Jeremiah 13

1 This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.”

2 So I bought a loincloth in accordance with the word of the LORD, and I put it around my waist.

3 Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time:

4 “Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go at once to Perath and hide it there in a crevice of the rocks.”

5 So I went and hid it at Perath, as the LORD had commanded me.

6 Many days later the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to Perath, and get the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.”

7 So I went to Perath and dug up the loincloth, and I took it from the place where I had hidden it. But now it was ruined—of no use at all.

8 Then the word of the LORD came to me:

9 “This is what the LORD says: In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

10 These evil people, who refuse to listen to My words, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, and who go after other gods to serve and worship them, they will be like this loincloth—of no use at all.

11 For just as a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I have made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to Me, declares the LORD, so that they might be My people for My renown and praise and glory. But they did not listen.

12 Therefore you are to tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Every wineskin shall be filled with wine.’ And when they reply, ‘Don’t we surely know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?’

13 then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.

14 I will smash them against one another, fathers and sons alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no mercy or pity or compassion to keep Me from destroying them.’”

15 Listen and give heed. Do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken.

16 Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness.

17 But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.

18 Say to the king and to the queen mother: “Take a lowly seat, for your glorious crowns have fallen from your heads.”

19 The cities of the Negev have been shut tight, and no one can open them. All Judah has been carried into exile, wholly taken captive.

20 Lift up your eyes and see those coming from the north. Where is the flock entrusted to you, the sheep that were your pride?

21 What will you say when He sets over you close allies whom you yourself trained? Will not pangs of anguish grip you, as they do a woman in labor?

22 And if you ask yourself, “Why has this happened to me?” It is because of the magnitude of your iniquity that your skirts have been stripped off and your body has been exposed.

23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither are you able to do good—you who are accustomed to doing evil.

24 “I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind.

25 This is your lot, the portion I have measured to you,” declares the LORD, “because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood.

26 So I will pull your skirts up over your face, that your shame may be seen.

27 Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution on the hills and in the fields—I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”

1 ¶ Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.

2 So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put [it] on my loins.

3 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying,

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

5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.

6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.

7 Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

8 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

9 Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.

11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

12 ¶ Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.

16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, [and] make [it] gross darkness.

17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for [your] pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.

18 Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, [even] the crown of your glory.

19 The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open [them]: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.

20 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 wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them [to be] captains, [and] as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?

22 ¶ And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, [and] thy heels made bare.

23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.

25 This [is] thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

26 Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.

27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, [and] thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when [shall it] once [be]?

1 Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and buy thee a linen girdle, and with it ferment thy loins, and wet it not.

2 And I bought a girdle according to the commandment of the LORD, and girded it about my loins.

3 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying:

4 Take the girdle which thou hast bought, and girded it about thy loins, and arise, and go to the Phrath, and hide it there in a grove of stones.

5 And I went and hid him at Phrath, as the LORD commanded me.

6 And after a long time the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to the Phrath, and fetch again the girdle, which I commanded thee to hide there.

7 And I went to the Phrath, and digged up, and took the girdle out of the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was corrupt, that it was no more good.

8 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

9 Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I destroy the great hope of Judah and Jerusalem.

10 The wicked people, which will not hearken unto my words, but go according to the deceit of their heart, and follow other gods, to serve them, and to worship them: they shall be as the girdle that is no more good.

11 For as a man girdeth a girdle about his loins, so have I, saith the LORD, girded about me all the house of Israel, and all the house of Judah, that they should be my people, for a name, for praise, and for honour: but they will not hear.

12 Now therefore say unto them this word, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let all the vessels be filled with wine. And they shall say unto thee, Who knoweth not that all the vessels shall be filled with wine?

13 Say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will fill all that dwell in this land, the kings that sit on the throne of David, the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to make them drunken.

14 And I will scatter one with another, the fathers with the children, saith the LORD; and I will not spare, nor overlook, nor have mercy upon their ruin.

15 Hearken therefore, and take heed, and resist not: for the LORD hath spoken it.

16 Give glory unto the LORD your God, before it be dark, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, that ye may wait for the light, when he shall make it dark and gloomy.

17 But if ye will not hear these things, yet my soul weepeth in secret for such hope: mine eyes are filled with tears, because the flock of the LORD is taken.

18 Say unto the king and to the queen, Sit down; for the crown of glory is fallen from off your heads.

19 The cities of the south are shut up, and there is none to open them: all Judah is carried away clean.

20 Lift up your eyes, and see how they come from the north. Where then is the flock that was commanded thee, thy glorious flock?

21 What wilt thou say, when he shall thus afflict thee? For thou hast made them accustomed unto thee, that they should be princes and chiefs. What is the matter? fear shall come upon thee like a woman in childbearing.

22 And if thou wilt say in thine heart: Why do these things befall me? Because of the multitude of thine iniquity thy hems are uncovered, and thy thighs are bared.

23 Can a Moor also change his skin, or a leopard his spots? So can ye also do good, because ye are accustomed to evil.

24 Therefore will I scatter them as stubble that is blown before the wind out of the wilderness.

25 This shall be thy reward, and thy portion which I have measured out unto thee, saith the LORD. Because thou hast forgotten me, and hast relied upon lies,

26 Then will I also set thy hems on high against thee, that thy shame may be seen.

27 For I have seen thy adulteries, and thy lewdness, and thy fornications, even thine abominations, both in the hills, and in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! When wilt thou be purified more and more?