Jeremiah 13:2-25

2So I bought the undergarment 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 undergarment that you bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the 2Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice of the rock.” 5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, 3as the Lord had commanded me. 6After many days the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates and take from there the undergarment which I commanded you to hide there.” 7Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the undergarment from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the undergarment was ruined, it was completely useless.

8Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9“This is what the Lord says: ‘To the same extent I will destroy the 4pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10This wicked people, who 5refuse to listen to My words, who 6walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have followed other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, let them be just like this undergarment which is completely useless. 11For as the undergarment clings to the waist of a man, so I made the entire household of Israel and the entire household of Judah 7cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that they might be My people, for 89renown, for 10praise, and for glory; but they 11did not listen.’

12“Therefore you are to speak this word to them. ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “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, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am going to fill all the inhabitants of this land--the kings who sit for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem--with 12drunkenness! 14Then I will 13smash them against each other, both the 14fathers and the sons together,” declares the Lord. “I will 15not have compassion nor be troubled nor take pity so as to keep from destroying them.”’”

15Listen and pay attention, do not be 16haughty; For the Lord has spoken.1617Give glory to the Lord your God Before He brings 18darkness And before your 19feet stumble On the mountains in the dark, And while you are hoping for light He makes it into 20gloom, And turns it into thick darkness.17But 21if you do not listen to it, My soul will 22weep in secret for such pride; And my eyes will shed And stream down tears, Because the 23flock of the Lord has been taken captive.18Say to the 24king and the queen mother, “25Take a lowly seat, For your beautiful 26crown Has come down from your head.”19The 27cities of the Negev have been locked up, And there is no one to open them; All 28Judah has been taken into exile, Wholly taken into exile.

20“Raise your eyes and see Those coming 29from the north. Where is the 30flock that was given you, Your beautiful sheep?21What will you say when He appoints over you-- And you yourself had taught them-- Former 31companions to be head over you? Will 32sharp pains not take hold of you Like a woman in childbirth?22If you 33say in your heart, ‘34Why have these things happened to me?’ Because of the 35magnitude of your wrongdoing 36Your skirts have been removed And your 37heels have suffered violence.2338Can the Ethiopian change his skin, Or the leopard his spots? Then you as well can 39do good Who are accustomed to doing evil.24Therefore I will 40scatter them like drifting straw To the desert 41wind.25This is your 42lot, the portion measured to you From Me,” declares the Lord, “Because you have 43forgotten Me And trusted in falsehood.