1Thus Jehovah said to me, Go and buy for yourself a linen waistband, and put it around your waist, and do not put it in water. 2So I bought a waistband according to the Word of Jehovah, and put it around my waist. 3And the Word of Jehovah came unto me a second time, saying, 4Take the waistband that you bought, which is around your waist, and arise. Go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5So I went and hid it by Euphrates, as Jehovah commanded me. 6And it came to pass at the end of many days that Jehovah said to me, Arise, go to the Euphrates and take the waistband from there, which I commanded you to hide there. 7Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and took the waistband from the place where I had hidden it. And, behold, the waistband was rotten; it was good for nothing. 8Then the Word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 9Thus says Jehovah, In this way I will spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10This evil people, who refuse to hear My Words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart and walk after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, shall even be like this waistband, which is good for nothing. 11For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me, says Jehovah; so that they might be a people unto Me, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory; but they would not hear. 12So you shall speak to them this Word: Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine. And they shall say to you, Do we not perceive to know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? 13Then you shall say to them, Thus says Jehovah, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit on David’s throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. 14And I will smash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says Jehovah. I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but will destroy them. 15Hear and give ear; do not be proud; for Jehovah has spoken. 16Give glory to Jehovah your God, before He causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it gross darkness. 17But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and my eye shall weep and cry and run down with tears, because Jehovah’s flock is taken captive. 18Say to the king and to the queen mother, Humble yourselves; sit down, for your dominion has come down, even the crown of your glory. 19The cities of the south have been shut up, and no one is opening; Judah has been exiled, all of it has been completely carried away captive. 20Lift up your eyes and look at those who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you, your beautiful sheep? 21What will you say when he punishes you? For you have taught them to be chief rulers over you. Do not pangs seize you, like a woman in travail? 22And if you say in your heart, Why have these things come upon me? It is because of the greatness of your iniquity; your skirts have been uncovered, and your heels have suffered violence. 23Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard its spots? Then you also may do good, who are accustomed to doing evil. 24Therefore I will scatter them as the stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness. 25This is your lot, the portion I have measured to you, says Jehovah, because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood. 26Therefore I also have drawn up your skirts over your face, that your shame may be seen. 27I have seen your adulteries, and your neighings, the lewdness of your harlotry, and your abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! Will you not be made clean? How long will it still be?