1 T hus saith the Lord unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.

Thus the Lord said to me: Go and buy yourself a linen girdle and put it on your loins, but do not put it in water.

2 S o I got a girdle according to the word of the Lord, and put it on my loins.

So I bought a girdle or waistcloth, according to the word of the Lord, and put it on my loins.

3 A nd the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying,

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

4 T ake 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.

Take the girdle which you have bought, which is on your loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

5 S o I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.

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

6 A nd 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.

And after many days the Lord said to me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the girdle which I commanded you to hide there.

7 T hen 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.

Then I went to the Euphrates and dug and took the girdle or waistcloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the girdle was decayed and spoiled; it was good for nothing.

8 T hen the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

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

9 T hus saith the Lord, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

Thus says the Lord: After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

10 T his 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.

These evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have gone after other gods to serve them and to worship them, shall even be like this girdle or waistcloth, which is profitable for nothing.

11 F or 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.

For as the girdle clings to the loins of a man, so I caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me, says the Lord, that they might be for Me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory; but they would not listen or obey.

12 T herefore 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?

Therefore you shall speak to them this word: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Every bottle and jar should be filled with wine. will say to you, Do we not certainly know that every bottle and jar should be filled with wine?

13 T hen 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.

Then say to them, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit upon David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

14 A nd 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.

And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says the Lord. I will not pity or spare or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.

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

Hear and give ear, do not be proud, for the Lord has spoken.

16 G ive 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.

Give glory to the Lord your God before He brings darkness and before your feet stumble upon the dark and twilit mountains, and, while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death and makes it thick darkness.

17 B ut 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.

But if you will not hear and obey, I will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.

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

Say to the king and the queen mother, Humble yourselves and take a lowly seat, for down from your head has come your beautiful crown (the crown of your glory).

19 T he 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.

The cities of the South (the Negeb) have been shut up, and there is no one to open them; all Judah has been carried away captive, it has been wholly taken captive and into exile.

20 L ift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

Lift up your eyes and behold those who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you, your beautiful flock?

21 W hat 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?

What will you say when He sets over you as head those whom you yourselves have taught to be lovers (allies) with you ? Will not pangs take hold of you like that of a woman in travail?

22 A nd 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.

And if you say in your heart, Why have these things come upon me?—, Because of the greatness of your iniquity has your long robe been pulled aside and have you suffered violence.

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

Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also can you do good who are accustomed and taught to do evil.

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

Therefore I will scatter you like chaff driven away by the wind from the desert.

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

This is your lot, the portion measured to you from Me, says the Lord, because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood.

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

Therefore I Myself will, throwing your skirts up over your face, that your shame may be exposed.

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?

I have seen your detestable acts, even your adulteries and your lustful neighings, and the lewdness of your harlotry on the hills in the field. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! For how long a time yet will you not be made clean?