Jeremías 13

El cinturón de lino

1 Así me dijo el SEÑOR: «Ve y cómprate un cinturón de lino, y póntelo en la cintura, pero no lo metas en agua».

2 Conforme a las instrucciones del SEÑOR, compré el cinturón y me lo puse en la cintura.

3 Entonces el SEÑOR me dijo por segunda vez:

4 «Toma el cinturón que has comprado y que tienes puesto en la cintura, y ve a Perat,^[a] y escóndelo allí, en la grieta de una roca».

5 Fui entonces y lo escondí en Perat, tal como el SEÑOR me lo había ordenado.

6 Al cabo de muchos días, el SEÑOR me dijo: «Ve a Perat y busca el cinturón que te mandé a esconder allí».

7 Fui a Perat, cavé y saqué el cinturón del lugar donde lo había escondido, pero ya estaba podrido y no servía para nada.

8 Entonces el SEÑOR volvió a decirme:

9 «Así dice el SEÑOR: “De esta misma manera destruiré el orgullo de Judá y el gran orgullo de Jerusalén.

10 Este pueblo malvado, que se niega a obedecerme, que sigue la terquedad de su corazón y va tras otros dioses para servirlos y adorarlos, será como este cinturón, que no sirve para nada.

11 Porque así como el cinturón se ajusta a la cintura del hombre, así procuré que todo el pueblo de Israel y toda la tribu de Judá se ajustaran a mí —afirma el SEÑOR— para que fueran mi pueblo y mi renombre, mi honor y mi gloria. ¡Pero no obedecieron!”

Los cántaros rotos

12 »Diles también lo siguiente: “Así dice el SEÑOR, el Dios de Israel: ‘Todo cántaro se llenará de vino’. Y si ellos te dicen: ‘¿Acaso no sabemos bien que todo cántaro se debe llenar de vino?’,

13 entonces les responderás que así dice el SEÑOR: ‘Voy a llenar de vino a todos los habitantes de este país: a los reyes que se sientan en el trono de David, a los sacerdotes y a todos los habitantes de Jerusalén.

14 Haré que se despedacen unos a otros, padres e hijos por igual. No les tendré piedad ni lástima, sino que los destruiré sin compasión’. Lo afirma el SEÑOR”».

Advertencia oportuna

15 ¡Escúchenme, préstenme atención!¡No sean soberbios, que el SEÑOR mismo lo ha dicho!

16 Glorifiquen al SEÑOR su Dios,antes de que haga venir la oscuridady ustedes tropiecen contra los montes sombríos.Ustedes esperan la luz,pero él la cambiará en densas tinieblas;¡la convertirá en profunda oscuridad!

17 Pero si ustedes no obedecen,lloraré en secretopor causa de su orgullo;mis ojos llorarán amargamentey se desharán en lágrimas,porque el rebaño del SEÑORserá llevado al cautiverio.

18 Di al rey y a la reina madre:«¡Humíllense, siéntense en el suelo,que ya no ostentan sobre su cabezala corona de gloria!»

19 Las ciudades del Néguev están cerradas,y no hay quien abra sus puertas.Todo Judá se ha ido al destierro,exiliado en su totalidad.

20 Alcen los ojos y mirena los que vienen del norte.¿Dónde está el rebaño que te fue confiado,el rebaño que era tu orgullo?

21 ¿Qué dirás cuando el SEÑOR te imponga como jefesa los que tú mismo enseñastea ser tus aliados predilectos?¿No tendrás dolorescomo de mujer de parto?

22 Y si preguntas:«¿Por qué me pasa esto?»,¡por tus muchos pecadoste han arrancado las faldasy te han violado!^[b]

23 ¿Puede el etíope cambiar de piel,o el leopardo quitarse sus manchas?¡Pues tampoco ustedes pueden hacer el bien,acostumbrados como están a hacer el mal!

24 «Los dispersaré como a la pajaque arrastra el viento del desierto.

25 Esto es lo que te ha tocado en suerte,¡la porción que he medido para ti!—afirma el SEÑOR—.Ya que me has olvidado,y has confiado en la mentira,

26 ¡yo también te alzaré las faldashasta cubrirte el rostroy descubrir tus vergüenzas!

27 He visto tus adulterios,tus relinchos,tu vergonzosa prostitucióny tus abominaciones,en los campos y sobre las colinas.¡Ay de ti, Jerusalén!¿Hasta cuándo seguirás en tu impureza?»

