¹The LORD said to me , “Go , and buy yourself a linen belt, and put it on your waist , and don’t put it in water .”

²So I bought a belt according to the LORD ’s word , and put it on my waist .

³The LORD ’s word came to me the second time , saying ,

⁴“Take the belt that you have bought , which is on your waist , and arise , go to the Euphrates , and hide it there in a cleft of the rock .”

⁵So I went and hid it by the Euphrates , as the LORD commanded me .

⁶After many days , the LORD said to me , “Arise , go to the Euphrates , and take the belt from there , which I commanded you to hide there .”

⁷Then I went to the Euphrates , and dug , and took the belt from the place where I had hidden it ; and behold , the belt was ruined . It was profitable for nothing .

⁸Then the LORD ’s word came to me , saying ,

⁹“The LORD says , ‘In this way I will ruin the pride of Judah , and the great pride of Jerusalem .

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

¹¹For as the belt clings to the waist of a man , so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to me ,’ says the LORD ; ‘that they may be to me for a people , for a name , for praise , and for glory ; but they would not hear .’

¹²“Therefore you shall speak to them this word : ‘The LORD , the God of Israel says , “Every container should be filled with wine .”’ They will tell you , ‘Do we not certainly know that every container should be filled with wine ?’

¹³Then tell them , ‘The LORD says , “Behold , I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit on David ’s throne , the priests , the prophets , and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem , with drunkenness .

¹⁴I will dash them one against another , even the fathers and the sons together ,” says the LORD : “I will not pity , spare , or have compassion , that I should not destroy them .”’”

¹⁵Hear , and give ear .

Don’t be proud ,

for the LORD has spoken .

¹⁶Give glory to the LORD your God ,

before he causes darkness ,

and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains ,

and while you look for light ,

he turns it into the shadow of death ,

and makes it deep darkness .

¹⁷But if you will not hear it ,

my soul will weep in secret for your pride .

My eye will weep bitterly ,

and run down with tears ,

because the LORD ’s flock has been taken captive .

¹⁸Say to the king and to the queen mother ,

“Humble yourselves.

Sit down , for your crowns have come down ,

even the crown of your glory .

¹⁹The cities of the South are shut up ,

and there is no one to open them .

Judah is carried away captive : all of them .

They are wholly carried away captive .

²⁰Lift up your eyes ,

and see those who come from the north .

Where is the flock that was given to you ,

your beautiful flock ?

²¹What will you say when he sets over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you ?

Won’t sorrows take hold of you , as of a woman in travail ?

²²If you say in your heart ,

“Why have these things come on me ?”

Your skirts are uncovered because of the greatness of your iniquity ,

and your heels suffer violence .

²³Can the Ethiopian change his skin ,

or the leopard his spots ?

Then may you also do good ,

who are accustomed to do evil .

²⁴“Therefore I will scatter them

as the stubble that passes away

by the wind of the wilderness .

²⁵This is your lot ,

the portion measured to you from me ,” says the LORD ,

“because you have forgotten me ,

and trusted in falsehood .”

²⁶Therefore I will also uncover your skirts on your face ,

and your shame will appear .

²⁷I 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 will it yet be ?”