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For, behold,[a] the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supply and support,
    the whole supply of bread,
    and the whole supply of water;
    the mighty man,
    the man of war,
    the judge,
    the prophet,
    the diviner,
    the elder,
    the captain of fifty,
    the honorable man,
    the counselor,
    the skilled craftsman,
    and the clever enchanter.
I will give boys to be their princes,
    and children shall rule over them.
The people will be oppressed,
    everyone by another,
    and everyone by his neighbor.
The child will behave himself proudly against the old man,
    and the wicked against the honorable.
Indeed a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying,
    “You have clothing, you be our ruler,
    and let this ruin be under your hand.”
In that day he will cry out, saying, “I will not be a healer;
    for in my house is neither bread nor clothing.
    You shall not make me ruler of the people.”
For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen;
    because their tongue and their doings are against Yahweh,
to provoke the eyes of his glory.
The look of their faces testify against them.
    They parade their sin like Sodom.
    They don’t hide it.
    Woe to their soul!
    For they have brought disaster upon themselves.
10 Tell the righteous “Good!”
    For they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
11 Woe to the wicked!
    Disaster is upon them;
    for the deeds of his hands will be paid back to him.
12 As for my people, children are their oppressors,
    and women rule over them.
    My people, those who lead you cause you to err,
    and destroy the way of your paths.

13 Yahweh stands up to contend,
    and stands to judge the peoples.
14 Yahweh will enter into judgment with the elders of his people
    and their leaders:
    “It is you who have eaten up the vineyard.
    The plunder of the poor is in your houses.
15     What do you mean that you crush my people,
    and grind the face of the poor?” says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.

16 Moreover Yahweh said, “Because the daughters of Zion are arrogant,
    and walk with outstretched necks and flirting eyes,
    walking to trip as they go,
    jingling ornaments on their feet;
17 therefore the Lord brings sores on the crown of the head of the women of Zion,
    and Yahweh will make their scalps bald.”

18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings, the bracelets, the veils, 20 the headdresses, the ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume containers, the charms, 21 the signet rings, the nose rings, 22 the fine robes, the capes, the cloaks, the purses, 23 the hand mirrors, the fine linen garments, the tiaras, and the shawls.

24 It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness;
    instead of a belt, a rope;
    instead of well set hair, baldness;
    instead of a robe, a wearing of sackcloth;
    and branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword,
    and your mighty in the war.
26 Her gates shall lament and mourn.
    She shall be desolate and sit on the ground.

Footnotes

  1. 3:1 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

Judgment against Judah

The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    will take away from Jerusalem and Judah
everything they depend on:
    every bit of bread
    and every drop of water,
all their heroes and soldiers,
    judges and prophets,
    fortune-tellers and elders,
army officers and high officials,
    advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers.

I will make boys their leaders,
    and toddlers their rulers.
People will oppress each other—
    man against man,
    neighbor against neighbor.
Young people will insult their elders,
    and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable.

In those days a man will say to his brother,
“Since you have a coat, you be our leader!
    Take charge of this heap of ruins!”
But he will reply,
    “No! I can’t help.
I don’t have any extra food or clothes.
    Don’t put me in charge!”

For Jerusalem will stumble,
    and Judah will fall,
because they speak out against the Lord and refuse to obey him.
    They provoke him to his face.
The very look on their faces gives them away.
    They display their sin like the people of Sodom
    and don’t even try to hide it.
They are doomed!
    They have brought destruction upon themselves.

10 Tell the godly that all will be well for them.
    They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned!
11 But the wicked are doomed,
    for they will get exactly what they deserve.

12 Childish leaders oppress my people,
    and women rule over them.
O my people, your leaders mislead you;
    they send you down the wrong road.

13 The Lord takes his place in court
    and presents his case against his people.[a]
14 The Lord comes forward to pronounce judgment
    on the elders and rulers of his people:
“You have ruined Israel, my vineyard.
    Your houses are filled with things stolen from the poor.
15 How dare you crush my people,
    grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?”
    demands the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

A Warning to Jerusalem

16 The Lord says, “Beautiful Zion[b] is haughty:
craning her elegant neck,
    flirting with her eyes,
walking with dainty steps,
    tinkling her ankle bracelets.
17 So the Lord will send scabs on her head;
    the Lord will make beautiful Zion bald.”

18 On that day of judgment
    the Lord will strip away everything that makes her beautiful:
ornaments, headbands, crescent necklaces,
19     earrings, bracelets, and veils;
20 scarves, ankle bracelets, sashes,
    perfumes, and charms;
21 rings, jewels,
22     party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses;
23 mirrors, fine linen garments,
    head ornaments, and shawls.

24 Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, she will stink.
    She will wear a rope for a sash,
    and her elegant hair will fall out.
She will wear rough burlap instead of rich robes.
    Shame will replace her beauty.[c]
25 The men of the city will be killed with the sword,
    and her warriors will die in battle.
26 The gates of Zion will weep and mourn.
    The city will be like a ravaged woman,
    huddled on the ground.

Footnotes

  1. 3:13 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads against the peoples.
  2. 3:16 Or The women of Zion (with corresponding changes to plural forms through verse 24); Hebrew reads The daughters of Zion; also in 3:17.
  3. 3:24 As in Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text reads robes / because instead of beauty.

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

See now, the Lord,
    the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
    both supply and support:(A)
all supplies of food(B) and all supplies of water,(C)
    the hero and the warrior,(D)
the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner(E) and the elder,(F)
the captain of fifty(G) and the man of rank,(H)
    the counselor, skilled craftsman(I) and clever enchanter.(J)

“I will make mere youths their officials;
    children will rule over them.”(K)

People will oppress each other—
    man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(L)
The young will rise up against the old,
    the nobody against the honored.

A man will seize one of his brothers
    in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
    take charge of this heap of ruins!”
But in that day(M) he will cry out,
    “I have no remedy.(N)
I have no food(O) or clothing in my house;
    do not make me the leader of the people.”(P)

Jerusalem staggers,
    Judah is falling;(Q)
their words(R) and deeds(S) are against the Lord,
    defying(T) his glorious presence.
The look on their faces testifies(U) against them;
    they parade their sin like Sodom;(V)
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    They have brought disaster(W) upon themselves.

10 Tell the righteous it will be well(X) with them,
    for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(Y)
11 Woe to the wicked!(Z)
    Disaster(AA) is upon them!
They will be paid back(AB)
    for what their hands have done.(AC)

12 Youths(AD) oppress my people,
    women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(AE)
    they turn you from the path.

13 The Lord takes his place in court;(AF)
    he rises to judge(AG) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(AH)
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder(AI) from the poor(AJ) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(AK)
    and grinding(AL) the faces of the poor?”(AM)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(AN)

16 The Lord says,
    “The women of Zion(AO) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,(AP)
    flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
    with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
    the Lord will make their scalps bald.(AQ)

18 In that day(AR) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,(AS) 19 the earrings and bracelets(AT) and veils,(AU) 20 the headdresses(AV) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings,(AW) 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,(AX) the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments(AY) and tiaras(AZ) and shawls.

24 Instead of fragrance(BA) there will be a stench;(BB)
    instead of a sash,(BC) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;(BD)
    instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;(BE)
    instead of beauty,(BF) branding.(BG)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,(BH)
    your warriors in battle.(BI)
26 The gates(BJ) of Zion will lament and mourn;(BK)
    destitute,(BL) she will sit on the ground.(BM)