| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 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.” | 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 a loincloth according to 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. |
| 3And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, | 3Then the LORD gave me another message: |
| 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.” | 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 commanded me. | 5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates as the LORD had instructed me. |
| 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.” | 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 loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing. | 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: | 8Then I received this message from the LORD: |
| 9“Thus says the LORD: Even so will I spoil 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. |
| 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. | 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! |
| 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. | 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“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?’ | 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 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. | 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. |
| 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.’” | 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 |
| 15Hear and give ear; be not proud, 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, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness. | 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, 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. | 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 Negeb are shut up, with none to open them; all Judah is taken into exile, wholly taken 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 who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock? | 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? |
| 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? | 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! |
| 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. | 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. |
| 23Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do 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. |
| 24I will scatter you like chaff driven by the wind from the desert. | 24“I will scatter you like chaff that is blown away by the desert winds. |
| 25This is your lot, the portion I have measured out to you, declares the LORD, because you have forgotten me and trusted in lies. | 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. |
| 26I myself will lift up your skirts over your face, and your shame will be seen. | 26I myself will strip you and expose you to shame. |
| 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?” | 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?” |
| 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. | 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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