1Thus said YHWH to me: "Go and buy for yourself a waistcloth of linen, and put it on your loins, and into the water you shall not bring it."
2And I bought the waistcloth according to the word of YHWH, and I put it on my loins.
3And the word of YHWH came to me a second time, saying:
4"Take the waistcloth that you bought, which is on your loins, and arise, go to Perath, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock."
5And I went and hid it by Perath, as YHWH commanded (tzivvah) me.
6And it came to pass at the end of many days, that YHWH said to me: "Arise, go to Perath, and take from there the waistcloth that I commanded you (tzivvah) to hide there."
7And I went to Perath, and I dug, and I took the waistcloth from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the waistcloth was ruined, it was profitable for nothing.
8And the word of YHWH came to me, saying:
9Thus said YHWH: "In this manner I will ruin 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 have gone after other gods to serve them (avad) and to bow down to them — let it be like this waistcloth, which is profitable for nothing.
11For as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man (ish), so I caused to cling to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, declares YHWH, that they might be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory; but they did not hear.
12And you shall say to them this word: Thus said YHWH, the God of Israel: 'Every jar shall be filled with wine.' And they will say to you: 'Do we not surely know that every jar shall be filled with wine?'
13Then you shall say to them: Thus said YHWH: Behold, I am filling all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings who sit for David on his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.
14And I will dash them one against another, the fathers and the sons together, declares YHWH; I will not pity, and I will not spare, and I will not have compassion, from destroying them."
15Hear and give ear; do not be haughty, for YHWH has spoken.
16Give to YHWH your God glory, before it grows dark, and before your feet stumble on the mountains of twilight; and you wait for light, but he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it into thick darkness.
17But if you will not hear it, in secret places my soul (nephesh) will weep because of the pride; and my eye will surely weep, and run down with tears, because the flock of YHWH is taken captive.
18Say to the king and to the queen-mother: Sit low, for the crown of your glory has come down from your heads.
19The cities of the Negev are shut up, and there is none to open; Judah is exiled, all of it, it is wholly exiled.
20Lift up your eyes and see those coming from the north; where is the flock that was given to you, the sheep of your glory?
21What will you say when he sets over you as head those whom you yourself trained against you as companions? Shall not pangs take hold of you, like a woman (ishah) in travail?
22And if you say in your heart: "Why have these things befallen me?" — for the greatness of your iniquity your skirts are uncovered, your heels suffer violence.
23Can the Cushite change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then also you would be able to do good, you who are accustomed to do evil.
24And I will scatter them like stubble passing away to the spirit (ruach) of the wilderness.
25This is your lot, the portion of your measures from me, declares YHWH; because you have forgotten me and trusted in falsehood.
26And I also will strip your skirts over your face, and your shame will be seen.
27Your adulteries and your neighings, the lewdness of your harlotry on the hills in the field — I have seen your detestable things. Woe to you, Jerusalem! You will not be clean; for how long yet?