1 This is what the Lord said to me: Go and get yourself a linen band and put it round you and do not put it in water.2 So, as the Lord said, I got a band for a price and put it round my body.3 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying,4 Take the band which you got for a price, which is round your body, and go to Parah and put it in a secret place there in a hole of the rock.5 So I went and put it in a secret place by Parah, as the Lord had said to me.6 Then after a long time, the Lord said to me, Up! go to Parah and get the band which I gave you orders to put there.7 So I went to Parah and, uncovering the hole, took the band from the place where I had put it away: and the band was damaged and of no use for anything.8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,9 The Lord has said, In this way I will do damage to the pride of Judah and to the great pride of Jerusalem.10 These evil people who say they will not give ear to my words, who go on in the pride of their hearts and have become servants and worshippers of other gods, will become like this band which is of no use for anything.11 For as a band goes tightly round a man's body, so I made all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah tightly united to me; so that they might be a people for me and a name and a praise and a glory: but they would not give ear.12 So you are to say this word to them: This is the word of the Lord, the God of Israel: Every skin bottle will be full of wine; and they will say to you, Is it not quite clear to us that every skin bottle will be full of wine?13 Then you are to say to them, The Lord has said, I will make all the people of this land, even the kings seated on David's seat, and the priests and the prophets and all the people of Jerusalem, overcome with strong drink.14 I will have them smashed against one another, fathers and sons together, says the Lord: I will have no pity or mercy, I will have no feeling for them to keep me from giving them to destruction.15 Give ear and let your ears be open; be not lifted up: for these are the words of the Lord.16 Give glory to the Lord your God, before he makes it dark, and before your feet are slipping on the dark mountains, and, while you are looking for a light, he makes it into deep dark, into black night.17 But if you do not give ear to it, my soul will be weeping in secret for your pride; my eye will be weeping bitterly, streaming with water, because the Lord's flock has been taken away as prisoners.18 Say to the king and to the queen-mother, Make yourselves low, be seated on the earth: for the crown of your glory has come down from your heads.19 The towns of the south are shut up, and there is no one to make them open: Judah is taken away as prisoners; all Judah is taken away as prisoners.20 Let your eyes be lifted up (O Jerusalem), and see those who are coming from the north. Where is the flock which was given to you, your beautiful flock?21 What will you say when he puts over you those whom you yourself have made your friends? will not pains take you like a woman in childbirth?22 And if you say in your heart, Why have these things come on me? because of the number of your sins, your skirts have been uncovered and violent punishment overtakes you.23 Is it possible for the skin of the Ethiopian to be changed, or the markings on the leopard? Then it might be possible for you to do good, who have been trained to do evil.24 So I will send them in all directions, as dry grass is taken away by the wind of the waste land.25 This is your fate, the part measured out to you by me, says the Lord, because you have put me out of your memory and put your faith in what is false.26 So I will have your skirts uncovered before your face, in order that your shame may be seen.27 I have seen your disgusting acts, even your false behaviour and your cries of desire and your loose ways on the hills in the field. Unhappy are you, O Jerusalem, you have no desire to be made clean; how long will you be in turning back to me?

1 Hc dicit Dominus ad me : Vade, et posside tibi lumbare lineum, et pones illud super lumbos tuos, et in aquam non inferes illud. 2 Et possedi lumbare juxta verbum Domini, et posui circa lumbos meos. 3 Et factus est sermo Domini ad me secundo, dicens : 4 Tolle lumbare quod possedisti, quod est circa lumbos tuos : et surgens vade ad Euphraten, et absconde ibi illud in foramine petr. 5 Et abii, et abscondi illud in Euphrate, sicut prceperat mihi Dominus. 6 Et factum est post dies plurimos, dixit Dominus ad me : Surge, vade ad Euphraten, et tolle inde lumbare quod prcepi tibi ut absconderes illud ibi. 7 Et abii ad Euphraten, et fodi, et tuli lumbare de loco ubi absconderam illud : et ecce computruerat lumbare, ita ut nulli usui aptum esset. 8 Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens : 9 [Hc dicit Dominus :Sic putrescere faciam superbiam Juda,et superbiam Jerusalem multam :10 populum istum pessimum qui nolunt audire verba mea,et ambulant in pravitate cordis sui,abieruntque post deos alienos ut servirent eis et adorarent eos :et erunt sicut lumbare istud,quod nulli usui aptum est.11 Sicut enim adhret lumbare ad lumbos viri,sic agglutinavi mihi omnem domum Isral,et omnem domum Juda, dicit Dominus,ut essent mihi in populum,et in nomen, et in laudem, et in gloriam,et non audierunt.]12 Dices ergo ad eos sermonem istum : [Hc dicit Dominus Deus Isral :Omnis laguncula implebitur vino.] Et dicent ad te : [Numquid ignoramus quia omnis laguncula implebitur vino ?] 13 Et dices ad eos : [Hc dicit Dominus :Ecce ego implebo omnes habitatores terr hujus,et reges qui sedent de stirpe David super thronum ejus,et sacerdotes, et prophetas,et omnes habitatores Jerusalem, ebrietate.14 Et dispergam eos virum a fratre suo,et patres et filios pariter, ait Dominus.Non parcam, et non concedam :neque miserebor, ut non disperdam eos.15 Audite, et auribus percipite :nolite elevari, quia Dominus locutus est. 16 Date Domino Deo vestro gloriamantequam contenebrescat,et antequam offendant pedes vestri ad montes caliginosos :exspectabitis lucem,et ponet eam in umbram mortis, et in caliginem.17 Quod si hoc non audieritis,in abscondito plorabit anima mea a facie superbi :plorans plorabit,et deducet oculus meus lacrimam,quia captus est grex Domini.18 Dic regi et dominatrici :Humiliamini, sedete,quoniam descendit de capite vestro corona glori vestr.19 Civitates austri claus sunt,et non est qui aperiat.Translata est omnis Juda transmigratione perfecta.20 Levate oculos vestros,et videte qui venitis ab aquilone :ubi est grex qui datus est tibi,pecus inclytum tuum ?21 Quid dices cum visitaverit te ?tu enim docuisti eos adversum te,et erudisti in caput tuum.Numquid non dolores apprehendent te,quasi mulierem parturientem ?22 Quod si dixeris in corde tuo : Quare venerunt mihi hc ?propter multitudinem iniquitatis turevelata sunt verecundiora tua,pollut sunt plant tu.23 Si mutare potest thiops pellem suam,aut pardus varietates suas,et vos poteritis benefacere,cum didiceritis malum.24 Et disseminabo eos quasi stipulamqu vento raptatur in deserto.25 Hc sors tua,parsque mensur tu a me, dicit Dominus,quia oblita es mei,et confisa es in mendacio.26 Unde et ego nudavi femora tua contra faciem tuam,et apparuit ignominia tua,27 adulteria tua, et hinnitus tuus,scelus fornicationis tu :super colles in agro vidi abominationes tuas.V tibi, Jerusalem !non mundaberis post me : usquequo adhuc ?]