1 T he Lord said to me, “Go and buy a linen belt, and put it around yourself. 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 belt as the Lord had said and put it around me.

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 belt that you have bought and are wearing, get up, and go to the Euphrates. Hide it there in a hole in 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 told 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, “Get up and go to the Euphrates and get the belt which I told 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 belt from the place where I had hidden it. And I saw that the belt was worth 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 to me, saying,

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

9 “ This is what the Lord says: ‘In this way I will 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 hese sinful people would not listen to My words. They walk in the strong-will of their own hearts and have gone to serve and worship other gods. So let them be just like this linen belt, 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 belt holds on to a man’s body, so I made the whole family of Israel and the whole family of Judah hold on to Me,’ says the Lord. ‘This was so that they might be for Me a people, a name, a praise, and an honor. But they would not listen.’ The Wine Bottles

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 “ So you are to tell this to them: ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, says, “Every jar is to be filled with wine.”’ And when they say to you, ‘Do we not know very well that every jar 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 tell them, ‘The Lord says, “I am about to fill all the people of this land, the kings who sit on David’s throne, the religious leaders, the men of God, and all the people of Jerusalem with too much drink.

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 throw them against each other, both the fathers and sons together,” says the Lord. “I will not let pity or sorrow or loving-kindness keep Me from destroying them.”’” Pride Comes before Punishment

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 hear. Do not be proud, for the Lord has spoken.

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

16 G ive honor to the Lord your God before He brings darkness and before you slip and fall on the dark mountains. You hope for light, but He will turn it into darkness and it will be very dark.

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, my soul will cry in secret because of your pride. My eyes will cry with a bitter cry and tears will flow down, because the Lord’s people have been taken away in chains.

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, “Come down from your throne. Your beautiful crown has been taken 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 taken away. All the people of Judah have been taken to another land.

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 “ Look up and see those who are coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to 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 W hat will you say when He sets over you those whom you have taught and who were your friends? Will not pain take hold of you, like a woman giving birth?

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 you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ It is because of your many sins that your clothing has been torn off and you suffer punishment.

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 you also can do good who are used to doing wrong.

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 I will cause you to go everywhere like straw blown by the desert wind.

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

25 T his is what you get, the share given to you from Me,” says the Lord, “because you have forgotten Me and trusted in lies.

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

26 S o I will pull your clothing up 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 A s for your sex sins and cries of desire, your sinful sex acts on the hills in the field, I have seen your hated sins. It is bad for you, O Jerusalem! How long will you be 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?