Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem
For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts,
aTakes away from Jerusalem and from Judah
bThe stock and the store,
The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water;
2 aThe 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,
The counselor and the skillful artisan,
And the expert enchanter.
4 “I will give achildren to be their princes,
And babes shall rule over them.
5 The people will be oppressed,
Every one by another and every one by his neighbor;
The child will be insolent toward the elder,
And the base toward the honorable.”
6 When a man takes hold of his brother
In the house of his father, saying,
“You have clothing;
You be our ruler,
And let these ruins be under your power,”
7 In that day he will protest, saying,
“I cannot cure your ills,
For in my house is neither food nor clothing;
Do not make me a ruler of the people.”
8 For aJerusalem stumbled,
And Judah is fallen,
Because their tongue and their doings
Are against the Lord,
To provoke the eyes of His glory.
9 The look on their countenance witnesses against them,
And they declare their sin as aSodom;
They do not hide it.
Woe to their soul!
For they have brought evil upon themselves.
10 “Say to the righteous athat it shall be well with them,
bFor they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11 Woe to the wicked! aIt shall be ill with him,
For the reward of his hands shall be given him.
12 As for My people, children are their oppressors,
And women rule over them.
O My people! aThose who lead you cause you to err,
And destroy the way of your paths.”
Oppression and Luxury Condemned
13 The Lord stands up ato plead,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord will enter into judgment
With the elders of His people
And His princes:
“For you have eaten up athe vineyard;
The plunder of the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by acrushing My people
And grinding the faces of the poor?”
Says the Lord God of hosts.
16 Moreover the Lord says:
“Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,
And walk with outstretched necks
And wanton eyes,
Walking and mincing as they go,
Making a jingling with their feet,
17 Therefore the Lord will strike with aa scab
The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion,
And the Lord will buncover their secret parts.”
18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery:
The jingling anklets, the scarves, and the acrescents;
19 The pendants, the bracelets, and the veils;
20 The headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands;
The perfume boxes, the charms,
21 and the rings;
The nose jewels,
22 the festal apparel, and the mantles;
The outer garments, the purses,
23 and the mirrors;
The fine linen, the turbans, and the robes.
24 And so it shall be:
Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench;
Instead of a sash, a rope;
Instead of well‑set hair, abaldness;
Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword,
And your mighty in the war.
26 aHer gates shall lament and mourn,
And she being desolate bshall sit on the ground.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved.