2 the hero and the warrior,f

the judge and the prophet,

the divinerg and the elder,h

3 the captain of fiftyi and the man of rank,j

the counselor, skilled craftsmank and clever enchanter.l

4 “I will make mere youths their officials;

children will rule over them.”m

5 People will oppress each other—

man against man, neighbor against neighbor.n

The young will rise up against the old,

the nobody against the honored.

6 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!”

7 But in that dayo he will cry out,

“I have no remedy.p

I have no foodq or clothing in my house;

do not make me the leader of the people.”r

8 Jerusalem staggers,

Judah is falling;s

their wordst and deedsu are against the Lord,

defyingv his glorious presence.

9 The look on their faces testifiesw against them;

they parade their sin like Sodom;x

they do not hide it.

Woe to them!

They have brought disastery upon themselves.

10 Tell the righteous it will be wellz with them,

for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.a

11 Woe to the wicked!b

Disasterc is upon them!

They will be paid backd

for what their hands have done.e

12 Youthsf oppress my people,

women rule over them.

My people, your guides lead you astray;g

they turn you from the path.

13 The Lord takes his place in court;h

he rises to judgei the people.

14 The Lord enters into judgmentj

against the elders and leaders of his people:

“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;

the plunderk from the poorl is in your houses.

15 What do you mean by crushing my peoplem

and grindingn the faces of the poor?”o

declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.p