1 T hus 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.

Thus saith Jehovah unto me, Go, and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.

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

So I bought a girdle according to the word of Jehovah, and put it upon my loins.

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

And the word of Jehovah came unto me the second time, saying,

4 T ake 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.

Take 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.

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

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

6 A nd 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.

And 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.

7 T hen 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.

Then 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.

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

Then the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

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

Thus saith Jehovah, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

10 T hese 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.

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 F or 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.

For 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.

12 T herefore 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?

Therefore 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 T hen 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.

Then 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.

14 A nd 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.

And 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.

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

Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud; for Jehovah hath spoken.

16 G ive 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.

Give 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.

17 B ut 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.

But 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.

18 S ay 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).

Say 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.

19 T he 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.

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

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

21 W hat 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?

What 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?

22 A nd 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.

And 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.

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

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

24 T herefore I will scatter you like chaff driven away by the wind from the desert.

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

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

This is thy lot, the portion measured unto thee from me, saith Jehovah; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

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

Therefore will I also uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and thy shame shall appear.

27 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?

I 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?