Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem
1For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts,
Takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah
The3:1 Every support stock and the store,
The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water;
2The mighty man and the man of war,
The judge and the prophet,
And the diviner and the elder;
3The captain of fifty and the 3:3 Eminent looking menhonorable man,
The counselor and the skillful artisan,
And the expert enchanter.
And 3:4 Or capricious onesbabes shall rule over them.
5The people will be oppressed,
Every one by another and every one by his neighbor;
The child will be insolent toward the 3:5 agedelder,
And the 3:5 despised, lightly esteemedbase toward the honorable.”
6When 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 3:6 Lit. handpower,”
7In 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.”
8For Jerusalem stumbled,
And Judah is fallen,
Because their tongue and their doings
Are against the Lord,
To provoke the eyes of His glory.
9The look on their countenance witnesses against them,
And they declare their sin as Sodom;
They do not hide it.
Woe to their soul!
For they have brought evil upon themselves.
For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
For the reward of his hands shall be 3:11 done to himgiven him.
And women rule over them.
O My people! Those who lead you 3:12 lead you astraycause you to err,
And destroy the way of your paths.”
Oppression and Luxury Condemned
And stands to judge the people.
14The Lord will enter into judgment
With the elders of His people
And His princes:
“For you have 3:14 burnedeaten up the vineyard;
The plunder of the poor is in your houses.
15What do you mean by crushing My people
And grinding the faces of the poor?”
Says the Lord God of hosts.
16Moreover the Lord says:
“Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,
And walk with 3:16 Head held highoutstretched necks
And 3:16 seductive, oglingwanton eyes,
Walking and 3:16 tripping or skippingmincing as they go,
Making a jingling with their feet,
17Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab
The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion,
And the Lord will uncover their secret parts.”
18In that day the Lord will take away the finery:
The jingling anklets, the 3:18 headbandsscarves, and the crescents;
19The pendants, the bracelets, and the veils;
20The headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands;
The perfume boxes, the charms,
21and the rings;
The nose jewels,
22the festal apparel, and the mantles;
The outer garments, the purses,
23and the mirrors;
The fine linen, the turbans, and the robes.
24And so it shall be:
Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench;
Instead of a sash, a rope;
Instead of well-set hair, baldness;
Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth;
And 3:24 burning scarbranding instead of beauty.
25Your men shall fall by the sword,
And your 3:25 Lit. strengthmighty in the war.
26Her gates shall lament and mourn,
And she being desolate shall sit on the ground.
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
