1 | For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water; |
2 | the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, |
3 | the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skilful magician and the expert in charms. |
4 | And I will make boys their princes, and babes shall rule over them. |
5 | And the people will oppress one another, every man his fellow and every man his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the base fellow to the honorable. |
6 | When a man takes hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying: "You have a mantle; you shall be our leader, and this heap of ruins shall be under your rule"; |
7 | in that day he will speak out, saying: "I will not be a healer; in my house there is neither bread nor mantle; you shall not make me leader of the people." |
8 | For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen; because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD, defying his glorious presence. |
9 | Their partiality witnesses against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom, they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil upon themselves. |
10 | Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. |
11 | Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have done shall be done to him. |
12 | My people -- children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you, and confuse the course of your paths. |
13 | The LORD has taken his place to contend, he stands to judge his people. |
14 | The LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of his people: "It is you who have devoured the vineyard, the spoil of the poor is in your houses. |
15 | What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor?" says the Lord GOD of hosts. |
16 | The LORD said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet; |
17 | the Lord will smite with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts. |
18 | In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; |
19 | the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarfs; |
20 | the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; |
21 | the signet rings and nose rings; |
22 | the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; |
23 | the garments of gauze, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils. |
24 | Instead of perfume there will be 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; instead of beauty, shame. |
25 | Your men shall fall by the sword and your mighty men in battle. |
26 | And her gates shall lament and mourn; ravaged, she shall sit upon the ground. |