| New International Version | English Standard Version |
| 1This 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." | 1Thus says the LORD to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.” |
| 2So I bought a belt, as the LORD directed, and put it around my waist. | 2So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the LORD, and put it around my waist. |
| 3Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time: | 3And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, |
| 4"Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks." | 4“Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.” |
| 5So I went and hid it at Perath, as the LORD told me. | 5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. |
| 6Many days later the LORD said to me, "Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there." | 6And after many days the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” |
| 7So 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. | 7Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing. |
| 8Then the word of the LORD came to me: | 8Then the word of the LORD came to me: |
| 9"This is what the LORD says: 'In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. | 9“Thus says the LORD: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. |
| 10These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt--completely useless! | 10This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. |
| 11For 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 and praise and honor. But they have not listened.' | 11For as the loincloth 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, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen. |
| 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?' | 12“You shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “Every jar shall be filled with wine.”’ And they will say to you, ‘Do we not indeed know that every jar will be filled with wine?’ |
| 13then tell them, 'This is what the LORD says: I am going to fill with drunkenness 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. | 13Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land: the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. |
| 14I will smash them one against the other, parents and children alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them.'" | 14And I will dash them one against another, fathers and sons together, declares the LORD. I will not pity or spare or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.’” |
| 15Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. | 15Hear and give ear; be not proud, for the LORD has spoken. |
| 16Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings the darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but he will turn it to utter darkness and change it to deep gloom. | 16Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness. |
| 17If you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the LORD's flock will be taken captive. | 17But 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. |
| 18Say to the king and to the queen mother, "Come down from your thrones, for your glorious crowns will fall from your heads." | 18Say to the king and the queen mother: “Take a lowly seat, for your beautiful crown has come down from your head.” |
| 19The cities in the Negev will be shut up, and there will be no one to open them. All Judah will be carried into exile, carried completely away. | 19The cities of the Negeb are shut up, with none to open them; all Judah is taken into exile, wholly taken into exile. |
| 20Look up and see those who are coming from the north. Where is the flock that was entrusted to you, the sheep of which you boasted? | 20“Lift up your eyes and see those who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock? |
| 21What will you say when the LORD sets over you those you cultivated as your special allies? Will not pain grip you like that of a woman in labor? | 21What will you say when they set as head over you those whom you yourself have taught to be friends to you? Will not pangs take hold of you like those of a woman in labor? |
| 22And if you ask yourself, "Why has this happened to me?"-- it is because of your many sins that your skirts have been torn off and your body mistreated. | 22And 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 suffer violence. |
| 23Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil. | 23Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil. |
| 24"I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind. | 24I will scatter you like chaff driven by the wind from the desert. |
| 25This is your lot, the portion I have decreed for you," declares the LORD, "because you have forgotten me and trusted in false gods. | 25This is your lot, the portion I have measured out to you, declares the LORD, because you have forgotten me and trusted in lies. |
| 26I will pull up your skirts over your face that your shame may be seen-- | 26I myself will lift up your skirts over your face, and your shame will be seen. |
| 27your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution! I have seen your detestable acts on the hills and in the fields. Woe to you, Jerusalem! How long will you be unclean?" | 27I have seen your abominations, your adulteries and neighings, your lewd whorings, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will it be before you are made clean?” |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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