1For behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, Taketh away from Jerusalem and from Judah every stay and support; The whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water;
2The mighty man, and the warrior, The judge, the prophet, the diviner, and the sage,
3The captain of fifty, and the honorable man, The counsellor, the expert in arts, and the skilful in charms.
4And I will make boys their princes, And children shall rule over them.
5And the people shall oppress one another, Man striving against man, and neighbor against neighbor; The boy shall behave himself insolently toward the aged, And the base toward the honorable.
6Then shall a man take hold of his brother in his father's house, [[and say,]] Thou hast yet clothing, Be thou our ruler, And take this ruin into thy hands!
7But in that day shall he lift up his hand, and say: I am no healer; In my house is neither bread nor raiment; Make not me ruler of the people!
8For Jerusalem tottereth, and Judah falleth, Because their tongues and their deeds are against Jehovah, To provoke his holy eyes.
9Their very countenance witnesseth against them; They publish their sin like Sodom; they hide it not; Woe to them, for they bring evil upon themselves!
10Say ye of the righteous that it shall be well with him, For he shall eat the fruit of his doings.
11Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, For the work of his hands shall be repaid him!
12As for my people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O my people, thy leaders cause thee to err, And destroy the way in which thou walkest!
13Jehovah standeth up to maintain his cause; He standeth up to judge his people.
14Jehovah entereth into judgment with the elders of his people, and their princes: “So then ye have consumed the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses!
15What mean ye, that ye crush my people, And grind the faces of the poor?” Saith Jehovah, the Lord of hosts.
16Thus, also, saith Jehovah: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, And walk with outstretched necks, And glance their eyes wantonly, Mincing their steps as they go, And tinkling with their foot-clasps,
17Therefore will the Lord make their heads bald, And Jehovah will expose their nakedness.
18In that day shall the Lord take from them The ornaments of the foot-clasps, and the net-works, and the crescents;
19The ear-rings, and the bracelets, and the veils;
20The turbans, and the ankle-chains, and the belts; The perfume-boxes, and the amulets;
21The finger-rings, and the nose-jewels;
22The embroidered robes, and the tunics, and the cloaks, and the purses;
23The mirrors, and the linen shifts, and the head-bands, and the large veils.
24And instead of perfume there shall be corruption; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of curled locks, baldness; Instead of a wide mantle, a covering of sackcloth; Fire-scars instead of beauty.
25Thy men shall fall by the sword, Yea, thy mighty men in battle;
26Her gates shall lament and mourn, And she, being desolate, shall sit upon the ground.