These people are evil. They refuse to listen to what I say. They do what their stubborn hearts want them to do. They chase after other gods. They serve them and worship them. So they will be like this belt. They will be completely useless.

这恶民不肯听我的话，按自己顽梗的心而行，随从别神，侍奉敬拜，他们也必像这腰带变为无用。”

这恶民不肯听我的话，按自己顽梗的心而行，随从别神，事奉敬拜它们；这恶民必像这腰带，毫无用处。

这恶民不肯听我的话，按自己顽梗的心而行，随从别神，事奉敬拜它们；这恶民必像这腰带，毫无用处。

这邪恶的百姓拒绝听我的话，一意孤行，跟随、供奉、祭拜别的神明，他们将像这腰带一样毫无用处。

这邪恶的人民，不肯听从我的话，他们随着自己顽梗的心行事，随从别的神，事奉敬拜他们；所以他们必像这根腰带，毫无用处。

這惡民不肯聽我的話，按自己頑梗的心而行，隨從別神，事奉敬拜，他們也必像這腰帶變為無用。」

這惡民不肯聽我的話，按自己頑梗的心而行，隨從別神，事奉敬拜它們；這惡民必像這腰帶，毫無用處。

這惡民不肯聽我的話，按自己頑梗的心而行，隨從別神，事奉敬拜它們；這惡民必像這腰帶，毫無用處。

這邪惡的百姓拒絕聽我的話，一意孤行，跟隨、供奉、祭拜別的神明，他們將像這腰帶一樣毫無用處。

這邪惡的人民，不肯聽從我的話，他們隨著自己頑梗的心行事，隨從別的神，事奉敬拜他們；所以他們必像這根腰帶，毫無用處。

這壞人民、不肯聽我的話、只隨着自己頑強之心意而行，去隨從別的神、而事奉敬拜的，讓他們像這圍腰服毫無用處罷！

惟此惡民、不聽我言、徇厥心之剛愎而行、從他神而服事崇拜之、必若此帶、歸於無用、

惡民不聽我言、輒自縱恣、崇奉他上帝、服事崇拜之、必使之無益、有如此帶。

此惡劣之民、不願聽我言、放縱情欲、剛愎自用、妄從他神、服事崇拜之、必將似此無用之帶然、

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!

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.

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!

These evil people, who refuse to listen to me, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, and who have followed other gods to serve and bow in worship— they will be like this underwear, of no use at all.

This wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have followed other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, let them be just like this undergarment which is completely useless.

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.

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.

These evil people, who refuse to listen to Me, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, and who have followed other gods to serve and worship— they will be like this underwear, of no use at all.

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.

These wicked people refuse to obey what I have said. They follow the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts and pay allegiance to other gods by worshiping and serving them. So they will become just like these linen shorts which are good for nothing.

This 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, and to worship them, will even be as this belt, which is profitable for nothing.

But you have done more evil things than they did. All of you are doing what your stubborn and evil hearts want you to do. You are not obeying me.

The Lord, the God of Israel, sent word to his people through his messengers. He sent it to them again and again. He took pity on his people. He also took pity on the temple where he lived.But God’s people made fun of his messengers. They hated his words. They laughed at his prophets. Finally the Lord’ s great anger was stirred up against his people. Nothing could save them.

The Lord said to Moses,“ How long will these people not respect me? How long will they refuse to believe in me? They refuse even though I have done many signs among them.

Instead, they have done what their stubborn hearts wanted them to do. They have worshiped the gods that are named Baal. They have done what their people have taught them to do through the years.”

So I went to Perath. I dug up the belt. I took it from the place where I had hidden it. But it had rotted. It was completely useless.

Long ago I brought your people up from Egypt. From that time until today, I warned them again and again. I said,“ Obey me.”But they did not listen. They did not pay any attention to me. Instead, they did what their stubborn and evil hearts wanted them to do. So I brought down on them all the curses of the covenant. I commanded them to obey it. But they refused.’ ”

At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord. All the nations will gather together there. They will go there to honor me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts want them to do.

Then why have the people of Jerusalem turned away from me? Why do they always turn away? They keep on telling lies. They refuse to come back to me.

You young people, be happy while you are still young. Let your heart be joyful while you are still strong. Do what your heart tells you to do. Go after what your eyes look at. But I want you to know that God will judge you for everything you do.

