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.”

Yahweh says to me, Go, and buy yourself a linen belt, and put it on your waist, and don’t 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 belt according to Yahweh’s word, and put it on my waist.

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

Yahweh’s word 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 belt that you have bought, which is on your waist, 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 Yahweh 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.”

After many days, Yahweh said to me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the belt from there, 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 belt from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the belt was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

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

Then Yahweh’s word 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.

Yahweh says, In this way I will 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.

This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who 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 belt, 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 belt clings to the waist of a man, so have I caused to cling to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says Yahweh; that they may be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

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: Yahweh, the God of Israel says, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall tell you, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall 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 you shall tell them, Yahweh says, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit on David’s throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

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

I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says Yahweh: I will not pity, nor spare, nor 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; don’t be proud; for Yahweh 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 Yahweh your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it gross 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 it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and my eye shall weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because Yahweh’s flock is 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 to the queen mother, Humble yourselves, sit down; for your headdresses have come down, even 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 are shut up, and there is no one to open them: Judah is carried away captive, all of it; it is wholly carried away captive.

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 see those who come from the north: where is the flock that was given 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 shall set over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you? shall not sorrows take hold of you, as 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.

If you say in your heart, Why are these things come on me? for the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts uncovered, and your heels suffer 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 may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

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

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

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 Yahweh; 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 will I also uncover your skirts on your face, and your shame shall appear.

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 abominations, even your adulteries, and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! You will not be made clean; how long shall it yet be?