| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New Living Translation |
| 1Thus the LORD said to me, "Go and buy yourself a linen waistband and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water." | 1This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it on, but do not wash it.” |
| 2So I bought the waistband in accordance with the word of the LORD and put it around my waist. | 2So I bought the loincloth as the LORD directed me, and I put it on. |
| 3Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, | 3Then the LORD gave me another message: |
| 4"Take the waistband that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice of the rock." | 4“Take the linen loincloth you are wearing, and go to the Euphrates River. Hide it there in a hole in the rocks.” |
| 5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD had commanded me. | 5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates as the LORD had instructed me. |
| 6After many days the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates and take from there the waistband which I commanded you to hide there." | 6A long time afterward the LORD said to me, “Go back to the Euphrates and get the loincloth I told you to hide there.” |
| 7Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the waistband from the place where I had hidden it; and lo, the waistband was ruined, it was totally worthless. | 7So I went to the Euphrates and dug it out of the hole where I had hidden it. But now it was rotting and falling apart. The loincloth was good for nothing. |
| 8Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 8Then I received this message from the LORD: |
| 9"Thus says the LORD, 'Just so will I destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. | 9“This is what the LORD says: This shows how I will rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. |
| 10'This wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have gone after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, let them be just like this waistband which is totally worthless. | 10These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth—good for nothing! |
| 11'For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah cling to Me,' declares the LORD, 'that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise and for glory; but they did not listen.' | 11As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the LORD. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me. |
| 12"Therefore you are to speak this word to them, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "Every jug is to be filled with wine."' And when they say to you, 'Do we not very well know that every jug is to be filled with wine?' | 12“So tell them, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: May all your jars be filled with wine.’ And they will reply, ‘Of course! Jars are made to be filled with wine!’ |
| 13then say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land-- the kings that sit for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem-- with drunkenness! | 13“Then tell them, ‘No, this is what the LORD means: I will fill everyone in this land with drunkenness—from the king sitting on David’s throne to the priests and the prophets, right down to the common people of Jerusalem. |
| 14"I will dash them against each other, both the fathers and the sons together," declares the LORD. "I will not show pity nor be sorry nor have compassion so as not to destroy them."'" | 14I will smash them against each other, even parents against children, says the LORD. I will not let my pity or mercy or compassion keep me from destroying them.’” A Warning against Pride |
| 15Listen and give heed, do not be haughty, For the LORD has spoken. | 15Listen and pay attention! Do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. |
| 16Give glory to the LORD your God, Before He brings darkness And before your feet stumble On the dusky mountains, And while you are hoping for light He makes it into deep darkness, And turns it into gloom. | 16Give glory to the LORD your God before it is too late. Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you, causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains. For then, when you look for light, you will find only terrible darkness and gloom. |
| 17But if you will not listen to it, My soul will sob in secret for such pride; And my eyes will bitterly weep And flow down with tears, Because the flock of the LORD has been taken captive. | 17And if you still refuse to listen, I will weep alone because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD’s flock will be led away into exile. |
| 18Say to the king and the queen mother, "Take a lowly seat, For your beautiful crown Has come down from your head." | 18Say to the king and his mother, “Come down from your thrones and sit in the dust, for your glorious crowns will soon be snatched from your heads.” |
| 19The cities of the Negev have been locked up, And there is no one to open them; All Judah has been carried into exile, Wholly carried into exile. | 19The towns of the Negev will close their gates, and no one will be able to open them. The people of Judah will be taken away as captives. All will be carried into exile. |
| 20"Lift up your eyes and see Those coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given you, Your beautiful sheep? | 20Open up your eyes and see the armies marching down from the north! Where is your flock— your beautiful flock— that he gave you to care for? |
| 21"What will you say when He appoints over you-- And you yourself had taught them-- Former companions to be head over you? Will not pangs take hold of you Like a woman in childbirth? | 21What will you say when the LORD takes the allies you have cultivated and appoints them as your rulers? Pangs of anguish will grip you, like those of a woman in labor! |
| 22"If you say in your heart, 'Why have these things happened to me?' Because of the magnitude of your iniquity Your skirts have been removed And your heels have been exposed. | 22You may ask yourself, “Why is all this happening to me?” It is because of your many sins! That is why you have been stripped and raped by invading armies. |
| 23"Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good Who are accustomed to doing evil. | 23Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard take away its spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you have always done evil. |
| 24"Therefore I will scatter them like drifting straw To the desert wind. | 24“I will scatter you like chaff that is blown away by the desert winds. |
| 25"This is your lot, the portion measured to you From Me," declares the LORD, "Because you have forgotten Me And trusted in falsehood. | 25This is your allotment, the portion I have assigned to you,” says the LORD, “for you have forgotten me, putting your trust in false gods. |
| 26"So I Myself have also stripped your skirts off over your face, That your shame may be seen. | 26I myself will strip you and expose you to shame. |
| 27"As for your adulteries and your lustful neighings, The lewdness of your prostitution On the hills in the field, I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?" | 27I have seen your adultery and lust, and your disgusting idol worship out in the fields and on the hills. What sorrow awaits you, Jerusalem! How long before you are pure?” |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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