Jeremiah 13
The LORD commanded Jeremiah to buy a linen girdle and hide it in a hole by the Euphrates; when he retrieved it, the girdle was ruined. So the LORD would ruin the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. He warned that every bottle would be filled with wine -- a symbol of drunkenness and destruction -- and called the people to give glory to the LORD before He caused darkness.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. | This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and buy a linen belt and put it around Your waist, but do not let it touch water." |
| 2 | So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins. | So I bought the belt as the LORD directed and put it on. |
| 3 | And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, | Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time: |
| 4 | Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. | "Take the belt You bought and are wearing. Go now to the Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks." |
| 5 | So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. | So I went and hid it at the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded. |
| 6 | And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. | Many days later the LORD said to me, "Go to the Euphrates now and get the belt I told You to hide there." |
| 7 | Then I went to 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. | So I went to the Euphrates and dug it up. I took the belt from the place where I had hidden it, but it was ruined and completely useless. |
| 8 | Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, | Then the word of the LORD came to me: |
| 9 | Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. | "This is what the LORD says: In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. |
| 10 | This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. | These wicked people refuse to listen to My words. They follow the stubbornness of their own hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them. They will be like this belt — completely useless. |
| 11 | 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 the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear. | For just as a belt clings to a man's waist, so I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to Myself," says the LORD, "so they would be My people — My fame, My praise, and My glory. But they did not listen." |
| 12 | Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD 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? | "Tell them this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Every jar should be filled with wine.' They will reply, 'Don't we know very well that every jar should be filled with wine?' |
| 13 | Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, 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. | Then tell them, 'This is what the LORD says: I am going to fill all who live in this land — the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem — with drunkenness. |
| 14 | And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them. | I will smash them against each other — parents and children alike,' says the LORD. 'I will allow no pity, mercy, or compassion. I will destroy them.'" |
| 15 | Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. | Hear and pay attention. Do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. |
| 16 | Give glory to the LORD 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. | Give glory to the LORD Your God before He brings darkness, before Your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light but He will turn it to deep darkness and change it to thick gloom. |
| 17 | But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is carried away captive. | But if You do not listen, I will weep in secret because of Your pride. My eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the LORD's flock will be taken captive. |
| 18 | Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory. | Say to the king and to the queen mother: "Humble yourselves and sit down, for your glorious crowns have fallen from your heads." |
| 19 | The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive. | The cities of the south shall be shut up with no one to open them. All Judah shall be carried away captive — wholly carried away captive. |
| 20 | Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock? | Look up and see those who are coming from the north. Where is the flock that was entrusted to you — your beautiful flock? |
| 21 | What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail? | What will You say when the LORD sets over You those You Yourself taught to be Your allies? Will not pain grip You like that of a woman in labor? |
| 22 | And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare. | And if You ask Yourself, "Why has this happened to me?" — it is because of Your great iniquity that Your skirts have been torn off and Your body violated. |
| 23 | Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. | Can an Ethiopian change His skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can You do good who are accustomed to doing evil. |
| 24 | Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness. | "I will scatter You like chaff driven by the desert wind. |
| 25 | This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood. | This is Your lot — the portion I have decreed for you," says the LORD, "because You have forgotten Me and trusted in false gods. |
| 26 | Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear. | I will pull up Your skirts over Your face so Your shame may be seen — |
| 27 | I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be? | I have seen Your adulteries and Your neighings, the lewdness of Your whoredom and Your abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe to You, O Jerusalem! Will you not be made clean? When shall it once be?" |