[1] For, 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;
[2] the mighty man, and the man of war; the judge, and the prophet, and the diviner, and the elder;
[3] the captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counsellor, and the expert artificer, and the skilful enchanter.
[4] And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
[5] And 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.
[6] When 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;
[7] in 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.
[8] For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
[9] The 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.
[10] Say ye of the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
[11] Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him; for what his hands have done shall be done unto him.
[12] As 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.
[13] Jehovah standeth up to contend, and standeth to judge the peoples.
[14] Jehovah 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:
[15] what mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the face of the poor? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
[16] Moreover 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;
[17] therefore 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.
[18] In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, and the cauls, and the crescents;
[19] the pendants, and the bracelets, and the mufflers;
[20] the headtires, and the ankle chains, and the sashes, and the perfume-boxes, and the amulets;
[21] the rings, and the nose-jewels;
[22] the festival robes, and the mantles, and the shawls, and the satchels;
[23] the hand-mirrors, and the fine linen, and the turbans, and the veils.
[24] And 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.
[25] Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
[26] And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit upon the ground.