King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
1 Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.
1
The Lord told me to go and buy myself some linen shorts and to put them on; but he told me not to put them in water.
2 So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins.
2
So I bought them and put them on.
3 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying,
3
Then the Lord spoke to me again and said,
4 Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.
4
"Go to the Euphrates River and hide the shorts in a hole in the rocks."
5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.
5
So I went and hid them near the Euphrates.
6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.
6
Some time later the Lord told me to go back to the Euphrates and get the shorts.
7 Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.
7
So I went back, and when I found the place where I had hidden them, I saw that they were ruined and were no longer any good.
8 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
8
Then the Lord spoke to me again. He said,
9 Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
9
"This is how I will destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.
10
These evil people have refused to obey me. They have been as stubborn and wicked as ever, and have worshiped and served other gods. So then, they will become like these shorts that are no longer any good.
11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
11
Just as shorts fit tightly around the waist, so I intended all the people of Israel and Judah to hold tightly to me. I did this so that they would be my people and would bring praise and honor to my name; but they would not obey me."
12 Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?
12
The Lord God said to me, "Jeremiah, tell the people of Israel that every wine jar should be filled with wine. They will answer that they know every wine jar should be filled with wine.
13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.
13
Then tell them that I, the Lord, am going to fill the people in this land with wine until they are drunk: the kings, who are David's descendants, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.
14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.
14
Then I will smash them like jars against one another, old and young alike. No pity, compassion, or mercy will stop me from killing them."
15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.
15
People of Israel, the Lord has spoken! Be humble and listen to him.
16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
16
Honor the Lord, your God, before he brings darkness, and you stumble on the mountains; before he turns into deep darkness the light you hoped for.
17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.
17
If you will not listen, I will cry in secret because of your pride; I will cry bitterly, and my tears will flow because the Lord's people have been taken away as captives.
18 Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.
18
The Lord said to me, "Tell the king and his mother to come down from their thrones, because their beautiful crowns have fallen from their heads.
19 The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.
19
The towns of southern Judah are under siege; no one can get through to them. All the people of Judah have been taken away into exile."
20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?
20
Jerusalem, look! Your enemies are coming down from the north! Where are the people entrusted to your care, your people you were so proud of?
21 What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?
21
What will you say when people you thought were your friends conquer you and rule over you? You will be in pain like a woman giving birth.
22 And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare.
22
If you ask why all this has happened to you - why your clothes have been torn off and you have been raped - it is because your sin is so terrible.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
23
Can people change the color of their skin, or a leopard remove its spots? If they could, then you that do nothing but evil could learn to do what is right.
24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.
24
The Lord will scatter you like straw that is blown away by the desert wind.
25 This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.
25
He has said that this will be your fate. This is what he has decided to do with you, because you have forgotten him and have trusted in false gods.
26 Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.
26
The Lord himself will strip off your clothes and expose you to shame.
27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?
27
He has seen you do the things he hates. He has seen you go after pagan gods on the hills and in the fields, like a man lusting after his neighbor's wife or like a stallion after a mare. People of Jerusalem, you are doomed! When will you ever be pure?
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.