1 S ee, the Lord, the Lord God of All, is going to take away from Jerusalem and Judah all they have to keep themselves alive and safe, all the bread and all the 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 H e will take away the strong man, the man of war, the man who judges, the man who tells what will happen in the future, the man who uses secret ways, and the leader.

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

3 H e will take away the captain of fifty, the man of honor, the wise man, the able workman, and the one who uses secret powers.

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

4 I will make boys their rulers. Foolish children will rule over them.

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

5 T he people will make it hard for each other. Each one will hurt the other, and each one will be hurt by his neighbor. The younger will show anger toward the older. And the man who is not respected will show anger toward the man of honor.

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 A man will take hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying, “You have a coat. You will be our ruler. This destroyed city will be under your rule.”

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 call out, “I can not be of help to you. For in my house there is no bread or coat. You should not choose me to be 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 has no strength, and Judah has fallen, because their speaking and their actions are against the Lord. They have turned against His shining-greatness.

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 look on their faces speaks against them. They show their sin like Sodom. They do not even hide it. It is bad for them! For they have brought trouble upon 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 T ell those who are right and good that it will go well for them. For they will enjoy the fruit of what they do.

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

11 I t will be bad for the sinful man! It will not go well for him, for what he has done will be done to him.

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

12 O My people! Children make it hard for them. And women rule over them. O My people! Your leaders lead you in the wrong way. You do not know which path to take. The Lord Will Judge His People

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 is ready to say what He thinks and stands to judge the people.

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

14 T he Lord judges the leaders and rulers of His people: “It is you who have destroyed the grape-field. What had belonged to 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 All. Women of Jerusalem Will Suffer

“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 T he Lord said, “The daughters of Zion are proud. They walk with heads held high and a wrong desire in their eyes. They walk with short steps, making noise with the chains on their ankles.

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 S o the Lord will make sores come upon the heads of the daughters of Zion, and take the hair from their head.

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 ankle chains, headbands, moon-like objects,

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

19 r ings worn on their ears and arms, face-coverings,

dangling earrings, bracelets, veils,

20 h ead-dresses, leg-chains, wide belts, perfume boxes, objects with secret powers,

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

21 f inger rings, nose rings,

finger rings, nose rings,

22 b right clothing, coats, money-bags,

festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses,

23 h and mirrors, underclothes, head-coverings, and face-coverings.

hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans and veils.

24 I nstead of sweet perfume there will be a bad smell. Instead of a belt there will be a rope. Instead of well set hair there will be no hair. Instead of fine clothes they will wear cloth made from hair. And there will be burnt marks 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 will fall by the sword. Your strong ones will fall in battle.

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

26 J erusalem’s gates will be filled with sorrow. She will sit on the ground, laid waste and empty.

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