Jer 13

1 Thus says YHWH to me, Go, and buy you a linen girdle, and put it upon your loins, and put it not in water. 2 So I bought a girdle according to the word of YHWH, and put it upon my loins. 3 And the word of YHWH came to me the second time, saying, 4 Take the girdle that you have bought, which is upon your loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock. 5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as YHWH commanded me. 6 And it came to pass after many days, that YHWH said to me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the girdle from there, which I commanded you to hide there. 7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, 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 YHWH came to me, saying, 9 Thus says YHWH, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This 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. 11 For as the girdle cleaves 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, says YHWH; that they may be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear. 12 Therefore you shall speak to them this word: Thus says YHWH, the God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say to you, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? 13 Then shall you say to them, Thus says YHWH, 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, says YHWH: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them. 15 Hear you, and give ear; be not proud; for YHWH has spoken. 16 Give glory to YHWH your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. 17 But if you 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 YHWH`s flock is taken captive. 18 Say you to the king and to the queen-mother, Humble yourselves, sit down; for your headtires are come down, even the crown of your glory. 19 The 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. 20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock? 21 What will you say, when he shall set over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you? shall not sorrows take hold of you, as of a woman in travail? 22 And if you say in your heart, Wherefore are these things come upon me? for the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts uncovered, and your heels suffer violence. 23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. 24 Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that passes away, by the wind of the wilderness. 25 This is your lot, the portion measured to you from me, says YHWH; because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood. 26 Therefore will I also uncover your skirts upon your face, and your shame shall appear. 27 I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries, and your neighings, the lewdness of your whoredom, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! you will not be made clean; how long shall it yet be?