11  they have made it a desolation; desolate, it mourneth unto me: the whole land is made desolate, for no man layeth it to heart. 12  Spoilers are come upon all heights in the wilderness; for the sword of Jehovah devoureth from one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh hath peace. 13  They have sown wheat, and they reap thorns; they have put themselves to pain, and do not profit. Be ye therefore ashamed of your revenues, because of the fierce anger of Jehovah.

14  Thus saith Jehovah against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: Behold, I will pluck them up out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. 15  And it shall come to pass, after I have plucked them up, I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them back, each one to his inheritance, and each one to his land. 16  And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, As Jehovah liveth—even as they taught my people to swear by Baal—they shall be built up in the midst of my people. 17  And if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith Jehovah.

Chapter 13

1  Thus said Jehovah unto me: Go and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins; but dip it not in water. 2  And I bought a girdle according to the word of Jehovah, and put it upon my loins. 3  And the word of Jehovah came unto me the second time, saying, 4  Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5  So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as Jehovah had commanded me. 6  And it came to pass at the end of many days, that Jehovah said unto me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence which I commanded thee to hide there. 7  And I went to the Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and behold, the girdle was spoiled, it was good for nothing. 8  And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 9  Thus saith Jehovah: After this manner will I spoil the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10  This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and go after other gods, to serve them and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle which is good for nothing. 11  For as a 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 Jehovah; 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.