3 For see! The Lord, Adonai-Tzva’ot,
will remove from Yerushalayim and Y’hudah
every kind of support —
all reserves of food and water;
² heroes and warriors, judges and prophets,
diviners and leaders, ³ captains of fifty,
men of rank and advisers,
skillful magicians and expert enchanters.
⁴ I will put children in authority;
capriciousness will govern them.
⁵ People will oppress each other —
everyone his friend, everyone his neighbor.
The young will be insolent toward their elders,
the insignificant arrogant toward the respected.
⁶ A man will take hold of his brother
in his father’s house and say,
“You have a coat, so rule us!
Take charge of this ruin!”
⁷ But on that day, he will protest,
“I don’t have a remedy,
I lack food and clothing for my own house;
don’t put me in charge of people!”

⁸ For Yerushalayim is ruined,
and Y’hudah has fallen;
because their words and deeds defy Adonai,
in open provocation of his glory.
⁹ Their very look witnesses against them!
They parade their sin, like S’dom;
they don’t even try to hide it —
all the worse for them! —
they bring evil on themselves.
¹⁰ Say that it will go well with the righteous,
that they will enjoy the fruit of their actions;
¹¹ but woe to the wicked, it will go badly with him;
for what he has done will be done to him.
¹² My people — children oppress them,
and women are ruling over them.
My people! Your guides lead you astray
and obliterate the paths you should follow.
¹³ Adonai rises to accuse,
he stands to judge the peoples.
¹⁴ Adonai presents the indictment
against the leaders and officers of his people:
“It is you who devour the vineyard;
in your houses is plunder taken from the poor.
¹⁵ What do you mean by crushing my people
and grinding down the faces of the poor?”
says Adonai Elohim-Tzva’ot.

¹⁶ Moreover Adonai says:
“Because Tziyon’s women are so proud,
walking with their heads in the air
and throwing seductive glances,
moving with mincing steps
and jingling their anklets —
¹⁷ Adonai will strike the crown of the heads
of Tziyon’s women with sores,
and Adonai will expose their private parts.”

instead of perfume, a stench;
instead of a belt, a rope;
instead of well-set hair, a shaved scalp;
instead of a rich robe, a sackcloth skirt;
and a slave-brand instead of beauty.

²⁵ Your men will fall by the sword
and your warriors in battle.
²⁶ Her gates will lament and mourn;
ravaged, she will sit on the ground.