Jeremiah 13:2-25

2So I bought the waistband in accordance with the 1word of the Lord and put it around my waist. 3Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, 4“Take the waistband that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to 2the 3Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice of the rock.” 5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, 4as the Lord had commanded 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.” 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.

8Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9“Thus says the Lord, ‘Just so will I destroy the 5pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10This wicked people, who 6refuse to listen to My words, who 7walk 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. 11For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah 8cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for 910renown, for 11praise and for glory; but they 12did not listen.’

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?’ 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 13drunkenness! 14I will 14dash them against each other, both the 15fathers and the sons together,” declares the Lord. “I will 16not show pity nor be sorry nor have compassion so as not to destroy them.”’”

15Listen and give heed, do not be 17haughty, For the Lord has spoken.1618Give glory to the Lord your God, Before He brings 19darkness And before your 20feet stumble On the dusky mountains, And while you are hoping for light He makes it into 21deep darkness, And turns it into gloom.17But 22if you will not listen to it, My soul will 23sob in secret for such pride; And my eyes will bitterly weep And flow down with tears, Because the 24flock of the Lord has been taken captive.18Say to the 25king and the queen mother, “26Take a lowly seat, For your beautiful 27crown Has come down from your head.”19The 28cities of the Negev have been locked up, And there is no one to open them; All 29Judah has been carried into exile, Wholly carried into exile.

20“Lift up your eyes and see Those coming 30from the north. Where is the 31flock that was given you, Your beautiful sheep?21What will you say when He appoints over you-- And you yourself had taught them-- Former 3233companions to be head over you? Will not 34pangs take hold of you Like a woman in childbirth?22If you 35say in your heart, ‘36Why have these things happened to me?’ Because of the 37magnitude of your iniquity 38Your skirts have been removed And your heels have 39been exposed.2340Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you also can 41do good Who are accustomed to doing evil.24Therefore I will 42scatter them like drifting straw To the desert 43wind.25This is your 44lot, the portion measured to you From Me,” declares the Lord, “Because you have 45forgotten Me And trusted in falsehood.