Online Bible

The Ruined Waistband

Thus the LORD said to me, “Go and ^abuy yourself a linen waistband and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2 So I bought the waistband in accordance with the ^aword 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 waistband that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to ¹the ^aEuphrates and hide it there in a crevice of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, ^aas the LORD had commanded me. 6 After many days the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates and take from there the waistband which I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the waistband from the place where I had hidden it; and lo, the waistband was ruined, it was totally worthless.

8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 “Thus says the LORD, ‘Just so will I destroy the ^apride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This wicked people, who ^arefuse to listen to My words, who ^bwalk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have gone after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, let them be just like this waistband which is totally worthless. 11 For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah ^acling to Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for ¹^brenown, for ^cpraise and for glory; but they ^ddid not listen.’

Captivity Threatened

12 “Therefore you are to speak this word to them, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “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, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land—the kings that sit for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with ^adrunkenness! 14 I will ^adash them against each other, both the ^bfathers and the sons together,” declares the LORD. “I will ^cnot show pity nor be sorry nor have compassion so as not to destroy them.”’”

15 Listen and give heed, do not be ^ahaughty,For the LORD has spoken.16 ^aGive glory to the LORD your God,Before He brings ^bdarknessAnd before your ^cfeet stumbleOn the dusky mountains,And while you are hoping for lightHe makes it into ^ddeep darkness,And turns it into gloom.17 But ^aif you will not listen to it,My soul will ^bsob in secret for such pride;And my eyes will bitterly weepAnd flow down with tears,Because the ^cflock of the LORD has been taken captive.18 Say to the ^aking and the queen mother,“^bTake a lowly seat,For your beautiful ^ccrownHas come down from your head.”19 The ^acities of the Negev have been locked up,And there is no one to open them;All ^bJudah has been carried into exile,Wholly carried into exile.

20 “Lift up your eyes and seeThose coming ^afrom the north.Where is the ^bflock that was given you,Your beautiful sheep?21 “What will you say when He appoints over you—And you yourself had taught them—Former ¹^acompanions to be head over you?Will not ^bpangs take hold of youLike a woman in childbirth?22 “If you ^asay in your heart,‘^bWhy have these things happened to me?’Because of the ^cmagnitude of your iniquity^dYour skirts have been removedAnd your heels have ¹been exposed.23 “^aCan the Ethiopian change his skinOr the leopard his spots?Then you also can ^bdo goodWho are accustomed to doing evil.24 “Therefore I will ^ascatter them like drifting strawTo the desert ^bwind.25 “This is your ^alot, the portion measured to youFrom Me,” declares the LORD,“Because you have ^bforgotten MeAnd trusted in falsehood.26 “So I Myself have also ^astripped your skirts off over your face,That your shame may be seen.27 “As for your ^aadulteries and your lustful neighings,The ^blewdness of your prostitutionOn the ^chills in the field,I have seen your abominations.Woe to you, O Jerusalem!^dHow long will you remain unclean?”

The Ruined Undergarment

This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and ^abuy 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 ^aword 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 ^aEuphrates and hide it there in a crevice of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, ^aas 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 ^apride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This wicked people, who ^arefuse to listen to My words, who ^bwalk 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 ^acling to Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘so that they might be My people, for ¹^brenown, for ^cpraise, and for glory; but they ^ddid 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 ^adrunkenness! 14 Then I will ^asmash them against each other, both the ^bfathers and the sons together,” declares the LORD. “I will ^cnot have compassion nor be troubled nor take pity so as to keep from destroying them.”’”

15 Listen and pay attention, do not be ^ahaughty;For the LORD has spoken.16 ^aGive glory to the LORD your GodBefore He brings ^bdarknessAnd before your ^cfeet stumbleOn the mountains in the dark,And while you are hoping for lightHe makes it into ^dgloom,And turns it into thick darkness.17 But ^aif you do not listen to it,My soul will ^bweep in secret for such pride;And my eyes will shedAnd stream down tears,Because the ^cflock of the LORD has been taken captive.18 Say to the ^aking and the queen mother,“^bTake a lowly seat,For your beautiful ^ccrownHas come down from your head.”19 The ^acities of the Negev have been locked up,And there is no one to open them;All ^bJudah has been taken into exile,Wholly taken into exile.

20 “Raise your eyes and seeThose coming ^afrom the north.Where is the ^bflock that was given you,Your beautiful sheep?21 “What will you say when He appoints over you—And you yourself had taught them—Former ^acompanions to be head over you?Will ^bsharp pains not take hold of youLike a woman in childbirth?22 “If you ^asay in your heart,‘^bWhy have these things happened to me?’Because of the ^cmagnitude of your wrongdoing^dYour skirts have been removedAnd your ¹heels have suffered violence.23 “^aCan the Ethiopian change his skin,Or the leopard his spots?Then you as well can ^bdo goodWho are accustomed to doing evil.24 “Therefore I will ^ascatter them like drifting strawTo the desert ^bwind.25 “This is your ^alot, the portion measured to youFrom Me,” declares the LORD,“Because you have ^bforgotten MeAnd trusted in falsehood.26 “So I Myself have ^astripped your skirts off over your face,So that your shame will be seen.27 “As for your ^aadulteries and your lustful neighings,The ^boutrageous sin of your prostitutionOn the ^chills in the field,I have seen your abominations.Woe to you, Jerusalem!^dHow long will you remain unclean?”