Jeremiah 13: The Ruined Linen Belt
Through a belt buried by the Euphrates and a warning against pride, God shows how a people once meant to cling to him have become good for nothing.
Jeremiah 13 (WEB)
1 Thus says Yahweh to me, Go, and buy yourself a linen belt, and put it on your waist, and don’t put it in water.
2 So I bought a belt according to Yahweh’s word, and put it on my waist.
3 Yahweh’s word came to me the second time, saying,
4 Take the belt that you have bought, which is on your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.
5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as Yahweh commanded me.
6 After many days, Yahweh said to me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the belt from there, which I commanded you to hide there.
7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the belt from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the belt was marred, it was profitable for nothing.
8 Then Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
9 Thus says Yahweh, In this way I will mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and are gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this belt, which is profitable for nothing.
11 For as the belt clings to the waist of a man, so have I caused to cling to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says Yahweh; that they may be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
12 Therefore you shall speak to them this word: Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall tell you, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?
13 Then you shall tell them, Thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit on David’s throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.
14 I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says Yahweh: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them.
15 Hear, and give ear; don’t be proud; for Yahweh has spoken.
16 Give glory to Yahweh your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it gross darkness.
17 But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and my eye shall weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because Yahweh’s flock is taken captive.
18 Say to the king and to the queen mother, Humble yourselves, sit down; for your headdresses have come down, even the crown of your glory.
19 The cities of the South are shut up, and there is no one to open them: Judah is carried away captive, all of it; it is wholly carried away captive.
20 Lift up your eyes, and see those who come from the north: where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?
21 What will you say, when he shall set over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you? shall not sorrows take hold of you, as of a woman in travail?
22 If you say in your heart, Why are these things come on me? for the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts uncovered, and your heels suffer violence.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil.
24 Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that passes away, by the wind of the wilderness.
25 This is your lot, the portion measured to you from me, says Yahweh; because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.
26 Therefore will I also uncover your skirts on your face, and your shame shall appear.
27 I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries, and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! You will not be made clean; how long shall it yet be?
Jeremiah 13 (KJV)
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.
2 So I got a girdle according to the word of the Lord, and put it on my loins.
3 And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying,
4 Take 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.
5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.
6 And 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.
7 Then 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.
8 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
9 Thus saith the Lord, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10 This 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.
11 For 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?
13 Then 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.
14 And 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.
15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken.
16 Give 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.
17 But 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.
18 Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.
19 The 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.
20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?
21 What 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.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.
25 This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the Lord; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.
26 Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.
27 I 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?
Jeremiah 13 (ASV)
1 Thus saith Jehovah unto me, Go, and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.
2 So I bought a girdle according to the word of Jehovah, and put it upon my loins.
3 And the word of Jehovah came unto me the second time, saying,
4 Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.
5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as Jehovah commanded me.
6 And it came to pass after many days, that Jehovah said unto me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.
7 Then I went to the 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.
8 Then the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
9 Thus saith Jehovah, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10 This evil people, that refuse to hear my words, that walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and are gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is profitable for nothing.
11 For 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 Jehovah; that they may 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 Jehovah, the 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?
13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, 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.
14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith Jehovah: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them.
15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud; for Jehovah hath spoken.
16 Give glory to Jehovah 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.
17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because Jehovah’s flock is taken captive.
18 Say thou unto the king and to the queen-mother, Humble yourselves, sit down; for your headtires are come down, even the crown of your glory.
19 The cities of the South are shut up, and there is none to open them: Judah is carried away captive, all of it; it is wholly carried away captive.
20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?
21 What wilt thou say, when he shall set over thee as head those whom thou hast thyself taught to be friends to thee? shall not sorrows take hold of thee, as of a woman in travail?
22 And if thou say in thy heart, Wherefore are these things come upon me? for the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels suffer violence.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
24 Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that passeth away, by the wind of the wilderness.
25 This is thy lot, the portion measured unto thee from me, saith Jehovah; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.
26 Therefore will I also uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and thy shame shall appear.
27 I have seen thine abominations, even thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, on the hills in the field. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! thou wilt not be made clean; how long shall it yet be?
