Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem

3 For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts,

aTakes away from Jerusalem and from Judah

bThe 1stock and the store,

The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water;

2 cThe mighty man and the man of war,

The judge and the prophet,

And the diviner and the elder;

3 The captain of fifty and the 2honorable man,

The counselor and the skillful artisan,

And the expert enchanter.

4 “I will give dchildren 3to be their princes,

And 4babes shall rule over them.

5 The people will be oppressed,

Every one by another and every one by his neighbor;

The child will be insolent toward the 5elder,

And the 6base toward the honorable.”

6 When a man takes hold of his brother

In the house of his father, saying,

“You have clothing;

You be our ruler,

And let these ruins be under your 7power,”

7 In that day he will protest, saying,

“I cannot cure your ills,

For in my house is neither food nor clothing;

Do not make me a ruler of the people.”

8 For eJerusalem stumbled,

And Judah is fallen,

Because their tongue and their doings

Are against the Lord,

To provoke the eyes of His glory.

9 The look on their countenance witnesses against them,

And they declare their sin as fSodom;

They do not hide it.

Woe to their soul!

For they have brought evil upon themselves.

10 “Say to the righteous gthat it shall be well with them,

hFor they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11 Woe to the wicked! iIt shall be ill with him,

For the reward of his hands shall be 8given him.

12 As for My people, children are their oppressors,

And women rule over them.

O My people! jThose who lead you 9cause you to err,

And destroy the way of your paths.”