1Thus says the Lord, Go and procure for yourself a linen girdle, and put it about your loins, and let it not be put in water.

2So I procured the girdle according to the word of the Lord, and put it about my loins.

3And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

4Take the girdle that is upon your loins, and arise, and go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

5So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.

6And it came to pass after many days, that the Lord said to me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take thence the girdle, which I commanded you to hide there.

7So I went to the river Euphrates, and dug, and took the girdle out of the place where I had buried it: and, behold, it was rotten, utterly good for nothing.

8And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thus says the Lord,

9Thus will I mar the pride of Juda, and the pride of Jerusalem;

10even this great pride of the men that will not listen to my words, and have gone after strange gods, to serve them, and to worship them: and they shall be as this girdle, which can be used for nothing.

11For as a girdle cleaves about the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave to myself the house of Israel, and the whole house of Juda; that they might be to me a famous people, and a praise, and a glory: but they did not listen to me.

12And you shall say to this people, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and it shall come to pass, if they shall say to you, Shall we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? that you shall say to them,

13Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will fill the inhabitants of this land, and their kings the sons of David that sit upon their throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and Juda and all the dwellers in Jerusalem, with strong drink.

14And I will scatter them a man and his brother, and their fathers and their sons together: I will not have compassion, says the Lord, and I will not spare, neither will I pity to save them from destruction.

15Hear you⌃, and give ear, and be not proud: for the Lord has spoken.

16Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and you⌃ shall wait for light, and behold the shadow of death, and they shall be brought into darkness.

17But if you⌃ will not listen, your soul shall weep in secret because of pride, and your eyes shall pour down tears, because the Lord's flock is sorely bruised.

18Say you⌃ to the king and the princes, Humble yourselves, and sit down; for your crown of glory is removed from your head.

19The cities towards the south were shut, and there was none to open them: Juda is removed into captivity, they have suffered a complete removal.

20Lift up your eyes, O Jerusalem, and behold them that come from the north; where is the flock that was given you, the sheep of your glory?

21What will you say when they shall visit you, for you did teach them lessons for rule against yourself; shall not pangs seize you as a woman in travail?

22And if you should say in your heart, Therefore have these things happened to me? Because of the abundance of your iniquity have your skirts been revealed, that your heels might be exposed.

23If the Ethiopian shall change his skin, or the leopardess her spots, then shall you⌃ be able to do good, having learnt evil.

24So I scattered them as sticks carried by the wind into the wilderness.

25Thus is your lot, and the reward of your disobedience to me, says the Lord; as you did forget me, and trust in lies,

26I also will expose your skirts upon your face, and your shame shall be seen;

27your adultery also, and your neighing, and the looseness of your fornication: on the hills and in the fields I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem, for you have not been purified so as to follow me; how long yet shall it be?