Judah’s Leaders Judged

Note this: The Lord God of Armies
is about to remove from Jerusalem and from Judah
every kind of security:
the entire supply of bread and water,
heroes and warriors,(A)
judges and prophets,
fortune-tellers and elders,
commanders of fifty and dignitaries,
counselors, cunning magicians,[a] and necromancers.[b]
“I will make youths their leaders,(B)
and unstable rulers[c] will govern them.”
The people will oppress one another,(C)
man against man, neighbor against neighbor;
the young will act arrogantly toward the old,
and the worthless toward the honorable.
A man will even seize his brother
in his father’s house, saying,
“You have a cloak—you be our leader!
This heap of rubble will be under your control.”
On that day he will cry out, saying,
“I’m not a healer.
I don’t even have food or clothing in my house.
Don’t make me the leader of the people!”

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Footnotes

  1. 3:3 Or skilled craftsmen
  2. 3:3 Or mediums
  3. 3:4 Or mischief-makers

Your leaders mislead you

Now the Lord God of heavenly forces is removing from Jerusalem and from Judah every form of support:

    all rations of food and water;
    soldier and warrior;
    judge and prophet;
    fortune-teller and elder;
    commander and celebrity;
    counselor, clever craftsman, and cunning charmer.
I will make youths their commanders;
    mischief makers will rule over them.
The people will oppress each other,
    each one against the other, neighbor against neighbor.
    The young will bully the old,
    the rogue, and the respectable.

Someone will seize a family member, saying, “You have clothing! You be our leader!
This mess will be your responsibility!”
Someone else will cry out on that day,
    “I’m no healer!
    I have neither food nor clothing in my house!
    Don’t make me the leader of the people!”

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