Isaiah 9:14–17

So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail,

palm branch and reed in one day—

the elder and honored man is the head,

and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;

for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,

and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.

Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men,

and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;

for everyone is godless and an evildoer,

and every mouth speaks folly.

For all this his anger has not turned away,

and his hand is stretched out still.

So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,

both palm branch and reed in a single day;

the elders and dignitaries are the head,

the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

Those who guide this people mislead them,

and those who are guided are led astray.

Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,

nor will he pity the fatherless and widows,

for everyone is ungodly and wicked,

every mouth speaks folly.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

his hand is still upraised.

So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,

palm branch and reed in a single day.

The head is the elder, the honored one;

the tail is the prophet, the one teaching lies.

The leaders of the people mislead them,

and those they mislead are swallowed up.

Therefore the Lord does not rejoice

over Israel’s young men

and has no compassion

on its fatherless and widows,

for everyone is a godless evildoer,

and every mouth speaks folly.

In all this, his anger has not turned away,

and his hand is still raised to strike.

Therefore, in a single day the Lord will destroy both the head and the tail,

the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.

The leaders of Israel are the head,

and the lying prophets are the tail.

For the leaders of the people have misled them.

They have led them down the path of destruction.

That is why the Lord takes no pleasure in the young men

and shows no mercy even to the widows and orphans.

For they are all wicked hypocrites,

and they all speak foolishness.

But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied.

His fist is still poised to strike.

So Yahweh cut off head and tail from Israel,

palm branch and reed in one day.

Elders and the respectable are the head,

and prophets who teach lies are the tail.

And the leaders of this people were misleading them,

and those who were led were confused.

Therefore the Lord did not rejoice over its young men,

and he did not have compassion on its orphans and widows,

for everyone was godless and an evildoer,

and every mouth was speaking folly.

In all of this his anger did not turn away,

and still his hand is stretched out.

Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail,

Branch and rush, in one day.

The ancient and honourable, he is the head;

And the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

For the leaders of this people cause them to err;

And they that are led of them are destroyed.

Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men,

Neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows:

For every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer,

And every mouth speaketh folly.

For all this his anger is not turned away,

But his hand is stretched out still.