Jeremías 13 Commentary

Chapter 13

The glory of the Jews should be marred. (1-11) All ranks should suffer misery, An earnest exhortation to repentance. (12-17) An awful message to Jerusalem and its king. (18-27)

Verses 1-11 It was usual with the prophets to teach by signs. And we have the explanation, ver. ( 9-11 ) . The people of Israel had been to God as this girdle. He caused them to cleave to him by the law he gave them, the prophets he sent among them, and the favours he showed them. They had by their idolatries and sins buried themselves in foreign earth, mingled among the nations, and were so corrupted that they were good for nothing. If we are proud of learning, power, and outward privileges, it is just with God to wither them. The minds of men should be awakened to a sense of their guilt and danger; yet nothing will be effectual without the influences of the Spirit.

Verses 12-17 As the bottle was fitted to hold the wine, so the sins of the people made them vessels of wrath, fitted for the judgments of God; with which they should be filled till they caused each other's destruction. The prophet exhorts them to give glory to God, by confessing their sins, humbling themselves in repentance, and returning to his service. Otherwise they would be carried into other countries in all the darkness of idolatry and wickedness. All misery, witnessed or foreseen, will affect a feeling mind, but the pious heart must mourn most over the afflictions of the Lord's flock.

Verses 18-27 Here is a message sent to king Jehoiakim, and his queen. Their sorrows would be great indeed. Do they ask, Wherefore come these things upon us? Let them know, it is for their obstinacy in sin. We cannot alter the natural colour of the skin; and so is it morally impossible to reclaim and reform these people. Sin is the blackness of the soul; it is the discolouring of it; we were shapen in it, so that we cannot get clear of it by any power of our own. But Almighty grace is able to change the Ethiopian's skin. Neither natural depravity, nor strong habits of sin, form an obstacle to the working of God, the new-creating Spirit. The Lord asks of Jerusalem, whether she is determined not be made clean. If any poor slave of sin feels that he could as soon change his nature as master his headstrong lusts, let him not despair; for things impossible to men are possible with God. Let us then seek help from Him who is mighty to save.

Footnotes

• [a] "Perat" . Posiblemente "el río Éufrates" ; también en vv. 5-7.
• [b] "te han violado" . Lit. "tus talones han sufrido violencia" .

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 13

In this chapter, under the similes of a girdle and bottles of wine, the destruction of the Jews is set forth. Some exhortations are given them to repent and humble themselves, even men of all ranks and degrees among them; and their sins, the source of their calamities, are pointed out to them. An order is given to the prophet to get him a linen girdle, with instructions what to do with it, and which he observed, Jer 13:1,2, a fresh order to take it and hide it in the hole of a rock by the river Euphrates, which he accordingly did, Jer 13:3-5 and he is bid a third time to go and take it from thence, which he did; when he found it spoiled, and good for nothing, Jer 13:6,7, then follows the application of this simile, or the signification of this sign; that in like manner the pride of Judah and Jerusalem should be marred, and for their wickedness and idolatry should become good for nothing, like that girdle; whereas they ought to have cleaved to the Lord, as a girdle does to a man's loins, and to have been an honourable people to him, Jer 13:8-11. By the simile of bottles filled with wine is signified that all the inhabitants of the land, king, priests, prophets, and common people, should be like drunken men, that should dash one against another, and destroy each other, which the mercy of God would not prevent, Jer 13:12-14, some exhortations are made to the people in general, to be humble, and confess their sins, and give glory to God, before it was too late; which are enforced by the prophet's affectionate concern for them, Jer 13:15-17 and to the king and queen in particular, since their crown and kingdom were about to be taken from them; the cities, in the southern parts, going to be shut up, and not opened; and even the whole land of Judea, and all its inhabitants, in a little time would be carried captive, Jer 13:18,19, and, to certify them of the truth of these things, they are bid to look to the north, from whence the enemy was coming to carry them captive, even the beautiful flock committed to their care, Jer 13:20, and to consider what they could say for themselves, when their punishment should come upon them suddenly, as the sorrows of a woman in travail, Jer 13:21 and should they ask the reason of this, it was owing to the multitude of their iniquities, and to their habit and custom of sinning, which made their case desperate, Jer 13:22,23, wherefore a resolution is taken to disperse them among the nations, and that this should be their lot and portion, because of their many abominations, and yet not without some concern that they might be purged from their iniquities, Jer 13:24-27.