 1 Behold the Lord, the Lord of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water. 2 The mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, the prudent and the ancient. 3 The captain of 50 and the honorable man, the counselor, cunning artificer, and eloquent orator. 4 I will give children to be their rulers and babes will rule over them. 5 The people shall be crushed, every man by another, and every man by his neighbor. The boy shall act proudly against the old man, and the low against the honorable. 6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, You have clothing, you be our ruler, and let this ruin be under your hand; 7 in that day he shall swear saying, I will not be a healer. There is no bread nor a cloak in my house. You shall not make me a ruler of the people. 8 For Jerusalem is ruined and Judah has fallen. Because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory. 9 The look of their faces witnesses against them. They declare their sin like Sodom. They do not hide it. Woe to their soul. For they have rewarded evil to themselves. 10 Say to the righteous that it is well. For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11 Woe to the wicked. For the evil doing of his hand will be done to him. 12 As for my people, children are their taskmasters and women rule over them. Oh my people, your rulers cause you to go astray and destroy the way of your paths. 13 The Lord stands up to plead His case and stands up to judge the people. 14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders of His people and their kings. For you have eaten up the vineyard. The spoil of the poor is in your houses. 15 What do you mean? You crush my people and grind the faces of the poor? says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. 16 The Lord says, Because the daughters of Zion are proud, and have walked with stretched out necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet; 17 therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will make their secret parts naked. 18 In that day, the Lord will take away the beauty of ankle bracelets and headbands and crescents. 19 No pendants, bracelets, and veils. 20 No headdresses, leg ornaments, belts+, houses for the soul, and amulets. 21 No rings and nose jewels. 22 No festive apparel, outer garments, mantles, and purses. 23 No mirrors, fine linen, headbands, and veils. 24 Instead of a sweet smell, there will be an odor of decay. Instead of a belt+, a rope. Instead of well set hair, baldness. Instead of a rich robe, a wrapping of sackcloth. Burning instead of beauty. 25 Your men will fall by the sword and your mighty in war. 26 Her gates will lament and mourn. She will sit deserted on the ground.
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