Jeremiah 13
1 Thus said YHWH to me: “Go and acquire for yourself a linen loincloth, and put it around your waist, and you shall not put it in the water.
2 And I acquired a loincloth, according to the word of YHWH, and I put [it] around my waist.
3 And the word of YHWH came to me a second time, saying:
4 “Take the loincloth that you acquired, which [is] around your waist, and rise up, go to Perath, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.
5 And I went and hid it in Perath, as YHWH commanded me.
6 And it came to pass after many days that YHWH said to me: “Rise [and] go to Perath, and take from there the the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.
7 And I went to Perath and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it there; and behold, the loincloth had been ruined, [and] it was not profitable for anything.
8 And the word of YHWH came to me, saying:
9 Thus says YHWH: “In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10 This evil people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubborness of their heart and walk after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, they shall even become like this loincloth, which is not profitable for anything!
11 Indeed, as a loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made to cling to Me all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah, a declaration of YHWH, to become unto Me as people, and for renown, and for praise, and for glory! They would not listen.
12 And you shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says YHWH the God of Israel: Every bottle shall be filled with wine.’ And they will say to you ‘Do we not already know this, that every bottle will be filled with wine?
13 And you shall say to them: ‘Thus says YHWH: Behold, I am going to fill all those dwelling in this land, and the kings sitting for David on his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all those dwelling in Jerusalem, [with] drunkenness.
14 And I will dash them—a man against his brother, and the fathers and the sons together, a declaration of YHWH. I will not spare, and I will not have pity, and I will not have compassion to keep from destroying them.’”
15 Listen and give ear! Do not be proud, for YHWH has spoken.
16 Give glory to YHWH your⁺ God before He brings darkness, and before your⁺ feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while you⁺ are looking for light, and He turns it into the shadow of death and makes [it] thick darkness.
17 But if you⁺ will not listen, [then] in secret My soul will weep from the face of [your] pride, and will weep bitterly, and My eyes will flow with tears, because the flock of YHWH has been taken captive.
18 Say to the king and to the queen mother, “Humble yourselves, sit down! For from your⁺ heads have fallen the crown of your⁺ splendor!”
19 The cities of the Negev have been shut tight, and there is no one opening [them]; Judah has been removed, all of her—she has been removed completely!
20 Lift up your⁺ eyes, and see those coming from the north. Where [is] the flock He gave to you, your beautiful flock?
21 What will you say when He sets over you—and you had taught them to be allies with you—to be head? Will not pangs seize you like a woman in labor?
22 And if you should say in your heart, “Why have these things happened to me?—[It is] by the abundance of your iniquity [that] your skirts have been uncovered [and] your heels have suffered violence.
23 Can the Cushite change his skin, or the leopard its spots? Are you⁺ also able do good—[you] who are accustomed to doing evil.
24 “And I will scatter them like chaff [that] passes away by the wind of the wilderness.
25 This [is] your lot, the portion of your measures from Me,” a declaration of YHWH, “Because you have forgotten Me and have trusted in falsehood!
26 Therefore I will strip away your skirts over your face, that your shame may be seen—
27 I have seen your adulteries and your neighings, the wickedness of your prostitution! Your abominations upon the hills [and] in the fields. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! After how long will you not be made clean?”