The Book of Jeremiah
13: 1Thus saith Jehovah unto me, Go, and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it upon
thy loins, and put it not in water. 13:2So I bought a girdle according to the word of
Jehovah, and put it upon my loins. 13:3And the word of Jehovah came unto me the
second time, saying, 13:4Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is upon thy
loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock. 13:5So I
went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as Jehovah commanded me. 13:6And it came to
pass after many days, that Jehovah said unto me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and
take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. 13:7Then I went
to the 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. 13:8Then the
word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 13:9Thus saith Jehovah, After this manner
will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 13:10This evil people,
that refuse to hear my words, that 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
girdle, which is profitable for nothing. 13:11For 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 Jehovah; that they may be unto me for a people, and
for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear. 13:12Therefore
thou shalt speak unto them this word: Thus saith Jehovah, the 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? 13:13Then shalt thou say
unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, 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. 13:14And I will dash them one
against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith Jehovah: I will not
pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them. 13:15Hear ye,
and give ear; be not proud; for Jehovah hath spoken. 13:16Give glory to Jehovah
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. 13:17But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret
for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because
Jehovah's flock is taken captive. 13:18Say thou unto the king and to the
queen-mother, Humble yourselves, sit down; for your headtires are come down,
even the crown of your glory. 13:19The cities of the South are shut up, and there is
none to open them: Judah is carried away captive, all of it; it is wholly carried
away captive. 13:20Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north:
where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock? 13:21What wilt thou say,
when he shall set over thee as head those whom thou hast thyself taught to be
friends to thee? shall not sorrows take hold of thee, as of a woman in travail?
13:22And if thou say in thy heart, Wherefore are these things come upon me? for the
greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels suffer violence.
13:23Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also
do good, that are accustomed to do evil. 13:24Therefore will I scatter them, as the
stubble that passeth away, by the wind of the wilderness. 13:25This is thy lot, the
portion measured unto thee from me, saith Jehovah; because thou hast forgotten
me, and trusted in falsehood. 13:26Therefore will I also uncover thy skirts upon thy
face, and thy shame shall appear. 13:27I have seen thine abominations, even thine
adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, on the hills in the
field. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! thou wilt not be made clean; how long shall it
yet be?