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.

我就往幼发拉底河去，将腰带从我所藏的地方刨出来，见腰带已经变坏，毫无用了。

我就往幼发拉底河去，把那腰带从我所藏的地方挖出来。看哪，腰带已经破烂，毫无用处了。

我就往幼发拉底河去，把那腰带从我所藏的地方挖出来。看哪，腰带已经破烂，毫无用处了。

我就去幼发拉底河边把所藏的腰带挖出来，但腰带已经腐烂，不能用了。

于是我往幼发拉底河去，在那里挖掘，把腰带从我埋藏的地方取出来；看哪！腰带已经腐烂了，完全没用了。

我就往幼發拉底河去，將腰帶從我所藏的地方刨出來，見腰帶已經變壞，毫無用了。

我就往幼發拉底河去，把那腰帶從我所藏的地方挖出來。看哪，腰帶已經破爛，毫無用處了。

我就往幼發拉底河去，把那腰帶從我所藏的地方挖出來。看哪，腰帶已經破爛，毫無用處了。

我就去幼發拉底河邊把所藏的腰帶挖出來，但腰帶已經腐爛，不能用了。

於是我往幼發拉底河去，在那裡挖掘，把腰帶從我埋藏的地方取出來；看哪！腰帶已經腐爛了，完全沒用了。

我就往伯拉河去刨，將圍腰服從我所埋藏的地方取出來；啊，已經壞了；毫無用處了。

我則往伯拉、自所藏處掘而出之、見帶已壞而無用、

我往百辣、於所藏之所、掘磐取帶、帶已糜爛無益。

我往伯拉河、於所藏之所、掘而取帶、見帶已壞、不適於用、

So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.

Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing.

So I went to the Euphrates and dug it out of the hole where I had hidden it. But now it was rotting and falling apart. The loincloth was good for nothing.

So I went to the Euphrates and dug up the underwear and got it from the place where I had hidden it, but it was ruined— of no use at all.

Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the undergarment from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the undergarment was ruined, it was completely useless.

Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing.

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.

So I went to the Euphrates and dug up the underwear and got it from the place where I had hidden it, but it was ruined— of no use at all.

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.

So I went to Perath and dug up the shorts from the place where I had buried them. I found that they were ruined; they were good for nothing.

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 ruined. It was profitable for nothing.

All of us have become like someone who is“ unclean.” All the good things we do are like dirty rags to you. All of us are like leaves that have dried up. Our sins sweep us away like the wind.

All of them have turned away. They have all become worthless. No one does anything good, no one at all.”( Psalms 14:1–3; 53:1–3; Ecclesiastes 7:20)

“ Salt is good. But suppose it loses its saltiness. How can it be made salty again?It is not good for the soil. And it is not good for the trash pile. It will be thrown out.“ Whoever has ears should listen.”

King Jehoiachin was forced to leave Jerusalem. He was the son of Jehoiakim. Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. The officials and all the skilled workers were forced to leave with him. After they left, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs. They were in front of his temple.One basket had very good figs in it. They were like figs that ripen early. The other basket had very bad figs in it. In fact, they were so bad they couldn’t even be eaten.Then the Lord asked me,“ What do you see, Jeremiah?”“ Figs,” I answered.“ The good ones are very good. But the others are so bad they can’t be eaten.”Then a message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said,“ I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I say,‘ I consider the people who were forced to leave Judah to be like these good figs. I sent them away from this place. I forced them to go to Babylon.My eyes will watch over them. I will be good to them. And I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up. I will not tear them down. I will plant them. I will not pull them up by the roots.I will change their hearts. Then they will know that I am the Lord. They will be my people. And I will be their God. They will return to me with all their heart.“‘ But there are also bad figs. In fact, they are so bad they can’t be eaten,’ says the Lord.‘ Zedekiah, the king of Judah, is like these bad figs. So are his officials and the people of Jerusalem who are still left alive. I will punish them whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt.

Can its wood ever be made into anything useful? Can pegs be made from it to hang things on?Suppose it is thrown in the fire to be burned. And the fire burns both ends and blackens the middle. Then is the wood useful for anything?It was not useful when it was whole. So how can it be made into something useful now? The fire has burned it and blackened it.”

Joshua stood in front of the angel. He was wearing clothes that were very dirty.The angel spoke to those who were standing near him. He said,“ Take his dirty clothes off.” He said to Joshua,“ I have taken your sin away. I will put fine clothes on you.”

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.

Before that, he was useless to you. But now he has become useful to you and to me.