Jeremiah 13
English Standard Version
The Ruined Loincloth
13 Thus says the Lord to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and (A)put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.” 2 So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist. 3 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, 4 “Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, (B)go to the Euphrates and hide it there in (C)a cleft of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. 6 And after many days the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there (D)the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took (E)the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was (F)spoiled; it was (G)good for nothing.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Thus says the Lord: (H)Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great (I)pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, (J)who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is (K)good for nothing. 11 For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, (L)that they might be for me a people, (M)a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.
The Jars Filled with Wine
12 “You shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Every jar shall be filled with wine.”’ And they will say to you, ‘Do we not indeed know that (N)every jar will be filled with wine?’ 13 Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: (O)Behold, I will fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land: (P)the kings who sit on David's throne, (Q)the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 14 And I will (R)dash them one against another, fathers and sons together, declares the Lord. I will not pity or spare or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.’”
Exile Threatened
15 Hear and give ear; be not proud,
for the Lord has spoken.
16 (S)Give glory to the Lord your God
(T)before he brings darkness,
before your feet stumble
on the twilight mountains,
and (U)while you look for light
he turns it into gloom
and makes it (V)deep darkness.
17 But if you will not listen,
(W)my soul will weep in secret for your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears,
because the Lord's flock has been taken captive.
18 Say to (X)the king and (Y)the queen mother:
“Take a lowly seat,
for (Z)your beautiful crown
has come down from your head.”
19 (AA)The cities of the Negeb are shut up,
with none to open them;
all Judah is taken into exile,
wholly taken into exile.
20 “Lift up your eyes (AB)and see
those who come from the north.
Where is the flock that was given you,
your beautiful flock?
21 What will you say when they set as head over you
those whom you yourself have taught to be friends to you?
(AC)Will not pangs take hold of you
like those of a woman in labor?
22 And if you say in your heart,
(AD)‘Why have these things come upon me?’
it is for the greatness of your iniquity
that (AE)your skirts are lifted up
and you suffer violence.
23 (AF)Can the Ethiopian change his skin
or (AG)the leopard his spots?
Then also you can do good
who are accustomed to do evil.
24 I will scatter you[a] (AH)like chaff
driven by the wind from the desert.
25 (AI)This is your lot,
the portion I have measured out to you, declares the Lord,
because (AJ)you have forgotten me
and trusted in lies.
26 (AK)I myself will lift up your skirts over your face,
and your shame will be seen.
27 I have seen (AL)your abominations,
your adulteries and (AM)neighings, your lewd whorings,
(AN)on the hills in the field.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
How long will it be (AO)before you are made clean?”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 13:24 Hebrew them
Jeremiah 13
New King James Version
Symbol of the Linen Sash
13 Thus the Lord said to me: “Go and get yourself a linen sash, and put it [a]around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2 So I got a [b]sash according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist.
3 And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, 4 “Take the [c]sash that you acquired, which is [d]around your waist, and arise, go to the [e]Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.
6 Now it came to pass after many days that the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the [f]sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord: ‘In this manner (A)I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great (B)pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who (C)refuse to hear My words, who (D)follow[g] the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. 11 For as the sash 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 the Lord, ‘that (E)they may become My people, (F)for renown, for praise, and for (G)glory; but they would (H)not hear.’
Symbol of the Wine Bottles
12 “Therefore you shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Every bottle shall be filled with wine.” ’
“And they will say to you, ‘Do we not certainly know that every bottle will be filled with wine?’
13 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “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—(I)with drunkenness! 14 And (J)I will dash them [h]one against another, even the fathers and the sons together,” says the Lord. “I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy, but will destroy them.” ’ ”
Pride Precedes Captivity
15 Hear and give ear:
Do not be proud,
For the Lord has spoken.
16 (K)Give glory to the Lord your God
Before He causes (L)darkness,
And before your feet stumble
On the dark mountains,
And while you are (M)looking for light,
He turns it into (N)the shadow of death
And makes it dense darkness.
17 But if you will not hear it,
My soul will (O)weep in secret for your pride;
My eyes will weep bitterly
And run down with tears,
Because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.
18 Say to (P)the king and to the queen mother,
“Humble yourselves;
Sit down,
For your rule shall collapse, the crown of your glory.”
19 The cities of the South shall be shut up,
And no one 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 see
Those who come from the (Q)north.
Where is the flock that was given to you,
Your beautiful sheep?
21 What will you say when He punishes you?
For you have taught them
To be chieftains, to be head over you.
Will not (R)pangs seize you,
Like a woman in [i]labor?
22 And if you say in your heart,
(S)“Why have these things come upon me?”
For the greatness of your iniquity
(T)Your skirts have been uncovered,
Your heels [j]made bare.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?
Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.
24 “Therefore I will (U)scatter them (V)like stubble
That passes away by the wind of the wilderness.
25 (W)This is your lot,
The portion of your measures from Me,” says the Lord,
“Because you have forgotten Me
And trusted in (X)falsehood.
26 Therefore (Y)I will uncover your skirts over your face,
That your shame may appear.
27 I have seen your adulteries
And your lustful (Z)neighings,
The lewdness of your harlotry,
Your abominations (AA)on the hills in the fields.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
Will you still not be made clean?”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 13:1 Lit. upon your loins
- Jeremiah 13:2 waistband
- Jeremiah 13:4 waistband
- Jeremiah 13:4 Lit. upon your loins
- Jeremiah 13:4 Heb. Perath
- Jeremiah 13:7 waistband
- Jeremiah 13:10 walk in the stubbornness or imagination
- Jeremiah 13:14 Lit. a man against his brother
- Jeremiah 13:21 childbirth
- Jeremiah 13:22 Lit. suffer violence
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
