^{1 Ref} Thus said Jehovah unto me, `Go, and thou hast got for thee a girdle of linen, and hast placed it on thy loins, and into water thou dost not cause it to enter:'

^{2 Ref} and I get the girdle, according to the word of Jehovah, and I place `it' on my loins.

^{3 Ref} And there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying,

^{4 Ref} `Take the girdle that thou hast got, that `is' on thy loins, and rise, go to Phrat, and hide it there in a hole of the rock;

^{5 Ref} and I go and hide it by Phrat, as Jehovah commanded me.

⁶ And it cometh to pass, at the end of many days, that Jehovah saith unto me, `Rise, go to Phrat, and take thence the girdle, that I commanded thee to hide there;'

^{7 Ref} and I go to Phrat, and dig, and take the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and lo, the girdle hath been marred, it is not profitable for anything.

⁸ And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, `Thus said Jehovah:

^{9 Ref} Thus do I mar the excellency of Judah, And the great excellency of Jerusalem.

^{10 Ref} This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, Who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, And go after other gods to serve them, And to bow themselves to them, Yea it is -- as this girdle, that is not profitable for anything.

^{11 Ref} For, as the girdle cleaveth unto the loins of a man, So I caused to cleave unto Me The whole house of Israel, And the whole house of Judah, an affirmation of Jehovah, To be to Me for a people, and for a name, And for praise, and for beauty, And they have not hearkened.

^{12 Ref} And thou hast said unto them this word, Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, `Every bottle is full of wine,' And they have said unto thee: `Do we not certainly know that every bottle is full of wine?'

^{13 Ref} And thou hast said unto them, `Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am filling all the inhabitants of this land, And the kings who sit for David on his throne, And the priests, and the prophets, And all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, `With' drunkenness,

^{14 Ref} And have dashed them one against another, And the fathers and the sons together, An affirmation of Jehovah, I do not pity, nor spare, nor have I mercy, So as not to destroy them.

^{15 Ref} Hear, and give ear -- be not haughty, For Jehovah hath spoken.

^{16 Ref} Give ye to Jehovah your God honour, Before He doth cause darkness, And before your feet stumble on dark mountains, And ye have waited for light, And He hath made it for death-shade, And hath appointed `it' for thick darkness.

^{17 Ref} And if ye do not hear it, In secret places doth my soul weep, because of pride, Yea, it weepeth sore, And the tear cometh down mine eyes, For the flock of Jehovah hath been taken captive.

^{18 Ref} Say to the king and to the mistress: Make yourselves low -- sit still, For come down have your principalities, The crown of your beauty.

^{19 Ref} The cities of the south have been shut up, And there is none opening, Judah hath been removed -- all of her, She hath been removed completely --

^{20 Ref} Lift up your eyes, and see those coming in from the north, Where `is' the drove given to thee, thy beautiful flock?

^{21 Ref} What dost thou say, when He looketh after thee? And thou -- thou hast taught them `to be' over thee -- leaders for head? Do not pangs seize thee as a travailing woman?

^{22 Ref} And when thou dost say in thy heart, `Wherefore have these met me?' For the abundance of thine iniquity Have thy skirts been uncovered, Have thy heels suffered violence.

^{23 Ref} Doth a Cushite change his skin? and a leopard his spots? Ye also are able to do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

^{24 Ref} And I scatter them as stubble, Passing away, by a wind of the wilderness.

^{25 Ref} This `is' thy lot, the portion of thy measures from Me -- an affirmation of Jehovah, Because thou hast forgotten me, And dost trust in falsehood.

^{26 Ref} I also have made bare thy skirts before thy face, And thy shame hath been seen.

^{27 Ref} Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, The wickedness of thy whoredom, on heights in a field, I have seen thine abominations. Wo to thee, O Jerusalem, Thou art not cleansed, after when `is it' again?

^{1 Ref} Thus says Yahweh to me, Go, and buy you a linen belt, and put it on your loins, and don't put it in water.

^{2 Ref} So I bought a belt according to the word of Yahweh, and put it on my loins.

^{3 Ref} The word of Yahweh came to me the second time, saying,

^{4 Ref} Take the belt that you have bought, which is on your loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

^{5 Ref} So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as Yahweh commanded me.

⁶ It happened after many days, that Yahweh said to me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the belt from there, which I commanded you to hide there.

^{7 Ref} Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the belt from the place where I had hid it; and, behold, the belt was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

⁸ Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

^{9 Ref} Thus says Yahweh, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

^{10 Ref} This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and are gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this belt, which is profitable for nothing.

^{11 Ref} For as the belt cleaves to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says Yahweh; that they may be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

^{12 Ref} Therefore you shall speak to them this word: Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall tell you, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

^{13 Ref} Then shall you tell them, Thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit on David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

^{14 Ref} I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says Yahweh: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them.

^{15 Ref} Hear you, and give ear; don't be proud; for Yahweh has spoken.

^{16 Ref} Give glory to Yahweh your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

^{17 Ref} But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for [your] pride; and my eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because Yahweh's flock is taken captive.

^{18 Ref} Say you to the king and to the queen-mother, Humble yourselves, sit down; for your headdresses are come down, even the crown of your glory.

^{19 Ref} The cities of the South are shut up, and there is none to open them: Judah is carried away captive, all of it; it is wholly carried away captive.

^{20 Ref} Lift up your eyes, and see those who come from the north: where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?

^{21 Ref} What will you say, when he shall set over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you? shall not sorrows take hold of you, as of a woman in travail?

^{22 Ref} If you say in your heart, Why are these things come on me? for the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts uncovered, and your heels suffer violence.

^{23 Ref} Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

^{24 Ref} Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that passes away, by the wind of the wilderness.

^{25 Ref} This is your lot, the portion measured to you from me, says Yahweh; because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

^{26 Ref} Therefore will I also uncover your skirts on your face, and your shame shall appear.

^{27 Ref} I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries, and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! you will not be made clean; how long shall it yet be?