¶ Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go¹ and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.

So I got a girdle according² to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins.

And the word³ of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying,

Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go⁴ to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as⁵ the LORD commanded me.

And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise⁶, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.

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 was⁷ profitable for nothing.

⁸Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Thus saith the LORD, After⁹ this manner will I mar the pride¹⁰ of Judah, and the great¹¹ pride of Jerusalem.

¶ This evil¹² people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk¹³ in the imagination¹⁴ of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall¹⁵ even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.

For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused¹⁶ 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 name¹⁷, and for a praise, and for a glory: but¹⁸ they would not hear.

¶ Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall¹⁹ say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will²⁰ 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.

And I will dash²¹ them one against another²², even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not²³ pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy²⁴ them.

Hear ye, and²⁵ give ear; be²⁶ not proud: for²⁷ the LORD hath spoken.

Give²⁸ glory to the LORD your God, before²⁹ he cause darkness, and before your³⁰ feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while³¹ ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow³² of death, and make it gross³³ darkness.

But if³⁴ ye will not hear it, my soul³⁵ shall weep in secret places for³⁶ your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because³⁷ the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.

Say unto³⁸ the king and to the queen, Humble³⁹ yourselves, sit⁴⁰ down: for your principalities⁴¹ shall come down, even the crown of your glory.

The cities⁴² of the south shall be shut⁴³ up, and none shall open them: Judah⁴⁴ shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.

¶ Lift up your eyes, and⁴⁵ behold them that come from the north: where⁴⁶ is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

What wilt⁴⁷ thou say when he shall punish⁴⁸ thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not⁴⁹ sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?

¶ And if⁵⁰ thou say in thine heart, Wherefore⁵¹ come these things upon me? For the greatness⁵² of thine iniquity are thy skirts⁵³ discovered, and thy heels made bare⁵⁴.

Can the Ethiopian⁵⁵ change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed⁵⁶ to do evil.

Therefore will⁵⁷ I scatter them as⁵⁸ the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.

This is thy lot⁵⁹, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because⁶⁰ thou hast forgotten me, and trusted⁶¹ in falsehood.

⁶²Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.

I have seen thine adulteries⁶³, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations⁶⁴ on the hills in the fields. Woe⁶⁵ unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt⁶⁶ thou not be made clean? when⁶⁷ shall it once be?