1 F or, behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and 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, and the diviner, and the elder;

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

3 t he captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counsellor, and the expert artificer, and the skilful enchanter.

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

4 A nd I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall 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, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor: the child shall behave himself proudly against the old man, and the base 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, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand;

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 shall he lift up his voice, saying, I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: ye shall not make me 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 tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

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 he show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have done evil unto themselves.

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 ye of the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

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

11 W oe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him; for what his hands have done shall be done unto him.

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, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy 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 J ehovah standeth up to contend, and standeth to judge the peoples.

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

14 J ehovah will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and the princes thereof: It is ye that have eaten up 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 mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the face of the poor? saith the Lord, Jehovah 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 Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling 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 head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will lay bare their secret parts.

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 beauty of their anklets, and the cauls, and the crescents;

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

19 t he pendants, and the bracelets, and the mufflers;

dangling earrings, bracelets, veils,

20 t he headtires, and the ankle chains, and the sashes, and the perfume-boxes, and the amulets;

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

21 t he rings, and the nose-jewels;

finger rings, nose rings,

22 t he festival robes, and the mantles, and the shawls, and the satchels;

festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses,

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

hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans and veils.

24 A nd it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth; branding 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 T hy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.

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

26 A nd her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit upon the ground.

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