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13 Thus saith Hashem unto me, Go and buy thee a linen [i.e., priestly] ezor (belt) and put it around thy waist, and put it not in mayim.

So I bought the ezor (belt) according to the Devar Hashem, and put it around my waist.

And the Devar Hashem came unto me the second time, saying,

Take the ezor that thou hast bought, which is around thy waist, and arise, go to Parah (Josh 18:23 [Hebrew for Euphrates is Perat]), and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

So I went, and hid it in Parah, as Hashem commanded me.

And it came to pass at the end of yamim rabbim, that Hashem said unto me, Arise, go to Parah, and take the ezor from there, which I commanded thee to hide there.

Then I went to Parah, and dug, and took the ezor from the makom where I had hid it; and, hinei, the ezor was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

Then the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

Thus saith Hashem, After this manner will I mar the ga’on Yehudah (pride of Judah), and the great ga’on of Yerushalayim.

10 This evil people, which refuse to listen to My words, which walk in the sherirut (stubbornness) of their lev, and walk after elohim acharim, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this ezor, which is good for nothing.

11 For as the ezor has deveykus with the waist of an ish, so have I caused to have deveykus unto Me kol Bais Yisroel and kol Bais Yehudah, saith Hashem; that they might be unto Me for a People, and for Shem, and for Tehillah, and for Teferet: but they would not hear.

12 Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this Davar; Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel, Every wine jar shall be filled with yayin; and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every wine jar shall be filled with yayin?

13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith Hashem, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of HaAretz Hazot, even the melachim that sit upon the kisse Dovid, and the Kohanim, and the Nevi’im, and all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, with shikkaron (drunkenness).

14 And I will dash them one against another, even the avot and the banim together, saith Hashem; I will not pity, nor spare, nor have rachamim, but destroy them.

15 Hear ye, and give ozen (ear); be not proud: for Hashem hath spoken.

16 Give kavod to Hashem Eloheichem, before He cause darkness, and before your raglayim stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for ohr, He turn it into the tzalmavet (shadow of death), and make it gross darkness.

17 But if ye will not listen, my nefesh shall weep in secret places for your ga’avah (pride); and mine eye shall weep profusely, and run down with tears, because the Eder Hashem (Flock of Hashem) is carried away captive.

18 Say unto HaMelech and to the Gevirah (Queen mother), Humble yourselves, sit down; for your rule shall come down, even the ateret (crown) of your tiferet (glory).

19 The cities of the Negev shall be shut up, and none shall open them; Yehudah shall be all carried away into the Golus, it shall be wholly carried away into the Golus.

20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the tzafon (north). Where is the eder (flock) that was given thee, thy tzon tiferet?

21 What wilt thou say when He appoints over thy leaders those whom thou thyself has taught, to be thy rosh? Shall not chavalim (pangs) seize thee, as a woman in travail?

22 And if thou say in thine lev, Why come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine avon (iniquity) are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels violated.

23 Can the Kushi (Ethiopian) change his ohr (skin), or the namer (leopard) his spots? Then may ye also do tov, that are accustomed to do rah.

24 Therefore will I scatter them as the chaff driven by the ruach of the midbar.

25 This is thy goral (lot), the portion of thy measures from Me, saith Hashem; because thou hast forgotten Me, and trusted in sheker (falsehood).

26 Therefore will I uncover thy skirts over thy panim, that thy shame may appear.

27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy zenut (whoredom), and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Yerushalayim! Wilt thou not be made tahor (clean)? Until when?

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.” So I bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it around my waist.

Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time:(A) “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.” So I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me.(C)

Many days later the Lord said to me, “Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there.” 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.

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “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)

Wineskins

12 “Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every wineskin should be filled with wine.’ And if they say to you, ‘Don’t we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?’ 13 then tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to fill with drunkenness(M) all who live in this land, including the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets and all those living in Jerusalem. 14 I will smash them one against the other, parents and children alike, declares the Lord. I will allow no pity(N) or mercy or compassion(O) to keep me from destroying(P) them.’”

Threat of Captivity

15 Hear and pay attention,
    do not be arrogant,
    for the Lord has spoken.(Q)
16 Give glory(R) to the Lord your God
    before he brings the darkness,
before your feet stumble(S)
    on the darkening hills.
You hope for light,
    but he will turn it to utter darkness
    and change it to deep gloom.(T)
17 If you do not listen,(U)
    I will weep in secret
    because of your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly,
    overflowing with tears,(V)
    because the Lord’s flock(W) will be taken captive.(X)

18 Say to the king(Y) and to the queen mother,(Z)
    “Come down from your thrones,
for your glorious crowns(AA)
    will fall from your heads.”
19 The cities in the Negev will be shut up,
    and there will be no one to open them.
All Judah(AB) will be carried into exile,
    carried completely away.

20 Look up and see
    those who are coming from the north.(AC)
Where is the flock(AD) that was entrusted to you,
    the sheep of which you boasted?
21 What will you say when the Lord sets over you
    those you cultivated as your special allies?(AE)
Will not pain grip you
    like that of a woman in labor?(AF)
22 And if you ask yourself,
    “Why has this happened to me?”(AG)
it is because of your many sins(AH)
    that your skirts have been torn off(AI)
    and your body mistreated.(AJ)
23 Can an Ethiopian[b] change his skin
    or a leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
    who are accustomed to doing evil.(AK)

24 “I will scatter you like chaff(AL)
    driven by the desert wind.(AM)
25 This is your lot,
    the portion(AN) I have decreed for you,”
declares the Lord,
“because you have forgotten(AO) me
    and trusted in false gods.(AP)
26 I will pull up your skirts over your face
    that your shame may be seen(AQ)
27 your adulteries and lustful neighings,
    your shameless prostitution!(AR)
I have seen your detestable acts
    on the hills and in the fields.(AS)
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
    How long will you be unclean?”(AT)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 13:4 Or possibly to the Euphrates; similarly in verses 5-7
  2. Jeremiah 13:23 Hebrew Cushite (probably a person from the upper Nile region)