1For , behold , the Lord , Jehovah of hosts , doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff , the whole stay of bread , and the whole stay 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 honorable man , and the counsellor , and the expert artificer , and the skilful enchanter . 4And I will give children to be their princes , and babes shall rule over them . 5And the people shall be oppressed , every one by another , and every one by his neighbor : the child shall behave himself proudly against the old man , and the base against the honorable .
The Collapse of Leadership
6When a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying , Thou hast clothing , be thou our ruler , and let this ruin be under thy hand ; 7in that day shall he lift up his voice , saying, I will not be a healer ; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing : ye shall not make me ruler of the people . 8For Jerusalem is ruined , and Judah is fallen ; because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah , to provoke the eyes of his glory . 9The show of their countenance doth witness against them ; and they declare their sin as Sodom , they hide it not . Woe unto their soul ! for they have done evil unto themselves . 10Say ye of the righteous , that it shall be well with him ; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings . 11Woe unto the wicked ! it shall be ill with him ; for what his hands have done shall be done unto him . 12As for my people , children are their oppressors , and women rule over them . O my people , they that lead thee cause thee to err , and destroy the way of thy paths .
The Vanity of the Daughters of Zion
13Jehovah standeth up to contend , and standeth to judge the peoples . 14Jehovah will enter into judgment with the elders of his people , and the princes thereof : It is ye that have eaten up the vineyard ; the spoil of the poor is in your houses : 15what mean ye that ye crush my people , and grind the face of the poor ? saith the Lord , Jehovah of hosts . 16Moreover Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty , and walk with outstretched necks and wanton eyes , walking and mincing as they go , and making a tinkling with their feet ; 17therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion , and Jehovah will lay bare their secret parts . 18In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets , and the cauls , and the crescents; 19the pendants , and the bracelets , and the mufflers ; 20the headtires, and the ankle chains , and the sashes , and the perfume-boxes, and the amulets ; 21the rings , and the nose-jewels; 22the festival robes , and the mantles , and the shawls , and the satchels; 23the hand-mirrors, and the fine linen , and the turbans , and the veils . 24And it shall come to pass , that instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness ; and instead of a girdle , a rope ; and instead of well set hair , baldness ; and instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth ; branding instead of beauty . 25Thy men shall fall by the sword , and thy mighty in the war . 26And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit upon the ground.