Summary
God tells Jeremiah to buy a linen belt, wear it, and not put it in water, then later to take it to the Euphrates and hide it in a cleft of the rock. After many days Jeremiah retrieves it, and the belt is ruined, profitable for nothing. God explains the sign: in just this way he will mar the pride of Judah and Jerusalem, for this evil people who refuse his words and follow other gods will become like that worthless belt. As the belt clings to a man's waist, so God had caused all Israel and Judah to cling to him, to be his people for praise and glory, but they would not listen. A second sign follows: every jar will be filled with wine, and God will fill the inhabitants of the land, even kings, priests, and prophets, with the drunkenness of confusion, dashing them against one another without pity. Then comes a heartfelt plea: hear and do not be proud, give glory to God before he brings darkness and your feet stumble on the dark mountains. If they will not listen, Jeremiah's soul will weep in secret for their pride as the flock is taken captive. He calls the king and queen mother to humble themselves, for their crown has fallen and Judah is wholly carried away. The chapter ends with searching images of judgment: can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots, so deeply are they accustomed to evil, and so their shame will be exposed because they have forgotten God and trusted in falsehood.
Voices
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who once made his people cling to him like a belt to the waist, now marring their pride and pleading that they give him glory before the darkness falls.
- Jeremiah — The prophet who enacts the sign of the ruined belt and weeps in secret over a proud people headed for captivity.
- The king and queen mother — The royal house summoned to humble themselves as their crown of glory comes down and Judah is carried away captive.
Key Verse
Jeremiah 13:11 (WEB)
For as the belt clings to the waist of a man, so have I caused to cling to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says Yahweh; that they may be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
Lessons Learned
- God made his people to cling to him closely, for his praise and glory.
- Pride and idolatry ruin what God designed to be useful and beautiful.
- Giving glory to God in humility is the path away from darkness.
- Sin can become so habitual that we cannot change ourselves and need God's deliverance.
- We were made to cling to God. “As the belt clings to the waist of a man, so have I caused to cling to me the whole house of Israel” (Jeremiah 13:11, WEB). Our purpose is intimate nearness to God for his glory.
- Pride ruins God's purposes for us. “In this way I will mar the pride of Judah” (Jeremiah 13:9, WEB). What is meant to be useful becomes profitable for nothing when pride and idolatry take hold.
- Humble glory to God dispels darkness. “Give glory to Yahweh your God, before he causes darkness” (Jeremiah 13:16, WEB). The way to avoid stumbling is to honor God while there is still light.
- Habitual sin enslaves. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?” (Jeremiah 13:23, WEB). Long-practiced evil leaves us unable to reform ourselves and in need of God's grace.
- What is the meaning of the ruined linen belt, and how does it picture Judah?
- Why does God say he made his people to cling to him, and what was their intended purpose?
- What does God plead for in the call to give glory before darkness comes?
- What does the image of the leopard's spots teach about the grip of habitual sin?
- Where do you sense God calling you to humble yourself and cling more closely to him?
- The belt, buried and ruined by the Euphrates, becomes profitable for nothing, just as God will mar the pride of Judah and Jerusalem, who refuse his words (13:1-10). The sign dramatizes how a people meant to be useful become worthless through stubborn idolatry.
- God made the whole house of Israel and Judah to cling to him as a belt clings to the waist, so they would be his people for a name, praise, and glory (13:11). Their purpose was intimate, glorifying nearness to him, which they forfeited by refusing to hear.
- God pleads, give glory to him before he brings darkness and their feet stumble on the dark mountains (13:16). The call is to humble repentance while there is still light, since pride leads only into deepening gloom.
- Just as the Ethiopian cannot change his skin nor the leopard its spots, a people so accustomed to evil cannot reform themselves (13:23). It exposes the enslaving grip of habitual sin and the need for transformation that only God can give.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to consider where pride keeps them from clinging to God, and what humble step would draw them closer. As leader, hold out the hope that the God who made us to cling to him still welcomes the humble back to himself.