1 T hus said Jehovah unto me, `Go, and thou hast got for thee a girdle of linen, and hast placed it on thy loins, and into water thou dost not cause it to enter:'

Thus 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.”

2 a nd I get the girdle, according to the word of Jehovah, and I place on my loins.

So I bought the waistband in accordance with the word of the Lord and put it around my waist.

3 A nd there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying,

Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying,

4 ` Take the girdle that thou hast got, that on thy loins, and rise, go to Phrat, and hide it there in a hole of the rock;

“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.”

5 a nd I go and hide it by Phrat, as Jehovah commanded me.

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

6 A nd it cometh to pass, at the end of many days, that Jehovah saith unto me, `Rise, go to Phrat, and take thence the girdle, that I commanded thee to hide there;'

After 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.”

7 a nd I go to Phrat, and dig, and take the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and lo, the girdle hath been marred, it is not profitable for anything.

Then 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.

8 A nd there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, `Thus said Jehovah:

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

9 T hus do I mar the excellency of Judah, And the great excellency of Jerusalem.

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Just so will I destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

10 T his evil people, who refuse to hear My words, Who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, And go after other gods to serve them, And to bow themselves to them, Yea it is -- as this girdle, that is not profitable for anything.

This 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.

11 F or, as the girdle cleaveth unto the loins of a man, So I caused to cleave unto Me The whole house of Israel, And the whole house of Judah, an affirmation of Jehovah, To be to Me for a people, and for a name, And for praise, and for beauty, And they have not hearkened.

For 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

12 A nd thou hast said unto them this word, Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, `Every bottle is full of wine,' And they have said unto thee: `Do we not certainly know that every bottle is full of wine?'

“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?’

13 A nd thou hast said unto them, `Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am filling all the inhabitants of this land, And the kings who sit for David on his throne, And the priests, and the prophets, And all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, drunkenness,

then 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!

14 A nd have dashed them one against another, And the fathers and the sons together, An affirmation of Jehovah, I do not pity, nor spare, nor have I mercy, So as not to destroy them.

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.”’”

15 H ear, and give ear -- be not haughty, For Jehovah hath spoken.

Listen and give heed, do not be haughty, For the Lord has spoken.

16 G ive ye to Jehovah your God honour, Before He doth cause darkness, And before your feet stumble on dark mountains, And ye have waited for light, And He hath made it for death-shade, And hath appointed for thick darkness.

Give 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.

17 A nd if ye do not hear it, In secret places doth my soul weep, because of pride, Yea, it weepeth sore, And the tear cometh down mine eyes, For the flock of Jehovah hath been taken captive.

But 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.

18 S ay to the king and to the mistress: Make yourselves low -- sit still, For come down have your principalities, The crown of your beauty.

Say to the king and the queen mother, “ Take a lowly seat, For your beautiful crown Has come down from your head.”

19 T he cities of the south have been shut up, And there is none opening, Judah hath been removed -- all of her, She hath been removed completely --

The 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.

20 L ift up your eyes, and see those coming in from the north, Where the drove given to thee, thy beautiful flock?

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

21 W hat dost thou say, when He looketh after thee? And thou -- thou hast taught them over thee -- leaders for head? Do not pangs seize thee as a travailing woman?

“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?

22 A nd when thou dost say in thy heart, `Wherefore have these met me?' For the abundance of thine iniquity Have thy skirts been uncovered, Have thy heels suffered violence.

“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.

23 D oth a Cushite change his skin? and a leopard his spots? Ye also are able to do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

“ Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good Who are accustomed to doing evil.

24 A nd I scatter them as stubble, Passing away, by a wind of the wilderness.

“Therefore I will scatter them like drifting straw To the desert wind.

25 T his thy lot, the portion of thy measures from Me -- an affirmation of Jehovah, Because thou hast forgotten me, And dost trust in falsehood.

“This is your lot, the portion measured to you From Me,” declares the Lord, “Because you have forgotten Me And trusted in falsehood.

26 I also have made bare thy skirts before thy face, And thy shame hath been seen.

“So I Myself have also stripped your skirts off over your face, That your shame may be seen.

27 T hine adulteries, and thy neighings, The wickedness of thy whoredom, on heights in a field, I have seen thine abominations. Wo to thee, O Jerusalem, Thou art not cleansed, after when again?

“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?”