Old/New Testament
God Will Punish Judah and Jerusalem
3 ·Understand this [L Look/T Behold now]:
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
·will [or is about to] take away ·everything [L every support and supply] Judah and Jerusalem need—
all [L supplies of] the food and water,
2 the ·heroes [mighty ones] and ·great soldiers [men of war],
the judges and prophets,
·people who do magic [diviners; fortune-tellers] and elders,
3 the ·military leaders [L captain/ruler of fifty] and ·government leaders [people of influence/high standing],
the ·counselors [advisers], the skilled ·craftsmen [or magicians], and ·those who try to tell the future [skillful enchanters/astrologers].
4 The Lord says, “I will cause ·young boys [youths] to be your ·leaders [rulers; princes],
and ·foolish children [or capricious youths] will rule over you [Eccl. 10:5–7, 17].
5 People will ·be against [oppress] each other; everyone will be against his neighbor.
Young people will ·not respect [arrogantly defy] older people,
and ·common people [the despised/dishonorable] will not respect ·important people [the honorable].”
6 At that time a man will grab one of his brothers
·from his own family [L in his father’s house] and say,
“You have a ·coat [cloak; C a sign of a little wealth], so you will be our leader.
These ruins will be under your ·control [charge; rule; L hand].”
7 ·But [L In that day] that brother will ·stand up [or cry out] and say,
“I ·cannot help you [L am no binder (of wounds)],
because I do not have food or ·clothes [cloak] in my house.
You will not make me ·your leader [L leader of the people/nation].”
8 This will happen because Jerusalem has stumbled,
and Judah has fallen.
The things they say and do are against the Lord;
they ·turn against [rebel against; defy] ·him [L his glory/glorious presence].
9 The look on their faces ·shows they are guilty [testifies against them];
like the people of Sodom [Gen. 18–19], they ·are proud of [flaunt; parade; declare] their sin.
They don’t ·care who sees [conceal; hide] it.
·How terrible it will be for them [L Woe to their soul],
because they have brought ·much trouble [disaster; evil] on themselves.
10 Tell ·those who do what is right [the righteous] that things will go well for them,
because they will ·receive a reward for what they do [L eat the fruit of their actions].
11 ·But how terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the wicked!
·They will be punished for all the wrong they have done [L Because the reward/recompense of his hands will be done to him].
12 Children ·treat my people cruelly [oppress my people],
and ·women [or creditors; usurers] rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you ·in the wrong way [astray]
and ·turn you away [mislead you; or confuse you] from ·what is right [the right road; L your paths].
13 The Lord takes his place ·in court [to judge/contend]
and stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord ·presents his case [or comes forward to pronounce judgment]
against the elders and other ·leaders [rulers; princes] of his people:
“You have ·burned [ruined; ravaged] the vineyard.
·Your houses are full of [L In your houses are] what you ·took [stole; plundered] from the poor.
15 What gives you the right to crush my people
and grind the faces of the ·poor into the dirt [L poor]?”
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says this.
A Warning to Women of Jerusalem
16 The Lord says,
“The ·women of Jerusalem [L daughters of Zion] are ·proud [haughty; arrogant].
They walk around with ·their heads held high [L an outstretched neck],
and they flirt with their eyes.
·They take quick, short steps […prancing/mincing along],
·making noise with their ankle bracelets [L jingling with their feet].”
17 So the Lord will put ·sores [scabs; skin lesions] on the heads of those ·women in Jerusalem [L daughters of Zion],
and he will ·make them lose their hair [lay bare/make bald their forehead].
18 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will take away ·everything that makes them proud [their beauty/glory]: their beautiful ankle bracelets, their headbands, their ·necklaces shaped like the moon [L crescents], 19 their ·earrings [or pendants], bracelets, and veils, 20 their ·scarves [headdresses], ·ankle chains [or armlets], the ·cloth belts worn around their waists [sashes], their ·bottles of perfume [sachets], and ·charms [amulets], 21 their signet rings, nose rings, 22 their ·fine robes [festal robes; fine gowns], capes, ·shawls [cloaks], and purses, 23 their mirrors, linen ·dresses [garments; undergarments], ·turbans [or tiaras], and ·long shawls [or flowing veils].
24 Instead of ·wearing sweet-smelling perfume [spice; fragrance], ·they will stink [there will be stench/decay].
Instead of ·fine cloth belts [a sash], ·they will wear the ropes of captives [L a rope].
Instead of ·having their hair fixed in fancy ways [an elegant coiffure], ·they will be bald [baldness].
Instead of ·fine clothes [an expensive robe], ·they will wear clothes of sadness [burlap; sackcloth].
·Instead of being beautiful, they will wear the brand of a captive [L Branding instead of beauty].
