Jeremiah 13 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Ruined Belt

1 Thus ^H3541 Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to me, “Go ^H1980 and buy ^H7069 yourself a linen ^H6593 belt ^H232 and put ^H7760 it around ^H5921 your loins ^H4975, but do not put ^H935 it in water ^H4325.”

2 So I bought ^H7069 the belt ^H232 in accordance with the word ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068 and put ^H7760 it around ^H5921 my loins ^H4975. 3 Then the word ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068 came ^H1961 to me a second ^H8145 time ^H8145, saying ^H559, 4 “Take ^H3947 the belt ^H232 that you have bought ^H7069, which ^H834 is around ^H5921 your loins ^H4975, and arise ^H6965, go ^H1980 to [fn]the Euphrates ^H6578 and hide ^H2934 it there ^H8033 in a crevice ^H5357 of the rock ^H5553.” 5 So I went ^H1980 and hid ^H2934 it by the Euphrates ^H6578, as Yahweh ^H3068 had commanded ^H6680 me. 6 Now it happened that after ^H4480 many ^H7227 days ^H3117 Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to me, “Arise ^H6965, go ^H1980 to the Euphrates ^H6578 and take ^H3947 from there ^H8033 the belt ^H232 which ^H834 I commanded ^H6680 you to hide ^H2934 there ^H8033.” 7 Then I went ^H1980 to the Euphrates ^H6578 and dug ^H2658, and I took ^H3947 the belt ^H232 from the place ^H4725 where ^H834 H8033 I had hidden ^H2934 it; and behold ^H2009, the belt ^H232 was ruined ^H7843; it was ^H6743 totally ^H3605 worthless ^H3808 H6743.

8 Then the word ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068 came ^H1961 to me, saying ^H559, 9 “Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, ‘Just ^H3602 so ^H3602 will I ruin ^H7843 the pride ^H1347 of Judah ^H3063 and the great ^H7227 pride ^H1347 of Jerusalem ^H3389. 10 This ^H2088 evil ^H7451 people ^H5971, who ^H3987 refuse ^H3987 to listen ^H8085 to My words ^H1697, who walk ^H1980 in the stubbornness ^H8307 of their hearts ^H3820 and have walked ^H1980 after ^H310 other ^H312 gods ^H430 to serve ^H5647 them and to worship ^H2331 them, let them be just like this ^H2088 belt ^H232 which ^H834 is ^H6743 totally ^H3605 worthless ^H3808 H6743. 11 For as the belt ^H232 clings ^H1692 to the loins ^H4975 of a man ^H376, so ^H3651 I made the whole ^H3605 household ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478 and the whole ^H3605 household ^H1004 of Judah ^H3063 cling ^H1692 to Me,’ declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068, ‘that they might be for Me a people ^H5971, for a name ^H8034, for praise ^H8416, and for beauty ^H8597; but they did not listen ^H8085.’

The Magnitude of Israel’s Iniquity

12 “Therefore you are to say ^H559 this ^H2088 word ^H1697 to them, ‘Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, “Every ^H3605 jug ^H5035 is to be filled ^H4390 with wine ^H3196.”’ And they will say ^H559 to you, ‘Do we not very ^H3045 well ^H3045 know ^H3045 that every ^H3605 jug ^H5035 is to be filled ^H4390 with wine ^H3196?’

13 Then you shall say ^H559 to them, ‘Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, “Behold ^H2009, I am about to fill ^H4390 all ^H3605 the inhabitants ^H3427 of this ^H2088 land ^H776—the kings ^H4428 that sit ^H3427 for David ^H1732 on his throne ^H3678, the priests ^H3548, the prophets ^H5030, and all ^H3605 the inhabitants ^H3427 of Jerusalem ^H3389—with drunkenness ^H7943! 14 I will shatter ^H5310 them against ^H413 each ^H376 other ^H251, both the fathers ^H1 and the sons ^H1121 together ^H3162,” declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068. “I will not spare ^H2550 nor ^H3808 show ^H2347 pity ^H2347 nor ^H3808 have ^H7355 compassion ^H7355 so as not to ruin ^H7843 them.”’”

