Jeremiah 13
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Linen Loincloth
13 Thus said the Lord to me, “Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it on your loins, but do not dip it in water.”(A) 2 So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord and put it on my loins.(B) 3 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, 4 “Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go now to the Euphrates,[a] and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.”(C) 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates,[b] as the Lord commanded me.(D) 6 And after many days the Lord said to me, “Go now to the Euphrates,[c] and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates[d] and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. But now the loincloth was ruined; it was good for nothing.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 Thus says the Lord: Just so I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.(E) 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own will and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing.(F) 11 For as the loincloth clings to one’s loins, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord, in order that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory. But they would not listen.(G)
Symbol of the Wine Jars
12 You shall speak to them this word: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Every wine jar should be filled with wine. And they will say to you, “Do you think we do not know that every wine jar should be filled with wine?” 13 Then you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with drunkenness.(H) 14 And I will dash them one against another, parents and children together, says the Lord. I will not pity or spare or have compassion when I destroy them.(I)
Exile Threatened
15 Hear and give ear; do not be haughty,
for the Lord has spoken.(J)
16 Give glory to the Lord your God
before he brings darkness
and before your feet stumble
on the mountains at twilight;
while you look for light,
he turns it into gloom
and makes it deep darkness.(K)
17 But if you will not listen,
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.(L)
18 Say to the king and the queen mother:
“Take a lowly seat,
for your beautiful crown
has come down from your head.”[e](M)
19 The towns of the Negeb are shut up,
with no one to open them;
all Judah is taken into exile,
wholly taken into exile.(N)
20 Lift up your eyes and see
those who come from the north.
Where is the flock that was given you,
your beautiful flock?(O)
21 What will you say when they set as head over you
those whom you have trained
to be your allies?
Will not pangs seize you
like those of a woman in labor?(P)
22 And if you say in your heart,
“Why have these things come upon me?”
it is for the greatness of your iniquity
that your skirts are lifted up
and you are violated.(Q)
23 Can Cushites change their skin
or leopards their spots?
Then also you can do good,
who are accustomed to do evil.(R)
24 I will scatter you[f] like chaff
driven by the wind from the desert.(S)
25 This is your lot,
the portion I have measured out to you, says the Lord,
because you have forgotten me
and trusted in lies.(T)
26 I myself will lift up your skirts over your face,
and your shame will be seen.(U)
27 I have seen your abominations,
your adulteries and neighings, your shameless prostitutions
on the hills of the countryside.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
How long will it be
before you are made clean?(V)
Jeremiah 13
International Standard Version
Jeremiah’s Linen Belt
13 This is what the Lord told me: “Go and buy a linen belt for yourself, and put it around your waist.[a] But don’t let it get wet.” 2 So I bought the belt according to the Lord’s instruction, and put it around my waist.
3 Then this message from the Lord came to me a second time: 4 Take the belt that you bought and that is around your waist. Get up and go to the Euphrates,[b] and hide it there in a crevice in the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it at the Euphrates,[c] just as the Lord had commanded me.
6 After a long time,[d] the Lord told me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates,[e] and get the belt that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 I went to the Euphrates and dug it up. I got the belt from the place where I had hidden it. The belt was ruined! It was not good for anything.
8 Then this message from the Lord came to me: 9 “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I’ll ruin the pride of Judah and the pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people that refuses to listen to my words, that stubbornly pursues their own desires,[f] and that follows other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt that is not good for anything. 11 For just as the belt clings tightly to a person’s waist, so I’ve made all the people[g] of Israel and all the people[h] of Judah cling tightly to me,’ declares the Lord. ‘I did this[i] so that they would be my people, name, praise, and glory. But they wouldn’t listen.’
The Wineskins
12 “This is what you’re to tell them: ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: “Every wineskin is to be filled with wine.”’ When they say to you, ‘Don’t we know very well that every wineskin is to be filled with wine?’, 13 then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I’m about to make all the inhabitants of this land drunk—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the residents of Jerusalem. 14 I’ll smash them against each other, even fathers against their sons,”[j] declares the Lord. “I’ll have no pity, mercy, or compassion when I destroy them.”’”
15 Listen and pay attention![k]
Don’t be proud, for the Lord has spoken.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God
before he brings darkness,
before your feet stumble on the
mountains at twilight.
You hope for light,
but he turns it into deep darkness.
He changes it into heavy gloom.
17 If you don’t listen, I’ll cry secretly
because of your pride.
My eyes will cry bitterly, flowing tears,
because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.
18 Say to the king and the queen mother,[l]
“Come take a lowly seat,
because your beautiful crowns have fallen off your heads.”
19 The towns in the Negev[m] will be closed up,
and there will be no one to open them.
All Judah will be taken into exile
and be completely exiled.
20 “Look up and see those who are coming from the north.
Where is the flock that was given to you—
your beautiful sheep?
21 What will you say when the Lord[n]
appoints over you as your head
those whom you taught to be your allies?[o]
Pain will seize you like that seizing a woman
about to give birth, will it not?
22 When you say to yourselves,
‘Why have all these things happened to me?’
It’s because of the extent of your iniquity
that your skirt has been lifted up,
and your heels have suffered violence.[p]
23 Can an Ethiopian change his skin,
or a leopard his spots?
Then you who are trained to do evil
will also be able to do good.
24 I’ll scatter them like chaff
blown away by a desert wind.
25 “This is your fate,
the portion I’ve measured out for you,”
declares the Lord,
“because you have forgotten me
and have trusted in false gods.[q]
26 I’ll also pull your skirt up over your face,
so your shame will be seen,
27 I’ve seen your detestable behavior:
your adulteries, your passionate neighing,
your lewd immorality on the hills in the field.
How terrible it will be for you, Jerusalem!
You are unclean. How much longer will this go on?”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 13:1 Or loins
- Jeremiah 13:4 Or Perath
- Jeremiah 13:5 Or Perath
- Jeremiah 13:6 Lit. At the end of many days
- Jeremiah 13:6 Or Perath
- Jeremiah 13:10 Lit. that walks in the stubbornness of their hearts
- Jeremiah 13:11 Lit. house
- Jeremiah 13:11 Lit. house
- Jeremiah 13:11 The Heb. lacks I did this
- Jeremiah 13:14 Lit. fathers and sons together
- Jeremiah 13:15 Lit. give ear
- Jeremiah 13:18 I.e. the king’s mother
- Jeremiah 13:19 I.e. southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
- Jeremiah 13:21 Lit. he
- Jeremiah 13:21 I.e. the Babylonians
- Jeremiah 13:22 I.e. you have been violated
- Jeremiah 13:25 Or deception
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