¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says,^(A) ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind^(B) the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”^(C)

³³ The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound^(A) with two^(B) chains.^(C) Then he asked who he was and what he had done.

A Linen Belt

13 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 bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it around my waist.

³ Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time:^{(A) 4} “Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath^[a](B) and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.” ⁵ So I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me.^(C)

⁶ Many days later the Lord said to me, “Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there.” ⁷ So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride^(D) of Jerusalem. ¹⁰ These wicked people, who refuse to listen^(E) to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts^(F) and go after other gods^(G) to serve and worship them,^(H) will be like this belt—completely useless!^{(I) 11} For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown^(J) and praise and honor.^(K) But they have not listened.’^(L)

²⁷ As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe,^(A) and it tore.^{(B) 28} Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn^(C) the kingdom^(D) of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.^(E)

²³ I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me^(A) that prison and hardships are facing me.^(B)

¹⁹ Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?^(A) Why are you acting like this?”

²⁰ So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹ Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary^(B)—the stronghold in which you take pride,^(C) the delight of your eyes,^(D) the object of your affection. The sons and daughters^(E) you left behind will fall by the sword.^{(F) 22} And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard^(G) or eat the customary food of mourners.^{(H) 23} You will keep your turbans^(I) on your heads and your sandals^(J) on your feet. You will not mourn^(K) or weep but will waste away^(L) because of^[a] your sins and groan among yourselves.^{(M) 24} Ezekiel^(N) will be a sign^(O) to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’

²⁵ “And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes,^(P) their heart’s desire,^(Q) and their sons and daughters^(R) as well—

¹⁰ “Then break the jar^(A) while those who go with you are watching, ¹¹ and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I will smash^(B) this nation and this city just as this potter’s jar is smashed and cannot be repaired. They will bury^(C) the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.

¹⁵ Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,”^(A) and he did so. ¹⁶ “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

¹⁷ “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!”^(B) Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”^(C)

¹⁸ Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. ¹⁹ The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”^(D)

¹¹ Now Zedekiah^(A) son of Kenaanah had made iron horns^(B) and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”