13 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy yourself a linen undergarment z and put it on, a but do not put it in water.” 2 So I bought underwear as the Lord instructed me and put it on.
3 Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: 4 “Take the underwear that you bought and are wearing, b and go at once to the Euphrates c and hide it in a rocky crevice.” d 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.
6 A long time later the Lord said to me, “Go at once to the Euphrates and get the underwear that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 So I went to the Euphrates and dug up the underwear and got it from the place where I had hidden it, but it was ruined—of no use at all.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “This is what the Lord says: Just like this I will ruin the great pride of both Judah and Jerusalem. e 10 These evil people, who refuse to listen to Me, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, f and who have followed other gods to serve and worship—they will be like this underwear, of no use at all. 11 Just as underwear clings to one’s waist, so I fastened the whole house of Israel and of Judah to Me” g—this is the Lord’s declaration—“so that they might be My people for My fame, praise, and glory, h but they would not obey.
12 “Say this to them: This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every jar should be filled with wine. Then they will respond to you, ‘Don’t we know that every jar should be filled with wine?’ 13 And you will say to them: This is what the Lord says: I am about to fill all who live in this land—the kings who reign for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets and all the residents of Jerusalem—with drunkenness. 14 I will smash them against each other, fathers and sons alike”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will allow no mercy, pity, or compassion to keep Me from destroying them.” i
15 Listen and pay attention. Do not be proud,
for the Lord has spoken.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God j
before He brings darkness,
before your feet stumble
on the mountains at dusk.
You wait for light,
but He brings darkest gloom k
and makes thick darkness.
17 But if you will not listen,
my innermost being will weep in secret
because of your pride.
My eyes will overflow with tears,
for the Lord’s flock l has been taken captive.
18 Say to the king and the queen mother: m
Take a humble seat,
for your glorious crowns
have fallen from your heads.
19 The cities of the * Negev are under siege;
no one can help them.
All of Judah has been taken into exile,
taken completely into exile.
those coming from the north. n
Where is the flock entrusted to you,
the sheep that were your pride?
21 What will you say when He appoints
close friends as leaders over you,
ones you yourself trained?
Won’t labor pains seize you, o
as they do a woman in labor?
“Why have these things happened to me?”
It is because of your great * guilt p
that your skirts have been stripped off, q
your body exposed. r
23 Can the * Cushite change his skin,
or a leopard his spots?
If so, you might be able to do what is good, s
you who are instructed in evil.
24 I will scatter you t like drifting chaff u
before the desert wind.
what I have decreed for you—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
because you have forgotten Me v
26 I will pull your skirts up over your face
so that your shame might be seen. y
27 Your adulteries and your lustful neighing, z
your heinous prostitution
on the hills, in the fields—
I have seen your detestable acts.
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
You are * unclean—
for how long yet? a
About The Holman Christian Standard BibleThe complete Holman Christian Standard Bible® is now available for the first time ever! More than fifteen years in the making, crafted by the shared expertise of nearly a hundred conservative scholars and English stylists, the Holman CSB® sets the standard in painstaking biblical accuracy and pure literary form. Accurate, yet highly readable, it's a translation committed to leaving both the grace and gravity of the original languages intact while carefully creating a smooth flow of wording for the reader. Stylistically, this inaugural edition contributes to the clarity of the written Word, arranging the poetic portions of the Scripture into complete lines of thought, and revering God's presence on each page by capitalizing all the pronouns that refer to Him. |
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