1 F or behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water,

For behold, the Lord God of hosts is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread And the whole supply of water;

2 T he mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, the one who foretells by divination and the old man,

The mighty man and the warrior, The judge and the prophet, The diviner and the elder,

3 T he captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the expert craftsman and the skillful enchanter.

The captain of fifty and the honorable man, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter.

4 A nd I will make boys their princes, and with childishness shall they rule over them.

And I will make mere lads their princes, And capricious children will rule over them,

5 A nd the people shall be oppressed, each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; the child shall behave himself proudly and with insolence against the old man, and the lowborn against the honorable.

And the people will be oppressed, Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; The youth will storm against the elder And the inferior against the honorable.

6 W hen a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, You have a robe, you shall be our judge and ruler, and this heap of ruins shall be under your control—

When a man lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying, “You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler, And these ruins will be under your charge,”

7 I n that day he will answer, saying, I will not be a healer and one who binds up; I am not a physician. For in my house is neither bread nor clothing; you shall not make me judge and ruler of the people.

He will protest on that day, saying, “I will not be your healer, For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”

8 F or Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory and defy His glorious presence.

For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, To rebel against His glorious presence.

9 T heir respecting of persons and showing of partiality witnesses against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil.

The expression of their faces bears witness against them, And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.

10 S ay to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.

Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, For they will eat the fruit of their actions.

11 W oe to the wicked! It shall be ill with them, for what their hands have done shall be done to them.

Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, For what he deserves will be done to him.

12 A s for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O My people, your leaders cause you to err, and they confuse (destroy and swallow up) the course of your paths.

O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths. God Will Judge

13 T he Lord stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples and His people.

The Lord arises to contend, And stands to judge the people.

14 T he Lord enters into judgment with the elders of His people and their princes: For you have devoured the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people, “It is you who have devoured the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses.

15 W hat do you mean by crushing My people and grinding the faces of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts.

“What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the face of the poor?” Declares the Lord God of hosts. Judah’s Women Denounced

16 M oreover, the Lord said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks and with undisciplined (flirtatious and alluring) eyes, tripping along with mincing and affected gait, and making a tinkling noise with their feet,

Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, And go along with mincing steps And tinkle the bangles on their feet,

17 T herefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will cause them to be stripped naked.

Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.”

18 I n that day the Lord will take away the finery of their tinkling anklets, the caps of network, the crescent head ornaments,

In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments,

19 T he pendants, the bracelets or chains, and the spangled face veils and scarfs,

dangling earrings, bracelets, veils,

20 T he headbands, the short ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume boxes, the amulets or charms,

headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets,

21 T he signet rings and nose rings,

finger rings, nose rings,

22 T he festal robes, the cloaks, the stoles and shawls, and the handbags,

festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses,

23 T he hand mirrors, the fine linen, the turbans, and the veils.

hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans and veils.

24 A nd it shall come to pass that instead of the sweet odor of spices there shall be the stench of rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; and searing instead of beauty.

Now it will come about that instead of sweet perfume there will be putrefaction; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.

25 Y our men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty men in battle.

Your men will fall by the sword And your mighty ones in battle.

26 A nd gates shall lament and mourn; and she, being ruined and desolate, shall sit upon the ground.

And her gates will lament and mourn, And deserted she will sit on the ground.