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 said the Lord unto me, Go and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it around thy loins, and lay it not in water.

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

So I bought the girdle, according to the word of the Lord, and put 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 unto me the 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 girdle that thou hast bought, which is around thy 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 Perath, as the Lord had commanded me.

So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord has commanded 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 came to pass at the end of many days, that the Lord said unto me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the girdle, which I commanded thee 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 I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the girdle from the place where I had hidden it: and, behold, the girdle was spoiled, it was useful for nothing.

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

Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,

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

Thus hath said the Lord, After this manner will I destroy the pride of Judah, and the pride of Jerusalem, which is great.

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.

And this bad people, who refuse to hearken to my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and have followed other gods, to serve them, and to bow down to them, shall even be as this girdle which is useful for nothing.

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 as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so had I caused to cleave unto me all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah, saith the Lord, —to become unto me a people, and [to be] for a name, and for praise, and for honor; but they would not hear.

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 shalt thou say unto them this word, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and when they will say unto thee, Do we not know full well that every bottle shall 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.

Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit after David upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

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 dash them one against the other, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the Lord: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, so as not to destroy them.

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

Hear ye, and bend your ear: be not proud; for the Lord hath 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 unto the Lord your God glory, before he cause darkness, and before your feet strike upon the mountains of twilight, and [where], while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and change it into gross 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 ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places because of [your] pride; and my eye shall weep sorely, and run down with tears, because the flock of the Lord is driven away 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 unto the king and to the queen-mother, Sit down very lowly; for sunk down are your head-attires, the crown of your ornament.

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 are shut up, and there is no one to open them: Judah is carried away into exile altogether, it is carried into exile completely.

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 those that are coming from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy splendid flock?

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 wilt thou say when he will punish thee? since thou hast accustomed them to be over thee captains, and chiefs? shall not pangs seize upon thee, as on a woman in travail?

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.

And if thou wilt say in thy heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity are thy skirts laid open, thy heels are made bare violently.

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.

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 is taken away with the South winde.

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

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 thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the Lord; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

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

Therefore do I also strip up thy skirts over thy face, that thy shame may be 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?

Thy adulteries and thy loud shoutings, the lewdness of thy incest, thy abominations on the hills in the fields have I seen. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! thou wilt not be made clean after ever so long a time.