7
Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the waistband from the placewhere* I had hidden it; and lo, the waistband was ruined, it was totallyworthless.
10
'Thiswickedpeople, whorefuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have goneafterothergods to serve them and to bowdown to them, let them be just like thiswaistbandwhich is totallyworthless.
11
'For as the waistbandclings to the waist of a man, so I made the wholehousehold of Israel and the wholehousehold of Judahcling to Me,' declares the LORD, 'that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise and for glory; but they did not listen.'
12
"Therefore you are to speakthisword to them, 'Thussays the LORD, the God of Israel, "Everyjug is to be filled with wine."' And when they say to you, 'Do we not verywellknow that everyjug is to be filled with wine?'
13
then say to them, 'Thussays the LORD, "Behold I am about to fillall the inhabitants of thisland -the kings that sit for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem -with drunkenness!
14
"I will dash them againsteachother, both the fathers and the sonstogether," declares the LORD. "I will not showpitynor be sorrynorhavecompassion so as not to destroy them.""'
16
Giveglory to the LORD your God, Before He bringsdarkness And before your feetstumble On the duskymountains, And while you are hoping for light He makes it into deepdarkness, And turns it into gloom.
17
But if you will not listen to it, My soul will sob in secret for such pride; And my eyes will bitterlyweep And flowdown with tears, Because the flock of the LORD has been takencaptive.
21
"What will you saywhen He appointsover you- And you yourself had taught them- Former companions to be headover you? Will not pangstakehold of you Like a woman in childbirth?
22
"If you say in your heart, 'Why have thesethingshappened to me?' Because of the magnitude of your iniquity Your skirts have been removed And your heels have been exposed.
27
"As for your adulteries and your lustful neighings, The lewdness of your prostitution On the hills in the field, I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! Howlong** will you remainunclean*?"