1 F or, lo, the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, Is turning aside from Jerusalem, And from Judah, stay and staff, Every stay of bread, and every stay of water.

2 H ero and man of war, judge and prophet, And diviner and elder,

3 H ead of fifty, and accepted of faces, And counsellor, and the wise of artificers, And the intelligent of charmers.

4 A nd I have made youths their heads, And sucklings rule over them.

5 A nd the people hath exacted -- man upon man, Even a man on his neighbour, Enlarge themselves do the youths against the aged, And the lightly esteemed against the honoured.

6 W hen one layeth hold on his brother, the house of his father, the garment, `Come, a ruler thou art to us, And this ruin under thy hand.'

7 H e lifteth up, in that day, saying: `I am not a binder up, And in my house is neither bread nor garment, Ye do not make me a ruler of the people.'

8 F or stumbled hath Jerusalem, and Judah hath fallen, For their tongue and their doings against Jehovah, To provoke the eyes of His glory.

9 T he appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Wo to their soul, For they have done to themselves evil.

10 S ay ye to the righteous, that good, Because the fruit of their doings they eat.

11 W o to the wicked -- evil, Because the deed of his hand is done to him.

12 M y people -- its exactors sucklings, And women have ruled over it. My people -- thy eulogists are causing to err, And the way of thy paths swallowed up.

13 J ehovah hath stood up to plead, And He is standing to judge the peoples.

14 J ehovah into judgment doth enter With elders of His people, and its heads: `And ye, ye have consumed the vineyard, Plunder of the poor in your houses.

15 W hat -- to you? ye bruise My people, And the faces of the poor ye grind.' An affirmation of the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, And Jehovah saith:

16 ` Because that daughters of Zion have been haughty, And they walk stretching out the neck, And deceiving the eyes, Walking and mincing they go, And with their feet they make a tinkling,

17 T he Lord also hath scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And Jehovah their simplicity exposeth.

18 I n that day doth the Lord turn aside The beauty of the tinkling ornaments, And of the embroidered works, And of the round tires like moons,

19 O f the drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

20 O f the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, And of the bands, And of the perfume boxes, and the amulets,

21 O f the seals, and of the nose-rings,

22 O f the costly apparel, and of the mantles, And of the coverings, and of the purses,

23 O f the mirrors, and of the linen garments, And of the hoods, and of the vails,

24 A nd it hath been, instead of spice is muck, And instead of a girdle, a rope, And instead of curled work, baldness, And instead of a stomacher a girdle of sackcloth.

25 F or instead of glory, thy men by sword do fall, And thy might in battle.

26 A nd lamented and mourned have her openings, Yea, she hath been emptied, on the earth she sitteth!