The Linen Loincloth

1Thus said YHWH to me: “Go and acquire for yourself a linen loincloth, and put it around your waist, and you shall not put it in the water.

2And I acquired a loincloth, according to the word of YHWH, and I put it around my waist.

3And the word of YHWH came to me a second time, saying: 4“Take the loincloth that you acquired, which is around your waist, and rise up, go to Perath,† and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

5And I went and hid it in Perath, as YHWH commanded me.

6And it came to pass after many days that YHWH said to me: “Rise and go to Perath, and take from there the the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there. 7And I went to Perath and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it there; and behold, the loincloth had been ruined, and it was not profitable for anything.

8And the word of YHWH came to me, saying: 9Thus says YHWH: “In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10This evil people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubborness of their heart and walk after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, they shall even become like this loincloth, which is not profitable for anything!

11Indeed, as a loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made to cling to Me all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah, a declaration of YHWH, to become unto Me as people, and for renown, and for praise, and for glory! They would not listen.

The Wineskins

12And you shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says YHWH the God of Israel: Every bottle shall be filled with wine.’

And they will say to you ‘Do we not already know this, that every bottle will be filled with wine? 13And you shall say to them: ‘Thus says YHWH: Behold, I am going to fill all those dwelling in this land, and the kings sitting for David on his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all those dwelling in Jerusalem, with drunkenness. 14And I will dash them—a man against his brother, and the fathers and the sons together, a declaration of YHWH. I will not spare, and I will not have pity, and I will not have compassion to keep from destroying them.’”

Captivity Threatened

15Listen and give ear! Do not be proud,

for YHWH has spoken.

16Give glory to YHWH your⁺ God

before He brings darkness,

and before your⁺ feet stumble

on the dark mountains,

and while you⁺ are looking for light,

and He turns it into the shadow of death and makes it thick darkness.

17But if you⁺ will not listen,

then in secret My soul will weep from the face of your pride, and will weep bitterly,

and My eyes will flow with tears,

because the flock of YHWH has been taken captive.

18Say to the king

and to the queen mother,

“Humble yourselves, sit down!

For from your⁺ heads have fallen the crown of your⁺ splendor!”

19The cities of the Negev have been shut tight,

and there is no one opening them;

Judah has been removed, all of her—

she has been removed completely!

20Lift up your⁺ eyes,

and see those coming from the north.

Where is the flock He gave to you,

your beautiful flock?

21What will you say when He sets over you—

and you had taught them to be allies with you—to be head?

Will not pangs seize you

like a woman in labor?

22And if you should say in your heart,

“Why have these things happened to me?—

It is by the abundance of your iniquity

that your skirts have been uncovered

and your heels have suffered violence.

23Can the Cushite† change his skin,

or the leopard its spots?

Are you⁺ also able do good—

you who are accustomed to doing evil.

24“And I will scatter them like chaff

that passes away by the wind of the wilderness.

25This is your lot,

the portion of your measures from Me,”

a declaration of YHWH,

“Because you have forgotten Me

and have trusted in falsehood!

26Therefore I will strip away your skirts over your face,

that your shame may be seen—

27I have seen your adulteries and your neighings,

the wickedness of your prostitution!

Your abominations upon the hills

and in the fields.

Woe to you, O Jerusalem!

After how long will you not be made clean?”