Jeremiah 13 10

Jeremiah 13:10 kjv

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.

Jeremiah 13:10 nkjv

This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing.

Jeremiah 13:10 niv

These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt?completely useless!

Jeremiah 13:10 esv

This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing.

Jeremiah 13:10 nlt

These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth ? good for nothing!

Jeremiah 13 10 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Jer 13:10that people who are wicked and refuse to listen have become like this belt, worthless and rotten.Prophetic judgment
Jer 2:19Your wickedness will punish you; its rebellious ways will correct you. See how bad and bitter it is to forsake the Lord your God and be disloyal to me.Consequences of sin
Ezek 36:19I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed into foreign countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions.Divine judgment/dispersion
Isa 3:8Jerusalem stumbles, and Judah falls; their words and actions are against the Lord, provoking the eyes of his glory.Judah's sin and consequence
Hosea 4:6My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have forgotten your God’s law, I too will forget your children.Rejection of knowledge/law
Ps 78:57-58They departed and acted unfaithfully, like a broken bow. They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their graven images.Unfaithfulness and idolatry
Jer 7:29-30Cut off your hair and throw it away; raise a lament on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned this generation that incurs his wrath. The people of Judah have done evil in my sight, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable things in the house that bears my Name and have defiled it.God's rejection and defilement
Deut 28:48therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and stripped of everything, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he destroys you.Curse of disobedience
Rev 18:5-7For her sins have piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. In the cup she mixed, mix a double portion for her. How much she has glorified herself and indulged in luxury—torture and mourn for her.Divine retribution
Luke 10:16Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.Rejection of messengers
Jer 22:24-26As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord, ‘even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off. I will give you over to the hands of those who are trying to kill you—those you fear, those who want to kill you, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his army. I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, into a land where you were not born, and there you will die.Exile and fall of kings
Zech 7:11-14But they refused to pay attention, shrugged their shoulders, and covered their ears so they would not hear. They made their hearts as hard as flint and refused to listen to the law and the warnings that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry. "Now as I punished them when they called me, so will they call for help when I don’t answer."Stubbornness and judgment
Jer 23:15I am against the prophets who have done this,” declares the Lord Almighty. “They prophesy lies, my people are led astray by their lies and flattering talk, yet I did not send them.False prophecy's effect
Amos 5:2Fallen is the virgin Israel, no longer to rise. She lies abandoned on her own land, with no one to raise her up.Israel's downfall
Ps 53:1-3The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their actions are vile; there is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.Wickedness and God's observation
Isa 28:1,3Woe to them, O proud princes of Samaria, you who are crowned with the finest flowers of Ephraim! You have a Woesome downfall coming. The proud crown of Ephraim will be trampled underfoot.Pride and its destruction
Rom 3:23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.Universal sinfulness
Ezek 15:1-5Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, how is the wood of a grapevine different from any other wood, or from the branches of a tree in a forest? Is it used for making anything? Do people use it to make pegs for hanging things on? It is only good for fuel, as fuel for the fire you throw it to. It burns up. And when it is put in the fire and both ends are burned up, and the middle of it is scorched, is it even useful for making anything? Not at all. Nothing is useful for making anything from a piece that was once a vine, but is now burned.Uselessness of a corrupted vine
Gal 5:4You who are trying to be justified by law have been estranged from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.Falling from grace

Jeremiah 13 verses

Jeremiah 13 10 Meaning

This verse describes the inevitable decay and destruction that will come upon Judah and Jerusalem due to their persistent sin and rejection of God. It uses the metaphor of a belt becoming useless and rotten to symbolize this impending ruin. The people will be stripped of their pride and glory, facing desolation and shame as a consequence of their unfaithfulness to the covenant.

Jeremiah 13 10 Context

Jeremiah 13 follows a series of prophecies against Jerusalem and Judah. Chapter 13 specifically illustrates Judah's sin through the symbolic act of the linen belt hidden by the Euphrates. This belt, meant to be pristine, became ruined and useless because of its immersion in the muddy river, symbolizing how Judah's sin has corrupted them, making them spiritually decayed and unfit for God's purpose. This verse highlights the consequence of their persistent disobedience and spiritual unfaithfulness, which leads to their inevitable downfall and exile. The prophecy serves as a stern warning to the people and the leadership in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 13 10 Word Analysis

  • כִּי (ki) - "For" or "because." This word introduces the reason or cause for the following statement.
  • כֵּן (ken) - "Thus" or "so." It signifies that the following is the result or consequence of their actions.
  • הָיָה (hayah) - "Was" or "became." This verb denotes a change of state or a becoming something.
  • עַמִּים (amim) - "People" or "nations." Referring specifically to the people of Judah and Jerusalem in this context.
  • רָשָׁע (rasha') - "Wicked" or "evil." Describing the moral character of the people due to their sin.
  • וַעֲבֹדָה (va'avodah) - "And working" or "and serving." This relates to their practice or worship.
  • אֶל (el) - "To" or "unto." Indicating direction or recipient.
  • לֹא (lo) - "Not." A strong negation.
  • שָׁמַע (shama') - "To hear" or "to obey." It signifies not listening to God's word or commands.
  • בְּקֹל (bekol) - "In the voice" or "at the voice." Referring to God's pronouncements.
  • יְהוָה (Adonai) - "The Lord." God's covenant name, emphasizing his authority.
  • אֱלֹהֵיהֶם (eloeihem) - "Their God." Indicates possession and relationship.
  • לְמַעַן (lema'an) - "For the sake of" or "in order that." Denotes purpose.
  • טֹוב (tov) - "Good" or "prosperity." What they refused.
  • לוּ (lu) - "Would that" or "if only." Expressing a conditional wish or possibility that was missed.
  • נִשְׁחֲתָה (nishchathah) - "Is ruined" or "is destroyed" or "is spoiled." Passive verb, indicating it has become corrupt and useless.

Group Analysis:The phrase "so has this people become" signifies a complete moral and spiritual deterioration, paralleling the spoiled linen belt. The refusal to "obey the voice of the Lord their God" is the direct cause of this ruin, illustrating that spiritual decay stems from disobedience to divine instruction and covenant commitments. Their loss of the "good" and prosperity intended by God is a direct consequence of turning away from His guidance.

Jeremiah 13 10 Bonus Section

The imagery of the linen belt specifically points to the high priestly garments or a girdle of consecration, representing purity, honor, and service. Its ruin signifies Judah's failure to live up to its calling as God's chosen people. The loss of "good" reflects the forfeiture of covenant blessings—temporal and spiritual. This prophetic method of using physical objects to symbolize spiritual realities is a recurring theme in Jeremiah, highlighting the tangible and practical nature of God's judgments and his covenant requirements. The emphasis on "not obeying the voice of the Lord" underscores the primacy of divine instruction as the foundation for national well-being.

Jeremiah 13 10 Commentary

The spoiled linen belt serves as a potent analogy for Judah's spiritual state. Their continuous defiance and refusal to heed God's prophetic warnings have led to a state of irrecoverable corruption and worthlessness in God's sight. The people, once set apart and esteemed, have become morally decayed and practically useless, akin to rotten fabric incapable of its intended purpose. This verse emphasizes the severe consequences of national apostasy and willful disobedience to divine command, leading not just to personal ruin but to the breakdown of the nation’s covenant standing, resulting in their impending judgment and scattering.