so as not to destroy them.

15 Hear, and give ear — be not haughty, For Jehovah hath spoken.

Hear ye, and attend! be not lifted up! For Jehovah speaketh.

16 Give ye to Jehovah your God honour, Before He doth cause darkness, And before your feet stumble on dark mountains, And ye have waited for light, And He hath made it for death-shade, And hath appointed [it] for thick darkness.

Give glory to Jehovah, your God, Before he bring darkness, And your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, And, while ye look for light, He turn it into deathlike shade, And make it gross darkness.

17 And if ye do not hear it, In secret places doth my soul weep, because of pride, Yea, it weepeth sore, And the tear cometh down mine eyes, For the flock of Jehovah hath been taken captive.

But if ye will not hear, I will mourn in secret places for your pride, I will weep continually, And my eyes shall run down with tears, Because the flock of Jehovah is carried away captive.

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

Say to the king and to the queen, Sit ye down upon the ground, For your beautiful crown shall fall from your heads.

19 The cities of the south have been shut up, And there is none opening, Judah hath been removed — all of her, She hath been removed completely —

The cities of the South are shut up, and none openeth them; Judah is carried away captive, all of it, Every man of it is carried away captive.

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

Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the North! Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

21 What dost thou say, when He looketh after thee? And thou — thou hast taught them [to be] over thee — leaders for head? Do not pangs seize thee as a travailing woman?

What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? For thou thyself hast taught them to be lords over thee. Shall not sorrows seize thee, as a woman in travail?

22 And when thou dost say in thy heart, 'Wherefore have these met me?' For the abundance of thine iniquity Have thy skirts been uncovered, Have thy heels suffered violence.

And if thou say in thine heart, “Wherefore are these things coming upon me?” For the greatness of thy iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, And thy heels made bare.

23 Doth a Cushite change his skin? and a leopard his spots? Ye also are able to do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, Or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, Who have been accustomed to do evil.

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

Therefore will I scatter you like stubble, Which passeth away before the wind of the desert.

25 This [is] thy lot, the portion of thy measures from Me — an affirmation of Jehovah, Because thou hast forgotten me, And dost trust in falsehood.

This is thy lot, The portion measured out for thee by me, saith Jehovah, Because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

26 I also have made bare thy skirts before thy face, And thy shame hath been seen.

Therefore will I lift up thy skirts over thy head, So that thy shame shall be seen.

27 Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, The wickedness of thy whoredom, on heights in a field, I have seen thine abominations. Woe to thee, O Jerusalem, Thou art not cleansed, after when [is it] again?

Thine adulteries, thy neighings, The lewdness of thy whoredom on the hills, in the fields, All thy abominations, have I seen. Woe to thee, O Jerusalem! How long ere thou wilt become pure!