Jeremiah 13
Christian Standard Bible
Linen Underwear
13 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy yourself a linen undergarment(A) and put it on.[a] But do not put it in water.” 2 So I bought underwear as the Lord instructed me and put it on.
3 Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: 4 “Take the underwear that you bought and are wearing,[b] and go at once to the Euphrates[c] and hide it in a rocky crevice.”(B) 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.
6 A long time later the Lord said to me, “Go at once to the Euphrates and get the underwear that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 So I went to the Euphrates and dug up the underwear and got it from the place where I had hidden it, but it was ruined—of no use at all.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “This is what the Lord says: Just like this I will ruin the great pride of both Judah and Jerusalem.(C) 10 These evil people, who refuse to listen to me, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts,(D) and who have followed other gods to serve and bow in worship—they will be like this underwear, of no use at all. 11 Just as underwear clings to one’s waist, so I fastened the whole house of Israel and of Judah to me”(E)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“so that they might be my people for my fame, praise, and glory,(F) but they would not obey.
The Wine Jars
12 “Say this to them: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every jar should be filled with wine.’ Then they will respond to you, ‘Don’t we know that every jar should be filled with wine?’ 13 And you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to fill all who live in this land—the kings who reign for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the residents of Jerusalem—with drunkenness. 14 I will smash them against each other, fathers and sons alike—this is the Lord’s declaration. I will allow no mercy, pity, or compassion to keep me from destroying them.’”(G)
The Lord’s Warning
15 Listen and pay attention. Do not be proud,
for the Lord has spoken.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God(H)
before he brings darkness,
before your feet stumble
on the mountains at dusk.
You wait for light,
but he brings darkest gloom[d]
and makes total darkness.
17 But if you will not listen,
my innermost being will weep in secret
because of your pride.
My eyes will overflow with tears,
for the Lord’s flock(I) has been taken captive.
18 Say to the king and the queen mother:(J)
Take a humble seat,
for your glorious crowns
have fallen from your heads.
19 The cities of the Negev are under siege;
no one can help them.
All of Judah has been taken into exile,
taken completely into exile.
20 Look up and see
those coming from the north.(K)
Where is the flock entrusted to you,
the sheep that were your pride?
The Destiny of Jerusalem
21 What will you say when he appoints
close friends as leaders over you,
ones you yourself trained?
Won’t labor pains seize you,(L)
as they do a woman in labor?
22 And when you ask yourself,
“Why have these things happened to me?”
it is because of your great guilt(M)
that your skirts have been stripped off,(N)
your body exposed.[e]
23 Can the Cushite change his skin,
or a leopard his spots?
If so, you might be able to do what is good,(O)
you who are instructed in evil.
24 I will scatter you[f] like drifting chaff(P)
before the desert wind.
25 This is your lot,
what I have decreed for you—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
because you have forgotten me(Q)
and trusted in lies.(R)
26 I will pull your skirts up over your face
so that your shame might be seen.(S)
27 Your adulteries and your lustful neighing,(T)
your depraved prostitution
on the hills, in the fields—
I have seen your abhorrent acts.
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
You are unclean—
for how long yet?(U)
Jeremiah 13
New American Standard Bible
The Ruined Undergarment
13 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and (A)buy yourself a linen undergarment and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2 So I bought the undergarment in accordance with the (B)word of the Lord, and put it around my waist. 3 Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, 4 “Take the undergarment that you bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the (C)Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, (D)as the Lord had commanded me. 6 After many days the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates and take from there the undergarment which I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the undergarment from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the undergarment was ruined, it was completely useless.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “This is what the Lord says: ‘To the same extent I will destroy the (E)pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This wicked people, who (F)refuse to listen to My words, who (G)walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have followed other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, let them be just like this undergarment which is completely useless. 11 For as the undergarment clings to the waist of a man, so I made the entire household of Israel and the entire household of Judah (H)cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that they might be My people, for [a](I)renown, for (J)praise, and for glory; but they (K)did not listen.’
Captivity Threatened
12 “Therefore you are to speak this word to them. ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “Every jug is to be filled with wine.”’ And when they say to you, ‘Do we not very well know that every jug is to be filled with wine?’ 13 then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am going to fill all the inhabitants of this land—the kings who sit for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with (L)drunkenness! 14 Then I will (M)smash them against each other, both the (N)fathers and the sons together,” declares the Lord. “I will (O)not have compassion nor be troubled nor take pity so as to keep from destroying them.”’”
15 Listen and pay attention, do not be (P)haughty;
For the Lord has spoken.
16 (Q)Give glory to the Lord your God
Before He brings (R)darkness
And before your (S)feet stumble
On the mountains in the dark,
And while you are hoping for light
He makes it into (T)gloom,
And turns it into thick darkness.
17 But (U)if you do not listen to it,
My soul will (V)weep in secret for such pride;
And my eyes will shed
And stream down tears,
Because the (W)flock of the Lord has been taken captive.
18 Say to the (X)king and the queen mother,
“(Y)Take a lowly seat,
For your beautiful (Z)crown
Has come down from your head.”
19 The (AA)cities of the Negev have been locked up,
And there is no one to open them;
All (AB)Judah has been taken into exile,
Wholly taken into exile.
20 “Raise your eyes and see
Those coming (AC)from the north.
Where is the (AD)flock that was given you,
Your beautiful sheep?
21 What will you say when He appoints over you—
And you yourself had taught them—
Former (AE)companions to be head over you?
Will (AF)sharp pains not take hold of you
Like a woman in childbirth?
22 If you (AG)say in your heart,
‘(AH)Why have these things happened to me?’
Because of the (AI)magnitude of your wrongdoing
(AJ)Your skirts have been removed
And your [b]heels have suffered violence.
23 (AK)Can the Ethiopian change his skin,
Or the leopard his spots?
Then you as well can (AL)do good
Who are accustomed to doing evil.
24 Therefore I will (AM)scatter them like drifting straw
To the desert (AN)wind.
25 This is your (AO)lot, the portion measured to you
From Me,” declares the Lord,
“Because you have (AP)forgotten Me
And trusted in falsehood.
26 So I Myself have (AQ)stripped your skirts off over your face,
So that your shame will be seen.
27 As for your (AR)adulteries and your lustful neighings,
The (AS)outrageous sin of your prostitution
On the (AT)hills in the field,
I have seen your abominations.
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
(AU)How long will you remain unclean?”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 13:11 Lit a name
- Jeremiah 13:22 I.e., a euphemism for private parts
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
