4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell in it? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.
5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, in which thou didst trust, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words to thee. [1] [2]
7 I have forsaken my house, I have left my heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. [3]
8 My heritage is to me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it. [4]
9 My heritage is to me as a speckled bird, the birds on every side are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour. [5] [6]
10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. [7]
11 They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth to me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.
12 The spoilers have come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.
13 They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD. [8]
14 Thus saith the LORD against all my evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them 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 out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man 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, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.
17 But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.
CHAP. 13.
Thus saith the LORD to me, Go and purchase a linen waistband, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.
2 So I bought a waistband according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins.
3 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying,
4 Take the waistband that thou hast bought, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.
5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.
6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said to me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the waistband from there, which I commanded thee to hide there.
7 Then I went to Euphrates, and dug, and took the waistband from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the waistband was marred, it was profitable for nothing.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9 Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this waistband, which is good for nothing. [9]
11 For as the waistband cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
12 Therefore thou shalt speak to them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say to thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?
13 Then shalt thou say to 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.
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. [10] [11]
15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.
16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he shall cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he shall turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride;
- ↑ they have called...: or, they cried after thee fully
- ↑ fair...: Heb. good things
- ↑ the dearly...: Heb. the love
- ↑ crieth...: or, yelleth: Heb. giveth out his voice
- ↑ speckled: or, taloned
- ↑ come to: or, cause them to come to
- ↑ pleasant...: Heb. portion of desire
- ↑ they shall: or, ye shall
- ↑ imagination: or, stubbornness
- ↑ one...: Heb. a man against his brother
- ↑ but...: Heb. from destroying them
