Jeremiah 13:21-23

New International Reader's Version

²¹ You have worked hard to make special friends.
    But the Lord will let them rule over you.
    Then what will you say?
Suffering will take hold of you.
    It will be like the pain of a woman having a baby.
²² Suppose you ask yourself,
    “Why has this happened to me?”
It’s because you have committed so many sins.
    That’s the reason your skirt has been torn off.
    That’s why your body has been treated so badly.
²³ Can people from Ethiopia change their skin?
    Can leopards change their spots?
It’s the same with you.
    You have always done what is evil.
    So how can you do what is good?