Jeremiah 13
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
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.’ 2 So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it on my loins. 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.’ 5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates,[b] as the Lord commanded me. 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. 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. 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.
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. 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.
Exile Threatened
15 Hear and give ear; do not be haughty,
for the Lord has spoken.
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.
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.
18 Say to the king and the queen mother:
‘Take a lowly seat,
for your beautiful crown
has come down from your head.’[e]
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.
20 Lift up your eyes 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 have trained
to be your allies?
Will not pangs take hold of you,
like those of a woman in labour?
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.
23 Can Ethiopians[f] change their skin
or leopards their spots?
Then also you can do good
who are accustomed to do evil.
24 I will scatter you[g] like chaff
driven by the wind from the desert.
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.
26 I myself will lift up your skirts over your face,
and your shame will be seen.
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?
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 13:4 Or to Parah; Heb perath
- Jeremiah 13:5 Or by Parah; Heb perath
- Jeremiah 13:6 Or to Parah; Heb perath
- Jeremiah 13:7 Or to Parah; Heb perath
- Jeremiah 13:18 Gk Syr Vg: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 13:23 Or Nubians; Heb Cushites
- Jeremiah 13:24 Heb them
耶利米書 13
Revised Chinese Union Version (Traditional Script) Shen Edition
腰帶的比喻
13 耶和華對我如此說：「你去買一條麻布帶子，束在你腰上，不可把它泡在水裏。」 2 我就照耶和華的話，買了一條帶子，束在我的腰上。 3 耶和華的話第二次臨到我，說： 4 「要拿你所買、在你腰上的帶子，起來往幼發拉底河去，把腰帶藏在那裏的磐石穴中。」 5 我就去，照着耶和華命令我的，把腰帶藏在幼發拉底河邊。 6 過了多日，耶和華對我說：「你起來往幼發拉底河去，把我命令你藏在那裏的腰帶取出來。」 7 我就往幼發拉底河去，把那腰帶從我所藏的地方挖出來。看哪，腰帶已經破爛，毫無用處了。
8 耶和華的話臨到我，說： 9 「耶和華如此說：我要照樣敗壞猶大的驕傲和耶路撒冷的狂傲。 10 這惡民不肯聽我的話，按自己頑梗的心而行，隨從別神，事奉敬拜它們；這惡民必像這腰帶，毫無用處。 11 腰帶怎樣緊貼人的腰，照樣，我也曾使以色列全家和猶大全家緊貼着我，歸我為子民，使我得名聲，得頌讚，得榮耀；他們卻不肯聽從。這是耶和華說的。」
酒罈的比喻
12 「所以你要對他們說：『耶和華—以色列的 神如此說：各罈都要裝滿酒。』他們必對你說：『我們豈不知道各罈都要裝滿酒嗎？』 13 你就對他們說：『耶和華如此說：看哪，我必使這地所有的居民，就是坐大衛寶座的君王、祭司和先知，並耶路撒冷所有的居民，都酩酊大醉。 14 我要使他們彼此衝突，連父與子也互相衝突；我必不可憐，不顧惜，不憐憫，以致將他們滅絕。這是耶和華說的。』」
耶利米警告狂傲的行為
15 你們當聽，當側耳而聽；
不可驕傲，因為耶和華已經吩咐了。
16 當耶和華—你們的 神
尚未使黑暗來臨，
在昏暗的山上
你們的腳未絆跌以前，
要將榮耀歸給他。
你們盼望光明，
他卻使光明變為死蔭，
成為幽暗。
17 你們若不聽這話，
我的心必因你們的驕傲暗自哭泣；
我的眼必痛哭流淚，
因為耶和華的羊羣被擄去了。
18 你要對君王和太后說：
「你們當自卑，坐下；
因你們的王冠，
就是你們華美的冠冕已經掉落了[a]。」
19 尼革夫[b]的城鎮都被關閉，
無人打開；
猶大全被擄掠，
擄掠淨盡。
20 你們要舉目觀看從北方來的人。
先前賜給你的羊羣，
就是你所引以為榮的羊，
現今在哪裏呢？
21 耶和華立你自己所教導的盟友，
立他們為頭來轄制你，
你還有甚麼話可說呢？[c]
痛苦豈不將你抓住像臨產的婦人嗎？
22 你若心裏說：「這一切的事為何臨到我呢？」
是因你罪孽甚多。
你的下襬揭起，
你的腳跟受傷。
23 古實[d]人豈能改變皮膚呢？
豹豈能改變斑點呢？
若能，你們這善於行惡的便能行善了。
24 我必吹散他們，
如碎稭隨曠野的風飄動。
25 這是你所當得的，
是我量給你的報應[e]；
因為你忘記了我，
倚靠虛假[f]。
這是耶和華說的。
26 我要揭起你的下襬，
蒙在你臉上，
顯露你的羞恥。
27 你在田野的山上行姦淫，
發嘶聲，謀淫亂，
這些可憎之事我都看見了。
耶路撒冷啊，你有禍了！
你不肯潔淨[g]還要等到幾時呢？
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
和合本修訂版經文 © 2006, 2010, 2017 香港聖經公會。蒙允許使用。 Scripture Text of Revised Chinese Union Version © 2006, 2010, 2017 Hong Kong Bible Society. www.hkbs.org.hk/en/ Used by permission.