Jeremias 13

¹ Thus sayth the Lorde vnto mee, Goe, and buy thee a linen girdle, & put it vpon thy loynes, and put it not in water.

² So I bought the girdle according to the commandement of the Lord, and put it vpon my loynes.

³ And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me the second time, saying,

⁴ Take the sash that thou hast bought, which [is] upon thy loins, and arise, go toBecause this river was far from Jerusalem, it is evident that this was a vision, by which it was signified that the Jews would pass over the Euphrates to be captives in Babylon, and there for length of time would seem to be rotten, although they were joined to the Lord before as a girdle about a man.Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

⁵ So I went, and hid it by Perath, as the Lord had commanded me.

⁶ And after many dayes, the Lorde sayde vnto mee, Arise, goe towarde Perath, and take the girdle from thence, which I commaunded thee to hide there.

⁷ Then went I to Perath, and digged, & tooke the girdle from the place where I had hid it, and behold, the girdle was corrupt, and was profitable for nothing.

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

⁹ Thus sayth the Lord, After this maner will I destroy the pride of Iudah, and the great pride of Ierusalem.

¹⁰ This wicked people haue refused to heare my word, and walke after ye stubbernesse of their owne heart, and walke after other gods to serue them, and to worship them: therefore they shalbe as this girdle, which is profitable to nothing.

¹¹ For as the girdle cleaueth to the loynes of a man, so haue I tied to me the whole house of Israel, and the whole house of Iudah, saith the Lorde, that they might bee my people: that they might haue a name and prayse, and glory, but they would not heare.

¹² Therefore thou shalt speak to them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, EveryEvery one of you will be filled with spiritual drunkenness, and be without all knowledge to seek how to help yourselves.skin shall be filled with wine: and they shall say to thee, Do we not certainly know that every skin shall be filled with wine?

¹³ Then shalt thou say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, euen the Kings that sit vpon the throne of Dauid, and the Priestes and the Prophets and all the inhabitantes of Ierusalem with drunkennesse.

¹⁴ And I willIt will be as easy for me to destroy the greatest and the strongest as it is for a man to break earthen bottles.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.

¹⁵ Heare and giue eare, be not proude: for the Lord hath spoken it.

¹⁶ Give glory to the LORD your God, before he shall causeThat is, affliction and misery by the Babylonians, (Isa_8:22).darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look forMeaning, for help and support of the Egyptians.light, he shall turn it into the shadow of death, [and] make [it] gross darkness.

¹⁷ But if ye will not hear it, my soul shallYou will surely be led away captive and I, according to my affection toward you, will weep and lament for your stubbornness.weep in secret places for [your] pride; and my eye shall weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.

¹⁸ Say to theFor Jehoiachin and his mother rendered themselves by Jeremiah's counsel to the king of Babylon, (2Ki_24:12).king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, [even] the crown of your glory.

¹⁹ The cities ofThat is, of Judah, which lies south of Babylon.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.

²⁰ Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where [is] theHe asks the king, where his people is become.flock [that] was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

²¹ What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hastBy seeking to strangers for help, you have made them skilful to fight against you.taught them [to be] captains, [and] as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?

²² And if thou shalt say in thy heart, Why come these things upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity are thy skirtsThe cloak of hypocrisy will be pulled off, and your shame seen.uncovered, [and] thy heels made bare.

²³ Can the blacke More change his skin? or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do euill.

²⁴ Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that is taken away with the South winde.

²⁵ This is thy portion, and ye part of thy measures from me, sayth the Lorde, because thou hast forgotten me and trusted in lyes.

²⁶ Therefore will I uncover thy skirts upon thy face,As your iniquities have been revealed to all the world, so shall your shame and punishment.that thy shame may appear.

²⁷ I have seen thy adulteries, and thyHe compares idolaters to horses inflamed after mares.neighings, the lewdness of thy harlotry, [and] thy abominations on the hills inThere is no place so high nor low, where the marks and signs of your idolatry do not appear.the fields. Woe to thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when [shall it] once [be]?