Jeremiah 13

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 13

1¶ Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.

2So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put [it] on my loins.

3And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying,

4Take the girdle that thou hast got, which [is] upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

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

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

7Then I went to Euphrates, 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.

8Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

9Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

10This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.

11For 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 hear.

12¶ Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

13Then 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.

14And 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 mercy, but destroy them.

15Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.

16Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, [and] make [it] gross darkness.

17But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for [your] pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.

18Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, [even] the crown of your glory.

19The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open [them]: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.

20Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where [is] the flock [that] was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

21What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them [to be] captains, [and] as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?

22¶ And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, [and] thy heels made bare.

23Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

24Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.

25This [is] thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

26Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.

27I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, [and] thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when [shall it] once [be]?

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jeremiah 13 begins with the symbolic act of a linen girdle, which, after being hidden by the Euphrates, becomes marred and useless, representing the spoiled pride of Judah and Jerusalem due to their disobedience. The chapter then warns of impending judgment, likening the people to bottles filled with drunkenness and confusion, leading to their destruction. The LORD laments their refusal to hear, prophesying their captivity and the public exposure of their deep-seated iniquity and idolatry.

Medium Summary

The LORD instructs Jeremiah to perform a symbolic act: purchase a linen girdle, wear it, then hide it by the Euphrates. Upon retrieval, the girdle is found to be marred and useless, signifying how the LORD will spoil the pride of Judah and Jerusalem because they have refused to obey Him and have pursued other gods. This act illustrates their former close relationship with God, now broken by their unfaithfulness. A second prophecy warns that all inhabitants, from kings to common people, will be filled with "drunkenness," leading to internal strife and destruction without pity. The LORD urges them to humble themselves and give Him glory before darkness falls. He laments their impending captivity, revealing that their great iniquity and persistent idolatry are the cause of their shame and scattering, questioning if they can ever change their ingrained evil.

Long Summary

Jeremiah 13 opens with the LORD commanding a symbolic action: Jeremiah is to acquire a linen girdle, wear it, and then journey to the Euphrates to hide it in a rock. After a significant period, he is instructed to retrieve it, only to find it utterly marred and unprofitable. This prophetic act is then interpreted by the LORD, declaring that He will similarly mar the great pride of Judah and Jerusalem, who, like the spoiled girdle, have become useless due to their refusal to hear His words and their pursuit of other gods. The LORD reminds them that He had intended for Israel and Judah to cleave to Him as a girdle to a man, for His glory and praise, but they would not listen. A second parable follows, where Jeremiah is to proclaim that "every bottle shall be filled with wine." When the people dismiss this as a common truth, the LORD reveals His true meaning: He will fill all the inhabitants—kings, priests, prophets, and the people of Jerusalem—with "drunkenness," leading to confusion, internal conflict, and mutual destruction without mercy. The chapter then shifts to an urgent call for the people to hear, humble themselves, and give glory to the LORD before the darkness of judgment and stumbling descends upon them. If they persist in their pride, the LORD expresses profound sorrow, weeping in secret for their impending captivity. A specific message is directed to the king and queen, urging them to humble themselves, for their royal glory will be brought low. Judah's cities will be shut, and the entire nation carried away captive by invaders from the north. The LORD confronts their question of "Why?" by exposing their great iniquity, their "skirts discovered" and shame made bare. He uses the analogy of an Ethiopian changing his skin or a leopard its spots to illustrate the impossibility of Judah, accustomed to evil, to suddenly do good. Consequently, they will be scattered like stubble, their shame and abominations—their idolatry and spiritual adultery—fully exposed, with a poignant question lingering: "Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when [shall it] once [be]?"

Core Concepts

  • Symbolic Prophecy (The Linen Girdle)Jeremiah is commanded to wear a linen girdle, hide it by the Euphrates, and retrieve it later, finding it marred. This act symbolizes how the LORD will spoil the pride of Judah and Jerusalem due to their disobedience and idolatry.
  • Divine Judgment (Drunkenness and Destruction)The LORD prophesies that all inhabitants, from kings to commoners, will be filled with "drunkenness," leading to confusion, internal strife, and mutual destruction without pity. This is a metaphor for the overwhelming nature of God's impending wrath.
  • National Pride and DisobedienceThe chapter repeatedly highlights the "great pride" of Judah and Jerusalem and their refusal to hear the LORD's words, instead walking in the "imagination of their heart" and serving other gods. This pride is the root cause of their downfall.
  • Captivity and ScatteringAs a consequence of their sin, the LORD declares that Judah will be "carried away captive" and "scattered as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness," signifying a complete dispersion and loss of national identity.
  • Incurable Sin (Ethiopian and Leopard)The rhetorical question, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?" illustrates the deep-seated and habitual nature of Judah's evil, suggesting their inability to reform themselves and do good.
  • Spiritual Adultery and IdolatryThe LORD explicitly condemns Judah's "adulteries," "neighings," "lewdness of thy whoredom," and "abominations on the hills," referring to their unfaithfulness to God through the worship of other deities.
  • Divine Lament and SorrowDespite the stern warnings of judgment, the LORD expresses profound sorrow, stating, "my soul shall weep in secret places for [your] pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive." This reveals God's grief over His people's fate.