Under the figure of a linen girdle is foretold the destruction of the Jews. Their obstinacy in sin brings all miseries upon them.

 1 Thus saith the Lord to me: Go, and get thee a linen girdle, and thou shalt put it about thy loins, and shalt not put it into water.
Haec dicit Dominus ad me : Vade, et posside tibi lumbare lineum, et pones illud super lumbos tuos, et in aquam non inferes illud.

 2 And I got a girdle according to the word of the Lord, and put it about my loins.
Et possedi lumbare, juxta verbum Domini, et posui circa lumbos meos.

 3 And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying:
Et factus est sermo Domini ad me secundo, dicens :

 4 Take the girdle which thou hast got, which is about thy loins, and arise, and go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.
Tolle lumbare quod possedisti, quod est circa lumbos tuos : et surgens vade ad Euphraten, et absconde ibi illud in foramine petrae.

 5 And I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord had commanded me.
Et abii, et abscondi illud in Euphrate, sicut praeceperat mihi Dominus.

 6 And it came to pass after many days, that the Lord said to me: Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from thence the girdle, which I commanded thee to hide there.
Et factum est post dies plurimos, dixit Dominus ad me : Surge, vade ad Euphraten, et tolle inde lumbare quod praecepi tibi ut absconderes illud ibi.

 7 And I went to the Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle out of the place where I had hid it: and behold the girdle was rotten, so that it was fit for no use.
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 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens :

 9 Thus saith the Lord: after this manner will I make the pride of Juda, and the great pride of Jerusalem to rot.
Haec dicit Dominus : Sic putrescere faciam superbiam Juda, et superbiam Jerusalem multam :

 10 This wicked people, that will not hear my words, and that walk in the perverseness of their heart, and have gone after strange gods to serve them, and to adore them: and they shall be as this girdle which is fit for no use.
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 For as the girdle sticketh close to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me all of the house of Israel, and all the house of Juda, saith the Lord: that they might be my people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
Sicut enim adhaeret lumbare ad lumbos viri, sic agglutinavi mihi omnem domum Israel, et omnem domum Juda, dicit Dominus, ut essent mihi in populum, et in nomen, et in laudem, et in gloriam, et non audierunt.

 12 Thou shalt speak therefore to them this word: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Every bottle shall be filled with wine, and they shall say to thee: Do we not know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?
Dices ergo ad eos sermonem istum : Haec dicit Dominus Deus Israel : Omnis laguncula implebitur vino. Et dicent ad te : Numquid ignoramus quia omnis laguncula implebitur vino?

 13 And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings of the race of David that sit upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.
Et dices ad eos : Haec dicit Dominus : Ecce ego implebo omnes habitatores terrae hujus, et reges qui sedent de stirpe David super thronum ejus, et sacerdotes, et prophetas, et omnes habitatores Jerusalem, ebrietate.

 14 And I will scatter them every man from his brother, and fathers and sons in like manner, saith the Lord: I will not spare, and I will not pardon: nor will I have mercy, but to destroy them.
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 Hear ye, and give ear: Be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken.
Audite, et auribus percipite : nolite elevari, quia Dominus locutus est.

 16 Give ye glory to the Lord your God, before it be dark, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains: you shall look for light, and he will turn it into the shadow of death, and into darkness.
Date Domino Deo vestro gloriam antequam contenebrescat, et antequam offendant pedes vestri ad montes caliginosos : exspectabitis lucem, et ponet eam in umbram mortis, et in caliginem.

 17 But if you will not hear this, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride: weeping it shall weep, and my eyes shall run down the tears, because the flock of the Lord is carried away captive.
Quod si hoc non audieritis, in abscondito plorabit anima mea a facie superbiae : plorans plorabit, et deducet oculus meus lacrimam, quia captus est grex Domini.

 18 Say to the king, and to the queen: Humble yourselves, sit down: for the crown of your glory is come down from your head.
Dic regi et dominatrici : Humiliamini, sedete, quoniam descendit de capite vestro corona gloriae vestrae.

 19 The cities of the south are shut up, and there is none to open them: all Juda is carried away captive with an entire captivity.
Civitates austri clausae sunt, et non est qui aperiat. Translata est omnis Juda transmigratione perfecta.

 20 Lift up your eyes, and see, you that come from the north: where is the flock that is given thee, thy beautiful cattle?
Levate oculos vestros, et videte qui venitis ab aquilone : ubi est grex qui datus est tibi, pecus inclytum tuum?

 21 What wilt thou say when he shall visit thee? for thou hast taught them against thee, and instructed them against thy own head: shall not sorrows lay hold on thee, as a woman in labour?
Quod dices cum visitaverit te? tu enim docuisti eos adversum te, et erudisti in caput tuum. Numquid non dolores apprehendent te, quasi mulierem parturientem?

 22 And if thou shalt say in thy heart: Why are these things come upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity, thy nakedness is discovered, the soles of thy feet are defiled.
Quod si dixeris in corde tuo : Quare venerunt mihi haec? propter multitudinem iniquitatis tuae revelata sunt verecundiora tua, pollutae sunt plantae tuae.

 23 If the Ethiopian can change his skin, or the leopard his spots: you may also do well, when you have learned evil.
Si mutare potest Aethiops pellem suam, aut pardus varietates suas, et vos poteritis bene facere, cum didiceritis malum.

 24 And I will scatter them as stubble, which is carried away by the wind in the desert.
Et disseminabo eos quasi stipulam quae vento raptatur in deserto.

 25 This is thy lot, and the portion of thy measure from me, saith the Lord, because thou hast forgotten me, and hast trusted in falsehood.
Haec sors tua, parsque mensurae tuae a me, dicit Dominus, quia oblita es mei, et confisa es in mendacio.

 26 Wherefore I have also bared thy thighs against thy face, and thy shame hath appeared.
Unde et ego nudavi femora tua contra faciem tuam, et apparuit ignominia tua,

 27 I have seen thy adulteries, and thy neighing, the wickedness of thy fornication: and thy abominations, upon the hills in the field. Woe to thee, Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean after me: how long yet?
adulteria tua, et hinnitus tuus, scelus fornicationis tuae : super colles in agro vidi abominationes tuas. Vae tibi, Jerusalem! non mundaberis post me : usquequo adhuc?