Old/New Testament
God Will Remove the Leaders
3 For behold, the Lord [a]God of hosts (A)is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
Both [b]supply and support, the whole [c]supply of bread
And the whole [d]supply of water;
2 (B)The mighty man and the warrior,
The judge and the prophet,
The diviner and the elder,
3 The captain of fifty and the honorable man,
The counselor and the expert artisan,
And the skillful enchanter.
4 And I will make mere (C)lads their princes,
And [e]capricious children will rule over them,
5 And the people will be (D)oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his (E)neighbor;
The youth will storm against the elder
And the inferior against the honorable.
6 When a man (F)lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying,
“You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler,
And these ruins will be under your [f]charge,”
7 He will [g]protest on that day, saying,
“I will not be your [h](G)healer,
For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”
8 For (H)Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their [i](I)speech and their actions are against the Lord,
To (J)rebel against [j]His glorious presence.
9 [k]The expression of their faces bears witness against them,
And they display their sin like (K)Sodom;
They do not even conceal it.
Woe to [l]them!
For they have (L)brought evil on themselves.
10 Say to the (M)righteous that it will go well with them,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him,
For [m](N)what he deserves will be done to him.
12 O My people! Their oppressors [n]are (O)children,
And women rule over them.
O My people! (P)Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.
God Will Judge
13 (Q)The Lord arises to contend,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord (R)enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people,
“It is you who have (S)devoured the vineyard;
The (T)plunder of the poor is in your houses.
15 “What do you mean by (U)crushing My people
And grinding the face of the poor?”
Declares the Lord [o]God of hosts.
Judah’s Women Denounced
16 Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the (V)daughters of Zion are proud
And walk with [p]heads held high and seductive eyes,
And go along with mincing steps
And tinkle the bangles on their feet,
17 Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.”
18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, (W)crescent ornaments, 19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 20 (X)headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 21 [q]finger rings, (Y)nose rings, 22 festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses, 23 hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans and veils.
24 Now it will come about that instead of [r]sweet (Z)perfume there will be putrefaction;
Instead of a belt, a rope;
Instead of (AA)well-set hair, a (AB)plucked-out scalp;
Instead of fine clothes, a (AC)donning of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will (AD)fall by the sword
And your [s]mighty ones in battle.
26 And her [t](AE)gates will lament and mourn,
And deserted she will (AF)sit on the ground.
A Remnant Prepared
4 For seven women will take hold of (AG)one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; (AH)take away our reproach!”
2 In that day the (AI)Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the (AJ)fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the (AK)survivors of Israel. 3 It will come about that he who is (AL)left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called (AM)holy—everyone who is (AN)recorded for life in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the (AO)daughters of Zion and [u]purged the (AP)bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the (AQ)spirit of judgment and the (AR)spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies (AS)a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the (AT)glory will be a canopy. 6 There will be a (AU)shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and [v]protection from the storm and the rain.
Bear One Another’s Burdens
6 (A)Brethren, even if [a]anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are (B)spiritual, (C)restore such a one (D)in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2 (E)Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill (F)the law of Christ. 3 For (G)if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must (H)examine his own work, and then he will have reason for (I)boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For (J)each one will bear his own load.
6 (K)The one who is taught (L)the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 (M)Do not be deceived, (N)God is not mocked; for (O)whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 (P)For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap (Q)corruption, but (R)the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 (S)Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we (T)do not grow weary. 10 So then, [b](U)while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the (V)household of (W)the faith.
11 See with what large letters I [c]am writing to you (X)with my own hand. 12 Those who desire (Y)to make a good showing in the flesh try to (Z)compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they (AA)will not be persecuted [d]for the cross of Christ. 13 For those who [e]are circumcised do not even (AB)keep [f]the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may (AC)boast in your flesh. 14 But (AD)may it never be that I would boast, (AE)except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, (AF)through [g]which the world has been crucified to me, and (AG)I to the world. 15 For (AH)neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a (AI)new [h]creation. 16 And those who will [i]walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the (AJ)Israel of God.
17 From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the (AK)brand-marks of Jesus.
18 (AL)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be (AM)with your spirit, (AN)brethren. Amen.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.