Jeremiah 13
13
Jeremiah's Linen Shorts
1The Lord told me, “Go and buy a pair of linen shorts. Wear them for a while, but don't wash them.” 2So I bought a pair of shorts and put them on.
3Then the Lord said, 4“Take off the shorts. Go to Parah#13.4 Parah: Or “the Euphrates River.” Parah was a village about nine kilometers northeast of Jerusalem. and hide the shorts in a crack between some large rocks.” 5And that's what I did.
6Some time later the Lord said, “Go back and get the shorts.” 7I went back and dug the shorts out of their hiding place, but the cloth had rotted, and the shorts were ruined.
8Then the Lord said:
9Jeremiah, I will use Babylonia to#13.9 I will use Babylonia to: Or “that's how I'm going to.” destroy the pride of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 10The people of Judah are evil and stubborn. So instead of listening to me, they do whatever they want and even worship other gods. When I am finished with these people, they will be good for nothing, just like this pair of shorts. 11These shorts were tight around your waist, and that's how tightly I held onto the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. I wanted them to be my people. I wanted to make them famous, so that other nations would praise and honor me, but they refused to obey me.
Wine Jars
The Lord said:
12Jeremiah, tell the people of Judah, “The Lord God of Israel orders you to fill your wine jars with wine.”
They will answer, “Of course we fill our wine jars with wine! Why are you telling us something we already know?”
13Then say to them:
I am the Lord, and what I'm going to do will make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem appear to be full of wine. And the worst ones will be the kings of David's family and the priests and the prophets. 14Then I will smash them against each other like jars. I will have no pity on the young or the old, and they will all be destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken.
The People of Judah Will Be Taken Away
15People of Judah,
don't be too proud to listen
to what the Lord has said.
16You hope for light,
but God is sending darkness.
Evening shadows already deepen
in the hills.
So return to God
and confess your sins to him
before you trip and fall.
17If you are too proud to listen,
I will weep alone.
Tears will stream from my eyes
when the Lord's people
are taken away as prisoners.
18The Lord told me to tell you
that your king and his mother#13.18 mother: The king's mother usually had an important position in the royal court.
must surrender their thrones
and remove their crowns.#13.18 and remove their crowns: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
19The cities in the Southern Desert
are surrounded;
no one can get in or out.
Everyone in Judah
will be taken away.
20Jerusalem, you were so proud
of ruling the people of Judah.
But where are they now?
Look north, and you will see
your enemies approaching.
21You once trusted them to help,
but now I'll let them rule you.#13.21 You once … rule you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
What do you say about that?
You will be in pain
like a woman giving birth.
22Do you know why
your clothes were torn off
and you were abused?
It was because
of your terrible sins.
23Can you ever change
and do what's right?
Can people change the color
of their skin,
or can a leopard
remove its spots?
If so, then maybe you can change
and learn to do right.
24I will scatter you,
just as the desert wind
blows husks from grain
tossed in the air.
25I won't change my mind.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
You rejected me
and worshiped false gods.
* 26You were married to me,
but you were unfaithful.
You even became a prostitute#13.26 prostitute: See the note at 2.20.
by worshiping disgusting gods
on hilltops and in fields.
27So I'll rip off your clothes
and leave you naked and ashamed
for everyone to see.
You are doomed!
Will you ever be worthy
to worship me again?
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 13
13
The Ruined Loincloth
1Thus says the Lord to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and #Ex. 28:39; Lev. 16:4; [Acts 21:11]put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.” 2So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist. 3And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, 4“Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, #[ch. 51:59, 63] go to the Euphrates and hide it there in #Isa. 7:19a cleft of the rock.” 5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. 6And after many days the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there #[See ver. 1 above]the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” 7Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took #[See ver. 1 above] the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was #ch. 18:4 spoiled; it was #[Ezek. 15:4, 5]good for nothing.
8Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9“Thus says the Lord: #[Ps. 137:1] Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great #Lev. 26:19pride of Jerusalem. 10This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, #[ch. 3:17; 16:11, 12] 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 #[See ver. 7 above]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, #[Ex. 19:5] that they might be for me a people, #ch. 33:9; Isa. 55:13; Zeph. 3:20a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.
The Jars Filled with Wine
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 #ch. 48:12every jar will be filled with wine?’ 13Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: #Ezek. 23:33 Behold, I will fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land: #ch. 17:20; 19:3; 22:2 the kings who sit on David’s throne, #[ch. 18:18]the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 14And I will #Ps. 2:9; [ch. 19:10, 11]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.’”
Exile Threatened
15Hear and give ear; be not proud,
for the Lord has spoken.
16 # [Josh. 7:19] Give glory to the Lord your God
#
Isa. 5:30; 8:22; Amos 5:8; 8:9; [John 11:10] before he brings darkness,
before your feet stumble
on the twilight mountains,
and #Isa. 5:30; 8:22; Amos 5:8; 8:9; [John 11:10] while you look for light
he turns it into gloom
and makes it #Isa. 60:2deep darkness.
17But if you will not listen,
# ch. 9:1, 18; 14:17; Lam. 1:2, 16; 2:18; 3:49 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.
18Say to #ch. 22:26; 2 Kgs. 24:12 the king and #ch. 22:26; 2 Kgs. 24:12 the queen mother:
“Take a lowly seat,
for #Prov. 4:9; Isa. 28:5; 62:3; Lam. 5:16your beautiful crown
has come down from your head.”
19 # [Josh. 6:1] The cities of the Negeb are shut up,
with none to open them;
all Judah is taken into exile,
wholly taken into exile.
20“Lift up your eyes #ch. 1:13, 14; 6:22and see
those who come from the north.
Where is the flock that was given you,
your beautiful flock?
21What will you say when they set as head over you
those whom you yourself have taught to be friends to you?
# See Isa. 13:8 Will not pangs take hold of you
like those of a woman in labor?
22And if you say in your heart,
# See ch. 5:19 ‘Why have these things come upon me?’
it is for the greatness of your iniquity
that #ver. 26; Isa. 3:17; Lam. 1:8; Nah. 3:5; [Hos. 2:10]your skirts are lifted up
and you suffer violence.
23 # [Matt. 19:26] Can the Ethiopian change his skin
or #[Matt. 19:26]the leopard his spots?
Then also you can do good
who are accustomed to do evil.
24I will scatter you#13:24 Hebrew them #Ps. 1:4; 83:13like chaff
driven by the wind from the desert.
25 #
Job 20:29; Ps. 11:6 This is your lot,
the portion I have measured out to you, declares the Lord,
because #ch. 2:32you have forgotten me
and trusted in lies.
26 # [See ver. 22 above] I myself will lift up your skirts over your face,
and your shame will be seen.
27I have seen #ch. 6:15 your abominations,
your adulteries and #ch. 5:8 neighings, your lewd whorings,
# See ch. 2:20 on the hills in the field.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
How long will it be #Isa. 1:16; [Ezek. 24:13]before you are made clean?”
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