25 At that time your men will ·be killed with swords [L fall by the sword],
and your ·heroes [mighty/strong ones] will die in war.
26 ·There will be crying and sadness near the city gates [L Her gates will lament and mourn].
·Jerusalem will be like a woman who has lost everything and sits on the ground [L Deserted/Destitute, she will sit on the ground].
4 ·At that time [L In that day] seven women will grab one man [C war will have decimated the male population]
and say, “We will eat our own bread
and ·make [wear] our own clothes [C things a husband would normally provide],
but ·please marry us [L let us be called by your name]!
Please, take away our ·shame [disgrace; C from having no husband or children].”
The Branch of the Lord
2 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord’s branch [C either the produce of the land or a title for the Messiah (11:1; Jer. 23:5)] will be very beautiful and ·great [glorious]. ·What grows on the land [The fruit of the land] will be the pride and ·joy [glory] of the ·people still living in the land [L survivors in Israel]. 3 Those who ·are still living in Jerusalem [L remain in Zion and those who are left in Jerusalem] will be called holy; ·their names [L all who] are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the ·filth [vomit; excrement] from the women of Jerusalem. He will ·wash [cleanse] the bloodstains out of Jerusalem ·with the spirit of fairness and the spirit of fire [or with a wind/spirit of judgment and burning fire; or by the Spirit of judgment and burning fire]. 5 Then the Lord will ·cover [L create over] Mount Zion and ·the people who meet there [all her assemblies] with a cloud of smoke during the day and with a bright, flaming fire at night [Ex. 13:21; 14:19–20]. There will be a ·covering of glory over every person [or canopy over all the glory]. 6 This covering will ·protect the people [L be a shelter for shade] from the heat ·of the sun [by day] and ·will provide a safe place to hide [a refuge and shelter] from the storm and rain.
Help Each Other
6 Brothers and sisters, if ·someone in your group [L a person] ·does something wrong [or is overcome by some trangression/sin; or is discovered/caught in some trangression/sin], you who are spiritual should go to that person and ·gently help make him right again [restore him gently/with a gentle spirit]. But be careful, ·because you might [or so that you won’t] be tempted to sin, too. 2 By ·helping each other with your troubles [L bearing each other’s burdens], you truly ·obey [accomplish; fulfill] the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is ·important [L something] when he really is not, he is only ·fooling [deceiving; deluding] himself. 4 Each person should ·judge [examine; test] his own ·actions [or achievements; L work] and not compare himself with others. Then he can be proud for what he himself has done. 5 Each person ·must be responsible for himself [L will carry their own load].
6 Anyone who is ·learning the teaching of God [being instructed in the word] should share all the good things he has with his teacher.
Life Is like Planting a Field
7 Do not be ·fooled [deceived; mistaken]: You cannot ·cheat [mock; make a fool of] God. People ·harvest only what they plant [reap what they sow]. 8 If they plant ·to satisfy [or in the field of; L into; to] their ·sinful selves [sinful nature; flesh], ·their sinful selves will bring them ruin [L they will reap destruction from the flesh]. But if they plant ·to please [or in the field of; L into; to] the Spirit, they will ·receive [reap; harvest] eternal life from the Spirit. 9 We must not become ·tired [or discouraged] of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life ·at the right [or in due] time if we do not give up. 10 [L Therefore; So then] When we have the opportunity to ·help [do good to] anyone, we should do it. But ·we should give special attention [L especially] to those who are in the ·family [household] of ·believers [L faith].
Paul Ends His Letter
11 See what large letters I use to write this ·myself [L with my own hand; C added to authenticate the letter; the rest had likely been dictated]. 12 Some people are trying to force you to be circumcised ·so the Jews will accept them [or to impress others by external standards; L to make a good showing in the flesh]. They do this only to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ [C the Gospel message of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross]. 13 [L For] Those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so they can ·brag [boast] ·about what they forced you to do [L in your flesh]. 14 ·I hope I will never [L May it never be that I] ·brag [boast] about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. ·Through that cross [or Through Jesus Christ; L …through which/whom] the world has been crucified to me and I have been crucified to the world. 15 It ·is not important [makes no difference; is nothing] if a man is circumcised or uncircumcised. The important thing is ·being the new people God has made [L a new creation; 2 Cor. 5:17]. 16 Peace and mercy to those who ·follow [walk/live by] this rule—and to ·all of God’s people [L the Israel of God; C either: (1) Jewish Christians or (2) the church as the “new Israel”].
17 ·So [or In conclusion; or From now on] do not give me any more trouble. [L For] I ·have scars on my body that show I belong to Jesus [L bear the marks of Jesus on my body; C from his many beatings for the Gospel; perhaps also indicating his “branding” as a slave of Jesus Christ].
18 My brothers and sisters, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.