Jeremiah 13
1Yahweh said to me, “Go, and buy yourself a linen belt, and put it on your waist, and don’t put it in water.”
2So I bought a belt according to Yahweh’s word, and put it on my waist.
3Yahweh’s word came to me the second time, saying, 4“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.”
5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as Yahweh commanded me.
6After many days, Yahweh said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the belt from there, which I commanded you to hide there.”
7Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the belt from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the belt was ruined. It was profitable for nothing.
8Then Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 9“Yahweh says, ‘In this way I, will ruin the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and have gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, will even be as this belt, which is profitable for nothing. 11For as the belt clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to me,’ says Yahweh; ‘that they may be to me for a people, for a name, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.’
12“Therefore you shall speak to them this word: ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel says, “Every container should be filled with wine.”’ They will tell you, ‘Do we not certainly know that every container should be filled with wine?’
13Then tell them, ‘Yahweh says, “Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.
14I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together,” says Yahweh: “I will not pity, spare, or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.”’”
Don’t be proud,
for Yahweh has spoken.
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 deep darkness.
my soul will weep in secret for your pride.
My eye will weep bitterly,
and run down with tears,
because Yahweh’s flock has been taken captive.
“Humble yourselves.
Sit down, for your crowns have come down,
even the crown of your glory.
and there is no one to open them.
Judah is carried away captive: all of them.
They are wholly carried away captive.
and see those who come from the north.
Where is the flock that was given to you,
your beautiful flock?
Won’t sorrows take hold of you, as of a woman in travail?
“Why have these things come on me?”
Your skirts are uncovered because of the greatness of your iniquity,
and your heels suffer violence.
or the leopard his spots?
Then may you also do good,
who are accustomed to do evil.
as the stubble that passes away,
by the wind of the wilderness.
the portion measured to you from me,” says Yahweh,
“because you have forgotten me,
and trusted in falsehood.”
and your shame will appear.
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 will it yet be?”