Jeremiah 13
13
Symbol of the Linen Sash
1Thus the Lord said to me: “Go and get yourself a linen sash, and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2So I got a sash according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist.
3And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, 4“Take the sash that you acquired, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock.” 5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.
6Now it came to pass after many days that the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there.” 7Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing.
8Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9“Thus says the Lord: ‘In this manner #Lev. 26:19I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great #(Is. 2:10–17; 23:9); Zeph. 3:11pride of Jerusalem. 10This evil people, who #Jer. 16:12refuse to hear My words, who #Jer. 7:24; 16:12follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. 11For as the sash 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 #(Ex. 19:5, 6; Deut. 32:10, 11)they may become My people, #Jer. 33:9for renown, for praise, and for #Is. 43:21glory; but they would #Ps. 81:11; Jer. 7:13, 24, 26not hear.’
Symbol of the Wine Bottles
12“Therefore you shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Every bottle shall be filled with wine.” ’
And they will say to you, ‘Do we not certainly know that every bottle will be filled with wine?’
13“Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “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—#Ps. 60:3; 75:8; Is. 51:17; 63:6; Jer. 25:27; 51:7, 57with drunkenness! 14And #2 Chr. 36:17; Ps. 2:9; Is. 9:20, 21; Jer. 19:9–11I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together,” says the Lord. “I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy, but will destroy them.” ’ ”
Pride Precedes Captivity
15Hear and give ear:
Do not be proud,
For the Lord has spoken.
16#Josh. 7:19; Ps. 96:8; Mal. 2:2Give glory to the Lord your God
Before He causes #Is. 5:30; 8:22; Amos 8:9darkness,
And before your feet stumble
On the dark mountains,
And while you are #Is. 59:9looking for light,
He turns it into #Ps. 44:19; Jer. 2:6the shadow of death
And makes it dense darkness.
17But if you will not hear it,
My soul will #Ps. 119:136; Jer. 9:1; 14:17; Luke 19:41, 42weep in secret for your pride;
My eyes will weep bitterly
And run down with tears,
Because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.
18Say to #2 Kin. 24:12; Jer. 22:26the king and to the queen mother,
“Humble yourselves;
Sit down,
For your rule shall collapse, the crown of your glory.”
19The cities of the South shall be shut up,
And no one shall open them;
Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it;
It shall be wholly carried away captive.
20Lift up your eyes and see
Those who come from the #Jer. 10:22; 46:20north.
Where is the flock that was given to you,
Your beautiful sheep?
21What will you say when He punishes you?
For you have taught them
To be chieftains, to be head over you.
Will not #Jer. 6:24pangs seize you,
Like a woman in labor?
22And if you say in your heart,
#Jer. 16:10“Why have these things come upon me?”
For the greatness of your iniquity
#Is. 47:2; Ezek. 16:37; Nah. 3:5Your skirts have been uncovered,
Your heels made bare.
23Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?
Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.
24“Therefore I will #Lev. 26:33; Jer. 9:16; Ezek. 5:2, 12scatter them #Ps. 1:4; Hos. 13:3like stubble
That passes away by the wind of the wilderness.
25#Job 20:29; Ps. 11:6; Matt. 24:51This is your lot,
The portion of your measures from Me,” says the Lord,
“Because you have forgotten Me
And trusted in #Jer. 10:14falsehood.
26Therefore #Lam. 1:8; Ezek. 16:37; Hos. 2:10I will uncover your skirts over your face,
That your shame may appear.
27I have seen your adulteries
And your lustful #Jer. 5:7, 8neighings,
The lewdness of your harlotry,
Your abominations #Is. 65:7; Jer. 2:20; Ezek. 6:13on the hills in the fields.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
Will you still not be made clean?”
Currently Selected:
Jeremiah 13: NKJV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 13
13
Jeremiah’s Linen Belt
1This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen belt. Then put it around your waist. Don’t let the belt get wet.”
2So I bought a linen belt, just as the Lord told me. And I put it around my waist. 3Then the Lord spoke his word to me a second time: 4“Take the belt you bought and are wearing. Go to Perath. Hide the belt there in a crack in the rocks.” 5So I went to Perath and hid the belt there, just as the Lord told me.
6Many days later the Lord said to me, “Now go to Perath. Get the belt that I told you to hide there.” 7So I went to Perath and dug up the belt. I took it from where I had hidden it. But now it was ruined. It was good for nothing.
8Then the Lord spoke his word to me. 9This is what the Lord said: “In the same way I will ruin the pride of the people of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10These evil people refuse to listen to my warnings. They stubbornly do only what they want to do. They follow other gods to serve and worship them. So they will become like this linen belt. They will be good for nothing. 11A belt is wrapped tightly around a man’s waist. In the same way I wrapped the families of Israel and Judah around me,” says the Lord. “I did that so they would be my people. Then they would bring fame, praise and honor to me. But my people would not listen to me.
Warnings About Leather Wine Bags
12“Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: All leather bags for holding wine should be filled with wine.’ People will say to you: ‘Of course, we know all wine bags should be filled with wine.’ 13Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will make everyone in this land like a drunken man. I am talking about the kings who sit on David’s throne. I am also talking about the priests and the prophets. I am talking about all the people who live in Jerusalem. 14I will make the people of Judah stumble and fall into one another. Fathers and sons will fall into one another, says the Lord. I will not feel sorry or have pity for them. My mercy will not stop me from destroying them!’”
Threat of Slavery
15Listen and pay attention.
Don’t be too proud.
The Lord has spoken to you.
16Honor the Lord your God.
Give him glory before he brings darkness.
Praise him before you fall
on the dark hills.
You hope for light.
But the Lord will turn it into thick darkness.
He will change it into deep gloom.
17If you don’t listen to the Lord,
I will cry secretly.
Your pride will cause me to cry.
I will cry painfully.
My eyes will overflow with tears.
This is because the Lord’s people will be captured.
18Tell this to the king and queen mother:
“Come down from your thrones.
Your beautiful crowns
have fallen from your heads.”
19The cities in the desert of southern Judah are shut up.
No one can open them.
All Judah will be taken as captives to a foreign land.
They will be carried away completely.
20Jerusalem, look up and see.
Someone comes from the north.
Where is the flock God gave to you to care for?
It is the flock you bragged about.
21What will you say when they appoint as your heads
those you had thought were your friends?
Won’t you have much pain and trouble?
Your pain will be like that of a woman having a baby.
22You might ask yourself,
“Why has this happened to me?”
It happened because of your many sins.
Because of your sins, your skirt was torn off
and your body has been treated badly.
23A black man from Cush cannot change the color of his skin.
A leopard cannot change his spots.
In the same way, Jerusalem, you cannot change and do good.
You always do evil.
24“I will scatter you like chaff that is blown away by the desert wind.
25This is what will happen to you.
This is your part in my plans,” says the Lord.
“This will happen because you forgot me.
You have trusted in false gods.
26Jerusalem, I will pull your skirts up over your face.
Everyone will see you, and you will be ashamed.
27I have seen the terrible things you have done.
I know your acts of adultery and your snorting.
I have seen you acting like a prostitute.
I have seen your hated acts
on the hills and in the fields.
How terrible it will be for you, Jerusalem.
How long will you continue being unclean?”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.