1 T hus the Lord said to me, “Go and buy yourself a linen waistband and put it around your waist, but do not put it 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 bought the waistband in accordance with the word of the Lord and put it around my waist.

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

3 T hen the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying,

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

4 “ Take the waistband that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice 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 the Euphrates, as the Lord had commanded me.

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

6 A fter many days the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates and take from there the waistband which I commanded you 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 the Euphrates and dug, and I took the waistband from the place where I had hidden it; and lo, the waistband was ruined, it was totally worthless.

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 to me, saying,

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

9 “ Thus says the Lord, ‘Just so will I destroy 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 wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have gone after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, let them be just like this waistband which is totally worthless.

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 waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise and for glory; but they did not listen.’ Captivity Threatened

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 “ Therefore you are to speak this word to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Every jug is to be filled with wine.”’ And when they say to you, ‘Do we not very well know that every jug is to 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 say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land—the kings that sit for David on his throne, the priests, 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 I will dash them against each other, both the fathers and the sons together,” declares the Lord. “I will not show pity nor be sorry nor have compassion so as not to 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 L isten and give heed, do not be haughty, For the Lord has 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 brings darkness And before your feet stumble On the dusky mountains, And while you are hoping for light He makes it into deep darkness, And turns it into gloom.

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 you will not listen to it, My soul will sob in secret for such pride; And my eyes will bitterly weep And flow down with tears, Because the flock of the Lord has been taken 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 to the king and the queen mother, “ Take a lowly seat, For your beautiful crown Has come down from your head.”

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 Negev have been locked up, And there is no one to open them; All Judah has been carried into exile, Wholly carried into exile.

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 “ Lift up your eyes and see Those coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given you, Your beautiful sheep?

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 “ What will you say when He appoints over you— And you yourself had taught them— Former companions to be head over you? Will not pangs take hold of you Like a woman in childbirth?

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 “ If you say in your heart, ‘ Why have these things happened to me?’ Because of the magnitude of your iniquity Your skirts have been removed And your heels have been exposed.

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 “ Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good Who are accustomed to doing 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 “ Therefore I will scatter them like drifting straw To the desert wind.

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

25 “ This is your lot, the portion measured to you From Me,” declares the Lord, “Because you have 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 “ So I Myself have also stripped your skirts off over your face, That your shame may be seen.

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

27 “ As for your adulteries and your lustful neighings, The lewdness of your prostitution On the hills in the field, I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”

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?