1 Thus the LORD said to me, "Go and buy a linen waistband, and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water."

Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.

2 So I bought the waistband as the LORD had instructed, and I put it around my waist.

So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins.

3 Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying,

And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying,

4 "Take the waistband you bought and are wearing, arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock."

Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, just as the LORD commanded me.

So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.

6 After many days, the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and retrieve the waistband from the place where I hid it."

And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.

7 So I went to the Euphrates, dug it out, and took the waistband from the place where I had hidden it. But behold, the waistband was ruined and no longer useful for anything.

Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

9 "This is what the LORD says: 'In this way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

10 These evil people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts, and who follow other gods to serve and worship them, will become like this waistband—useless for anything.

This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.

11 For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me,' declares the LORD, 'to be my people, my renown, my praise, and my glory. But they would not listen.'

For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

12 Say this to them: 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Every jar will be filled with wine.' And if they say to you, 'Do we not know that every jar will be filled with wine?'

Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

13 Then you shall say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: Behold, 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 people of Jerusalem with drunkenness.

Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

14 And I will shatter them, one against another, fathers and sons together,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will show no pity, no compassion, and no mercy to prevent their destruction.’

And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

15 Listen and pay attention! Do not be proud, for the LORD has spoken.

Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.

16 Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, and before your feet stumble on the darkening mountains. You hope for light, but He will turn it to gloom and thick darkness.

Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

17 But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will weep bitterly and overflow with tears, for the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.

But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.

18 Say to the king and the queen mother, ‘Come down from your thrones, for your glorious crowns have fallen from your heads.’

Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.

19 The cities of the Negev are shut tight, with no one to open them. All Judah has been carried into exile—completely taken away.

The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.

20 Lift up your eyes and see those coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you—the sheep of your glorious care?

Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

21 What will you say when He appoints leaders over you, those you taught to be rulers? Will not pain seize you like a woman in labor?

What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?

22 If you ask yourself, ‘Why has this happened to me?’ it is because of your many sins. Your skirts have been torn off, and your heels have been exposed.

And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare.

23 Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Likewise, you are unable to do good—you who are accustomed to doing evil.

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

24 Therefore, I will scatter them like chaff driven by the wind of the desert.

Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.

25 This is your lot, the portion measured for you from Me,” declares the LORD, “because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood.

This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

26 So I will expose your skirts over your face, and your shame will be seen.

Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.

27 Your adulteries, your lustful neighings, your wicked acts of prostitution on the hills and in the fields—I have seen your detestable behavior. Woe to you, Jerusalem! How much longer will it be before you are made clean?

I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?