“ For 23 years the Lord’ s messages have been coming to me. They began to come in the 13th year that Josiah was king of Judah. He was the son of Amon. The Lord’ s messages still come to me today. I’ve spoken to you people again and again. But you haven’t listened to me.“ The Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you. They’ve come to you again and again. But you haven’t listened. You haven’t paid any attention to them.They said,‘ Each of you must turn from your evil ways and practices. Then you can stay in the land forever. It’s the land the Lord gave you and your people of long ago.Don’t follow other gods. Don’t serve them or worship them. Don’t make the Lord angry with the gods your own hands have made. Then he won’t harm you.’“‘ But you did not listen to me,’ announces the Lord.‘ You have made me very angry with the gods your hands have made. And you have brought harm on yourselves.’

Then the Lord said to me,“ Suppose Moses and Samuel were standing in front of me. Even then my heart would not feel sorry for these people. Send them away from me! Let them go!Suppose these people ask you,‘ Where should we go?’ Then tell them,‘ The Lord says,“‘ “Those I have appointed to die will die. Those I have appointed to be killed by swords will be killed by swords. Those I have appointed to die of hunger will die of hunger. Those I have appointed to be taken away as prisoners will be taken away.” ’“ I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” announces the Lord.“ Swords will kill them. Dogs will drag them away. Birds will eat them up. And wild animals will destroy them.I will make all the kingdoms on earth hate them. That will happen because of what Manasseh did in Jerusalem. He was king of Judah and the son of Hezekiah.

“ You stubborn people! You won’t obey! You won’t listen! You are just like your people of long ago! You always oppose the Holy Spirit!

They would not be like their people who lived long ago. Those people were stubborn. They refused to obey God. They turned away from him. Their spirits were not faithful to him.

But you people have stubborn hearts. You refuse to obey me. You have turned away from me. You have gone astray.

“ Some of them will die of deadly sicknesses. No one will mourn for them. Their bodies will not be buried. Instead, they will be like human waste lying there on the ground. Others will die because of war and hunger. Their bodies will not be buried. Instead, they will become food for the birds and the wild animals.”

‘ Every seventh year you must set your people free. Each of you must set free all the Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. Let them serve you for six years. Then you must let them go free.’( Deuteronomy 15:12) But your people of long ago did not listen to me. They did not pay any attention to me.Recently you turned away from your sins. You did what is right in my eyes. Each of you set your Hebrew slaves free. You even made a covenant in front of me. You did it in the house where I have put my Name.But now you have turned around. You have treated my name as if it were not holy. Each of you has taken back your male and female slaves. You had set them free to go where they wished. But now you have forced them to become your slaves again.”So the Lord says,“ You have not obeyed me. You have not set your Hebrew slaves free. So now I will set you free,” announces the Lord.“ I will set you free to be destroyed by war, plague and hunger. I will make all the kingdoms on earth displeased with you.

Be sure that you don’t say no to the one who speaks. People did not escape when they said no to the one who warned them on earth. And what if we turn away from the one who warns us from heaven? How much less will we escape!

The Lord told me about the evil plans of my enemies. That’s how I knew about them. He showed me what they were doing.

Here is what I’m telling you. I am speaking for the Lord as I warn you. You must no longer live as the Gentiles do. Their thoughts don’t have any purpose.They can’t understand the truth. They are separated from the life of God. That’s because they don’t know him. And they don’t know him because their hearts are stubborn.They have lost all feeling for what is right. So they have given themselves over to all kinds of evil pleasures. They take part in every kind of unclean act. And they are full of greed.

Instead of smelling sweet, the women will smell bad. Instead of wearing belts, they will wear ropes. Instead of having beautiful hair, they won’t have any hair at all. Instead of wearing fine clothes, they’ll wear rough clothes to show how sad they are. Instead of being beautiful, on their bodies they’ll have the marks of their owners.

But they did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. Instead, they did what their stubborn and evil hearts wanted them to do. They went backward and not forward.Again and again I sent my servants the prophets to you. They came to you day after day. They prophesied from the time your people left Egypt until now.But your people of long ago did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. They were stubborn. They did more evil things than their people who lived before them.“ Jeremiah, when you tell them all this, they will not listen to you. When you call out to them, they will not answer.So say to them,‘ You are a nation that has not obeyed the Lord your God. You did not pay attention when you were corrected. Truth has died out. You do not tell the truth anymore.’ ”