Jeremiah 13 - Easy To Read Version

¹ This is what the Lord said to me: “Jeremiah, go and buy a linen loincloth. {\cf2\super [103]} Then put it around your waist. Don’t let the loincloth get wet.”

² So I bought a linen loincloth, {\cf2\super [104]} just as the Lord told me to do. And I put it around my waist.

³ Then the message of the Lord came to me a second time.

⁴ This was the message: “Jeremiah, take the loincloth you bought and are wearing, and go to Perath. {\cf2\super [105]} Hide the loincloth there in a crack in the rocks.”

⁵ So I went to Perath {\cf2\super [106]} and hid the loincloth {\cf2\super [107]} there, just like the Lord told me to do.

⁶ Many days later, the Lord said to me, “Now, Jeremiah, go to Perath. Get the loincloth that I told you to hide there.”

⁷ So I went to Perath and dug up the loincloth. {\cf2\super [108]} I took it out of the crack in the rocks where I had hidden it. But now I could not wear the loincloth, because it was ruined. It was not good for anything.

⁸ Then the message of the Lord came to me.

⁹ This is what the Lord said: “The loincloth {\cf2\super [109]} is ruined and not good for anything. In the same way, I will ruin the proud people of Judah and Jerusalem.

¹⁰ I will ruin those proud and evil people of Judah. They refuse to listen to my messages. They are stubborn and do only the things they want to do. They follow and worship other gods. Those people of Judah will become like this linen loincloth. They will be ruined and not good for anything.

¹¹ A loincloth is wrapped tightly around a man’s waist. In the same way, I wrapped all the family of Israel and all the family of Judah around me.” This message is from the Lord.” I did that so those people would be my people. Then my people would bring fame, praise, and honor to me. But my people would not listen to me.”

¹² “Jeremiah, say to the people of Judah: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every wineskin {\cf2\super [110]} should be filled with wine.’ Those people will laugh and say to you, ‘Of course, we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine.’

¹³ Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will make everyone that lives in this land helpless, like a drunken man. I am talking about the kings that sit on David’s throne. I am also talking about the priests, the prophets, and all the people that live in Jerusalem.

¹⁴ I will make the people of Judah stumble and fall into one another. Fathers and sons will fall into one another.’” This message is from the Lord. “‘I will not feel sorry or have pity for them. I will not allow compassion to stop me from destroying the people of Judah.’”

¹⁵ Listen and pay attention.\par The Lord has spoken to you.\par Don’t be proud.\par

¹⁶ Honor the Lord your God.\par Praise him or he will bring darkness.\par Praise him before you fall on the dark hills.\par You people of Judah are hoping for light.\par But the Lord will turn the light into thick darkness.\par The Lord will change the light into a very thick darkness.\par

¹⁷ If you people of Judah don’t listen to the Lord,\par I will hide and cry.\par Your pride will cause me to cry.\par I will cry very hard.\par My eyes will overflow with tears.\par Why? Because the Lord’s flock {\cf2\super [111]} \par will be captured.\par

¹⁸ Tell these things to the king and his wife,\par “Come down from your thrones.\par Your beautiful crowns have fallen from your heads.”\par

¹⁹ The cities in the Negev desert {\cf2\super [112]} are locked.\par No person can open them.\par All the people of Judah are taken into exile. {\cf2\super [113]} \par They were carried away as prisoners.\par

²⁰ Jerusalem, look!\par The enemy is coming from the north! {\cf2\super [114]} \par Where is your flock? {\cf2\super [115]} \par God gave that beautiful flock to you.\par \{You were supposed to care for that flock.\}\par

²¹ What will you say when the Lord asks you\par to account for that flock?\par You were supposed to teach the people\par \{about God\}.\par Your leaders were supposed to lead the people.\par \{But they did not do their job!\}\par So you will have much pain and troubles.\par You will be like a woman having\par a baby.\par

²² You might ask yourself,\par “Why has this bad thing happened to me?”\par Those things happened because of your many sins.\par Because of your sins,\par your skirt was torn off\par and your shoes were taken away.\par They did this to embarrass you.\par

²³ A black man can’t change\par the color of his skin.\par And a leopard can’t change his spots.\par In the same way, Jerusalem, you can’t change and do good.\par You always do bad things.\par

²⁴ “I will force you to leave your homes.\par You will run in all directions.\par You will be like chaff {\cf2\super [116]} blown away\par by the desert wind.\par

²⁵ These are the things that will happen to you.\par This is your part in my plans.”\par

²⁶ Jerusalem, I will pull your skirt up over\par your face.\par Everyone will see you,\par and you will be ashamed.\par

²⁷ I saw the terrible things you did. {\cf2\super [117]} \par I saw you laughing\par and having sex with your lovers.\par I know about your plans\par to be like a prostitute. {\cf2\super [118]} \par I have seen you on the hills\par and in the fields.\par It will be very bad for you, Jerusalem.\par I wonder how long you will continue doing\par your dirty sins.”\par