15 Listen ^H8085 and give ^H238 ear ^H238, do not be ^H1361 haughty ^H1361,

For Yahweh ^H3068 has spoken ^H1696.

16 Give ^H5414 glory ^H3519 to Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430,

Before ^H2962 He brings ^H2821 darkness ^H2821

And before ^H2962 your feet ^H7272 [fn]stumble ^H5062

On the dusky ^H5399 mountains ^H2022;

And while you are hoping ^H6960 for light ^H216,

He makes ^H7760 it into the shadow ^H6757 of death ^H6757

And turns ^H7896 it into dense ^H6205 gloom ^H6205.

17 But if ^H518 you will not listen ^H8085 to it,

My soul ^H5315 will cry ^H1058 in secret ^H4565 for such pride ^H1466;

And my eyes ^H5869 will bitterly ^H1830 weep ^H1830

And flow ^H3381 down ^H3381 with tears ^H1832

Because ^H3588 the flock ^H5739 of Yahweh ^H3068 has been taken ^H7617 captive ^H7617.

18 Say ^H559 to the king ^H4428 and the queen ^H1377 mother ^H1377,

“Take ^H3427 a ^H3427 lowly ^H8213 seat ^H3427,

For your beautiful ^H8597 crown ^H5850

Has come ^H3381 down ^H3381 from your head ^H4763.”

19 The cities ^H5892 of the Negev ^H5045 have been closed ^H5462 up ^H5462,

And there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 one ^H369 to open ^H6605 them;

All ^H3605 Judah ^H3063 has been taken ^H1540 away ^H1540 into ^H1540 exile ^H1540,

Wholly ^H7965 taken ^H1540 away ^H1540 into ^H1540 exile ^H1540.

20 “Lift ^H5375 up ^H5375 your eyes ^H5869 and see ^H7200

Those coming ^H935 from the north ^H6828.

Where ^H346 is the flock ^H5739 that was given ^H5414 you,

Your beautiful ^H8597 sheep ^H6629?

21 “What ^H4100 will you say ^H559 when ^H3588 He appoints ^H6485 over ^H5921 you—

And you yourself ^H859 had taught ^H3925 them—

Former [fn]companions ^H441 to be head ^H7218 over ^H5921 you?

Will not pangs ^H2256 seize ^H270 you

Like ^H3644 a woman ^H802 in childbirth ^H3205?

22 “If ^H3588 you say ^H559 in your heart ^H3824,

‘Why ^H4069 have these ^H428 things ^H428 happened ^H7122 to me?’

Because of the magnitude ^H7230 of your iniquity ^H5771

Your skirts ^H7757 have been uncovered ^H1540

And your heels ^H6119 have suffered ^H2554 violence ^H2554.

23 “Can the Ethiopian ^H3569 change ^H2015 his skin ^H5785

Or the leopard ^H5246 his spots ^H2272?

Then you also ^H1571 can ^H3201 do ^H3190 good ^H3190

Who are accustomed ^H3928 to doing ^H7489 evil ^H7489.

24 “Therefore I will scatter ^H6327 them like chaff ^H7179 passing ^H5674 away ^H5674

Into the wilderness ^H4057 wind ^H7307.

25 “This ^H2088 is your lot ^H1486, the portion ^H4521 measured ^H4055 to you

From Me,” declares ^H5002 Yahweh ^H3068,

“Because ^H834 you have forgotten ^H7911 Me

And trusted ^H982 in lies ^H8267.

26 “So I Myself ^H589 have also ^H1571 stripped ^H2834 your skirts ^H7757 off ^H2834 over ^H5921 your face ^H6440,

That your disgrace ^H7036 may be seen ^H7200.

27 “As for your adulteries ^H5004 and your lustful neighings ^H4684,

The lewdness ^H2154 of your prostitution ^H2184

On the hills ^H1389 in the field ^H7704,

I have seen ^H7200 your detestable ^H8251 things ^H8251.

Woe ^H188 to you, O Jerusalem ^H3389!

How ^H4970 long ^{H310 H4970 H5750} will you not ^H3808 cleanse ^H2891 yourself?”