Symbol of the Linen Sash1Thus the Lord said to me: “Go and get yourself a linen sash, and put it [a]around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2So I got a [b]sash according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist. 3And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, 4“Take the [c]sash that you acquired, which is [d]around your waist, and arise, go to the [e]Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock.” 5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. 6Now it came to pass after many days that the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there.” 7Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the [f]sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing. 8Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9“Thus says the Lord: ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow[g] the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. 11For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the Lord, ‘that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.’ Symbol of the Wine Bottles12“Therefore you shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Every bottle shall be filled with wine.” ’ “And they will say to you, ‘Do we not certainly know that every bottle will be filled with wine?’ 13“Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land—even the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with drunkenness! 14And I will dash them [h]one against another, even the fathers and the sons together,” says the Lord. “I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy, but will destroy them.” ’ ” Pride Precedes Captivity15Hear and give ear:
18Say to the king and to the queen mother,
20Lift up your eyes and see
24“Therefore I will scatter them like stubble Footnotes:
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. Bible Hub |