The Father's Sign of Coming Ruin
A linen belt, worn, buried and dug up rotten, shows what Judah's pride will become. Every wineskin filled with drunkenness follows. Jeremiah begs them to give glory to our Father before the dark falls, then weeps in private when they refuse. A leopard cannot change its spots.
13 1This is what our Father said to me: "Go, buy yourself a linen loincloth, put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water."
2So I bought the loincloth, as our Father had spoken, and put it around my waist.
3Then the word of our Father came to me a second time:
4"Take the loincloth you bought, the one at your waist, get up, go to the Euphrates, and hide it in a crevice of the rock."
5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as our Father had commanded me.
6After many days our Father told me, "Get up, go to the Euphrates, and get the loincloth I told you to hide there."
7So I went to the Euphrates, dug up the loincloth, and took it from where I'd hidden it. But it was ruined, useless.
8Then the word of our Father came to me:
9"This is what our Father says: So I will ruin Judah's pride and Jerusalem's great pride. 10This evil people, refusing to hear my words, following their stubborn hearts, chasing other gods to serve and bow to them, will be like this loincloth—useless. 11As a loincloth clings to a man's waist, so I made all Israel and all Judah cling to me, declares our Father, to be my people, renown, praise, and glory—but they would not listen.
Every Jar Filled With Judgment
12"So tell them: the Father of Israel says: Every jar is to be filled with wine. They'll answer, 'Don't we know every jar is to be filled with wine?' 13Then tell them: This is what our Father says: I am about to fill everyone in this land—the kings on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all in Jerusalem—with drunkenness. 14I'll smash them against each other, parents and children alike, declares our Father. No pity, no sparing, no mercy will stop me from destroying them."
Hear Before the Darkness Falls
15Listen and pay attention; do not be proud, for our Father has spoken. 16Give glory to your Father before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening mountains; you will hope for light, but he will turn it into deep gloom and make it total darkness. 17But if you will not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and stream with tears, because our Father's flock has been taken captive. 18Say to the king and to the queen mother: Humble yourselves and sit down, for your glorious crown has fallen from your head. 19The cities of the Negev are shut up, with no one to open them. All Judah is carried into exile, carried away completely. 20Look up and see those who are coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you, your beautiful flock? 21What will you say when our Father appoints those you yourself trained as your allies to be your rulers? Will not pains grip you like a woman in labor? 22And if you ask yourself, "Why have these things happened to me?"—it is because of the greatness of your guilt that your skirts have been stripped off and you have been violated. 23Can an Ethiopian change his skin, or a leopard its spots? Then you also could do good—you who are trained to do evil. a a v23 Cush was the land south of Egypt along the upper Nile, in the region of modern Sudan and Ethiopia.
24I will scatter you like chaff that the desert wind blows away. 25This is your lot, the portion I have measured out to you, declares our Father, because you have forgotten me and trusted in lies. 26"So I myself will pull your skirts up over your face, and your shame will be seen. 27Your adulteries, your lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution—on the hills and in the open field I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, Jerusalem! How long until you are made clean?"
