¹² My people—^(A)infants are their oppressors,
    and women rule over them.
O my people, ^(B)your guides mislead you
    and they have swallowed up^[a] the course of your paths.

^4 (A)And I will make boys their princes,
    and infants^[a] shall rule over them.

¹³ Behold, your troops
    ^(A)are women in your midst.
The gates of your land
    are wide open to your enemies;
    fire has devoured your bars.

¹⁴ Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you ^(A)scoffers,
    who rule this people in Jerusalem!
¹⁵ Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
    and with Sheol we have an agreement,
when the ^(B)overwhelming whip passes through
    it will not come to us,
for we have made ^(C)lies our refuge,
    and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;

^31 (A)the prophets prophesy falsely,
    and the priests rule at their direction;
^(B)my people love to have it so,
    but what will you do when the end comes?

^15 (A)the elder and honored man is the head,
    and ^(B)the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;
¹⁶ for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,
    and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.