Jeremiah:13

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* Thus said the LORD unto me : 'Go , and get thee a linen girdle , and put it upon thy loins , and put it not in water .' * So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD , and put it upon my loins . * And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time , saying : * 'Take the girdle that thou hast gotten , which is upon thy loins , and arise , go to Perath , and hide it there in a cleft of the rock .' * So I went , and hid it in Perath , as the LORD commanded me . * And it came to pass after many days , that the LORD said unto me : 'Arise , go to Perath , and take the girdle from thence , which I commanded thee to hide there .' * Then I went to Perath , and digged , and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it ; and , behold , the girdle was marred , it was profitable for nothing . * Then the word of the LORD came unto me , saying : * Thus saith the LORD : After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah , and the great pride of Jerusalem , * even this evil people , that refuse to hear My words , that walk in the stubbornness of their heart , and are gone after other gods to serve them , and to worship them , that it be as this girdle , which is profitable for nothing . * For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man , so have I caused 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 name , and for a praise , and for a glory ; but they would not hearken . * Moreover thou shalt speak unto them this word : Thus saith the LORD , the God of Israel : 'Every bottle is filled with wine '; and when they shall say unto thee : 'Do we not know that every bottle is filled with wine ?' * Then shalt thou say unto 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 . * 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 compassion , that I should not destroy them . * Hear ye , and give ear , be not proud ; for the LORD hath spoken . * Give glory to the LORD your God , before it grow dark , and before your feet stumble upon the mountains of twilight , and , while ye look for light , He turn it into the shadow of death , and make it gross darkness . * But if ye will not hear it , my soul shall weep in secret for your pride ; and mine eyes shall weep sore , and run down with tears , because the LORD 'S flock is carried away captive . * Say thou unto the king and to the queen-mother : 'Sit ye down low ; for your headtires are come down , even your beautiful crown .' * The cities of the South are shut up , and there is none to open them ; Judah is carried away captive all of it ; it is wholly carried away captive . * Lift up your eyes , and behold them that come from the north ; where is the flock that was given thee , thy beautiful flock ? * What wilt thou say , when He shall set the friends over thee as head , whom thou thyself hast trained against thee ? Shall not pangs take hold of thee , as of a woman in travail ? * And if thou say in thy heart : 'Wherefore are these things befallen me ?'--for the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts uncovered , and thy heels suffer violence . * Can the Ethiopian change his skin , or the leopard his spots ? Then may ye also do good , that are accustomed to do evil . * Therefore will I scatter them , as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness . * This is thy lot , the portion measured unto thee from Me , saith the LORD ; because thou hast forgotten Me , and trusted in falsehood . * Therefore will I also uncover thy skirts upon thy face , and thy shame shall appear . * Thine adulteries , and thy neighings , the lewdness of thy harlotry , on the hills in the field have I seen thy detestable acts . Woe unto thee , O Jerusalem ! thou wilt not be made clean ! When shall it ever be ?

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