Jeremiæ 13

1 Haec dicit Dominus ad me: Vade, et posside tibi lumbare lineum, et pones illud super lumbos tuos, et in aquam non inferes illud.

This is what the Lord told me to do: Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it on, but don't wash it.

2 Et possedi lumbare iuxta verbum Domini, et posui circa lumbos meos.

So I went and bought a loincloth as the Lord had instructed me, and I put it on.

3 Et factus est sermo Domini ad me, secundo, dicens:

Then the Lord gave me another message:

4 Tolle lumbare, quod possedisti, quod est circa lumbos tuos, et surgens vade ad Euphraten, et absconde ibi illud in foramine petrae.

Take the loincloth that you bought and put on, and go immediately to the River Perath and hide it there in a hole among the rocks.

5 Et abii, et abscondi illud in Euphrate, sicut praeceperat mihi Dominus.

So I went and hid it at the River Perath, as the Lord had told me.

6 Et factum est post dies plurimos, dixit Dominus ad me: Surge, vade ad Euphraten: et tolle inde lumbare, quod praecepi tibi ut absconderes illud ibi.

A long time later the Lord told me, Go to Perath, and get the loincloth that I ordered you to hide there.

7 Et abii ad Euphraten, et fodi, et tuli lumbare de loco, ubi absconderam illud: et ecce computruerat lumbare, ita ut nulli usui aptum esset.

I went to Perath and dug up the loincloth, and removed it from where I'd hidden it. Obviously it was ruined—completely useless.

8 Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens:

Then a message from the Lord came to me:

9 Haec dicit Dominus: Sic putrescere faciam superbiam Iuda, et superbiam Ierusalem multam.

This is what the Lord says: I will ruin the arrogance of Judah and the great arrogance of Jerusalem in exactly the same way.

10 Populum istum pessimum, qui nolunt audire verba mea, et ambulant in pravitate cordis sui: abieruntque post deos alienos ut servirent eis, et adorarent eos: et erunt sicut lumbare istud, quod nulli usui aptum est.

These evil people refuse to listen to what I tell them. They follow their own stubborn and evil thinking and run off to worship other gods—they will be like this loincloth, completely useless.

11 Sicut enim adhaeret lumbare ad lumbos viri, sic agglutinavi mihi omnem domum Israel, et omnem domum Iuda, dicit Dominus: ut essent mihi in populum, et in nomen, et in laudem, et in gloriam: et non audierunt.

In the same way that a loincloth holds tightly to the body, so I made all the people of Israel and Judah hold tightly to me, declares the Lord. Then they could have been my people, representing me, giving me honor and praise. But they refused to listen.

12 Dices ergo ad eos sermonem istum: Haec dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Omnis laguncula implebitur vino. Et dicent ad te: Numquid ignoramus quia omnis laguncula implebitur vino?

So tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every wine jar shall be filled with wine. When they reply, “Don't we know that already? Of course every wine jar should be filled with wine!”

13 Et dices ad eos: Haec dicit Dominus: Ecce ego implebo omnes habitatores terrae huius, et reges qui sedent de stirpe David super thronum eius, et sacerdotes, et prophetas, et omnes habitatores Ierusalem, ebrietate:

then tell them that this is what the Lord says: I'm going to make everyone who lives in this land drunk—the kings sitting on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.

14 et dispergam eos virum a fratre suo, et patres et filios pariter, ait Dominus: non parcam, et non concedam: neque miserebor ut non disperdam eos.

I'm going to smash them against each other like wine jars, both parents and children, declares the Lord. I won't let any mercy or pity or compassion stop me from destroying them.

15 Audite, et auribus percipite. Nolite elevari, quia Dominus locutus est.

Listen and pay attention. Don't be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.

16 Date Domino Deo vestro gloriam antequam contenebrescat, et antequam offendant pedes vestri ad montes caliginosos: expectabitis lucem, et ponet eam in umbram mortis, et in caliginem.

Honor the Lord your God before he brings the darkness, before you trip and fall in the twilight on the mountains. You long for light to come, but he send only gloom and complete darkness.

17 Quod si hoc non audieritis, in abscondito plorabit anima mea a facie superbiae: plorans plorabit, et deducet oculus meus lacrymam, quia captus est grex Domini.

But if you refuse to listen, I will weep secretly inside because of your pride. My tears pouring down because the Lord's flock has been captured.

18 Dic regi, et dominatrici: Humiliamini, sedete: quoniam descendit de capite vestro corona gloriae vestrae.

Tell the king and the queen mother: Get down from your thrones, because your splendid crowns have fallen from your heads.

19 Civitates Austri clausae sunt, et non est qui aperiat: translata est omnis Iuda transmigratione perfecta.

The towns in the Negev are surrounded; no one can get through to them. The whole of Judah has been taken away into exile, everyone has been exiled.

20 Levate oculos vestros, et videte qui venitis ab Aquilone: ubi est grex, qui datus est tibi, pecus inclytum tuum?

Look up and you'll see the invaders coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you to look after? Where are the sheep you were so proud of?

21 Quid dices cum visitaverit te? tu enim docuisti eos adversum te, et erudisti in caput tuum: numquid non dolores apprehendent te, quasi mulierem parturientem?

What are you going to say when he puts your enemies in charge of you, people you once counted as your friends? Won't you suffer pains like a woman in labor?

22 Quod si dixeris in corde tuo: Quare venerunt mihi haec? Propter multitudinem iniquitatis tuae revelata sunt verecundiora tua, pollutae sunt plantae tuae.

If you say to yourself, Why has this happened to me? it's because you have been so wicked. That's why your skirts were stripped off and you were raped.

23 Si mutare potest aethiops pellem suam, aut pardus varietates suas: et vos poteritis benefacere, cum didiceritis malum.

Can Ethiopians change the color of their skin? Can a leopard change its spots? In the same way you can't change and do good because you're so used to doing evil.

24 Et disseminabo eos quasi stipulam, quae vento raptatur in deserto.

I'm going to scatter you like chaff blown away by the desert wind.

25 Haec sors tua, parsque mensurae tuae a me, dicit Dominus, quia oblita es mei, et confisa es in mendacio.

This is what's going to happen to you; this is what I have decided to do to you, declares the Lord, because you have forgotten me and believed in lies.

26 unde et ego nudavi femora tua contra faciem tuam, et apparuit ignominia tua,

I will pull your skirts up over your face, so you will be seen naked and ashamed.

27 adulteria tua, et hinnitus tuus scelus fornicationis tuae: super colles in agro vidi abominationes tuas. Vae tibi Ierusalem, non mundaberis post me: usquequo adhuc?

I watched your acts of adultery and lust, how you prostituted yourselves shamelessly, worshiping idols on the hills and in the fields. Yes, I saw the disgusting things you did. Disaster is coming to you, Jerusalem! How long are you going to remain unclean?