Jeremiah 13

1 Thus sayth the Lord vnto mee, Goe, and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it vpon thy loynes, and put it not in water.

Thus says the Lord to me: “Go, and obtain for yourself a linen waistcloth. And you shall place it over your loins, and you shall not put it into water.”

2 So I bought the girdle according to the commandement of the Lord, and put it vpon my loynes.

And so I obtained a waistcloth, according to the word of the Lord, and I placed it around my loins.

3 And the worde of the Lord came vnto me the second time, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying:

4 Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is vpon thy loynes, and arise, goe towarde Perath, and hide it there in the cleft of the rocke.

“Take the waistcloth, which you obtained, which is around your loins, and, rising up, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in an opening of the rock.”

5 So I went, and hid it by Perath, as the Lord had commanded me.

And so I went, and I hid it by the Euphrates, just as the Lord had instructed me.

6 And after many dayes, the Lord sayde vnto mee, Arise, goe towarde Perath, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.

And it happened that, after many days, the Lord said to me: “Rise up, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the waistcloth, which I instructed you to hide there.”

7 Then went I to Perath, and digged, and tooke the girdle from the place where I had hid it, and behold, the girdle was corrupt, and was profitable for nothing.

And so I went to the Euphrates, and I dug up and took the waistcloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the waistcloth had rotted, so that it was not fit for any use.

8 Then the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

9 Thus sayth the Lord, After this maner will I destroy the pride of Iudah, and the great pride of Ierusalem.

“Thus says the Lord: In the same way, I will cause the arrogance of Judah and the arrogance of Jerusalem to rot.

10 This wicked people haue refused to heare my word, and walke after ye stubbernesse of their owne heart, and walke after other gods to serue them, and to worship them: therefore they shalbe as this girdle, which is profitable to nothing.

This most wicked people, they are not willing to listen to my words, for they walk in the depravity of their own heart, and they have gone after strange gods, so as to serve them and to adore them. And so, they will become like this waistcloth, which is not fit for any use.

11 For as the girdle cleaueth to the loynes of a man, so haue I tied to me the whole house of Israel, and the whole house of Iudah, saith the Lord, that they might bee my people: that they might haue a name and prayse, and glory, but they would not heare.

For just as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me the entire house of Israel and the entire house of Judah, says the Lord, so that they would be to me: a people, and a name, and a praise, and a glory. But they did not listen.

12 Therefore thou shalt saye vnto them this word, Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel, Euery bottell shalbe filled with wine, and they shall say vnto thee, Doe we not knowe that euery bottell shalbe filled with wine?

Therefore, you shall speak to them this word: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Every bottle will be filled with wine.’ And they will say to you: ‘Are we ignorant that every bottle will be filled with wine?’

13 Then shalt thou say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, euen the Kings that sit vpon the throne of Dauid, and the Priestes and the Prophets and all the inhabitantes of Ierusalem with drunkennesse.

And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings from the stock of David who sit upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, unto inebriation.

14 And I wil dash them one against another, euen the fathers and the sonnes together, sayeth the Lord: I will not spare, I will not pitie nor haue compassion, but destroy them.

And I will scatter them, a man from his brother, and fathers and sons similarly, says the Lord. I will not spare them, and I will not pardon them, and I will not take pity, so as not to destroy them.”

15 Heare and giue eare, be not proude: for the Lord hath spoken it.

Hear and pay close attention. Do not choose to lift yourself up, for the Lord has spoken.

16 Giue glory to the Lord your God before he bring darknes, and or euer your feete stumble in the darke mountaines, and whiles you look for light, he turne it into the shadowe of death and make it as darkenesse.

Give glory to the Lord your God, before darkness falls, and before your feet stumble on the darkened mountains. You will expect light, but he will turn it into the shadow of death and into utter darkness.

17 But if ye will not heare this, my soule shall weepe in secrete for your pride, and mine eye shall weepe and drop downe teares, because the Lords flocke is caried away captiue.

But if you will not listen to this, then my soul will weep in secret before the face of your pride. It will weep bitterly, and my eyes will flow with tears, because the flock of the Lord has been taken captive.

18 Say vnto the King and to the Queene, Humble yourselues, sit downe, for the crowne of your glory shall come downe from your heads.

“Say to the king and to the female ruler: Humble yourselves, sit down. For the crown of your glory has gone down from your head.

19 The cities of the South shall be shut vp, and no man shall open them: all Iudah shall be caried away captiue: it shall be wholy caried away captiue.

The cities of the south have been closed, and there is no one who may open them. All of Judah has been taken away into complete captivity.

20 Lift vp your eyes and beholde them that come from the North: where is the flocke that was giuen thee, euen thy beautifull flocke?

Lift up your eyes and see, you who are arriving from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you, your famous cattle?

21 What wilt thou saye, when hee shall visite thee? (for thou hast taught them to be captaines and as chiefe ouer thee) shall not sorow take thee as a woman in trauaile?

What will you say when he visits upon you? For you have taught them against you, and you have instructed them with your own head. Will not pains take hold of you, as with a woman in labor?

22 And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things vpon me? For the multitude of thine iniquities are thy skirts discouered and thy heeles made bare.

But if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ it is because of the greatness of your iniquity that your shame has been uncovered and the soles of your feet have been defiled.

23 Can the blacke More change his skin? or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do euill.

If the Ethiopian is able to change his skin, or the leopard is able to change his spots, then you also may be able to do well, though you have learned evil.

24 Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that is taken away with the South winde.

And I will scatter them like chaff, which is carried away by the wind in the desert.

25 This is thy portion, and ye part of thy measures from me, sayth the Lord, because thou hast forgotten me and trusted in lyes.

This is your lot, and this is the portion of your measure from me, says the Lord, because you have forgotten me, and you have had confidence in what is false.

26 Therefore I haue also discouered thy skirts vpon thy face, that thy shame may appeare.

Therefore, I have even bared your thighs before your face, and your shame has been seen.

27 I haue seene thine adulteries, and thy neiings, the filthinesse of thy whoredome on the hils in the fieldes, and thine abominations. Wo vnto thee, O Ierusalem: wilt thou not bee made cleane? when shall it once be?

For I have seen your adulteries, and your neighing for the wickedness of your fornication, and your abominations upon the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! How much longer before you will be made clean after me?”