¶ For, behold,¹ the Lord², the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay³ and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,

The mighty⁴ man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient⁵,

The captain⁶ of fifty, and the honourable man⁷, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator⁸.

And I will give children⁹ to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

And the people¹⁰ shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child¹¹ shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base¹² against the honourable.

When a man¹³ shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:

In that day shall he swear¹⁴, saying, I will not be an healer¹⁵; for in my house is neither bread¹⁶ nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.

For Jerusalem¹⁷ is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because¹⁸ their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke¹⁹ the eyes of his glory.

¶ The shew²⁰ of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare²¹ their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe²² unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

¶ Say ye²³ to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat²⁴ the fruit of their doings.

Woe²⁵ unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward²⁶ of his hands shall be given him²⁷.

As for my people, children²⁸ are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee²⁹ cause thee to err, and destroy³⁰ the way of thy paths.

The LORD standeth up³¹ to plead, and standeth to judge the people.

The LORD will enter³² into judgment with the ancients³³ of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten³⁴ up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

What mean³⁵ ye that ye beat³⁶ my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

¶ Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters³⁷ of Zion are haughty³⁸, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes³⁹, walking and mincing⁴⁰ as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

Therefore the Lord will smite⁴¹ with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover⁴² their secret parts.

In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments⁴³ about their feet, and their cauls⁴⁴, and their round tires⁴⁵ like the moon,

The chains⁴⁶, and the bracelets⁴⁷, and the mufflers⁴⁸,

¶ The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets⁴⁹, and the earrings⁵⁰,

The rings⁵¹, and nose jewels⁵²,

The changeable suits⁵³ of apparel, and⁵⁴ the mantles⁵⁵, and the wimples, and the crisping pins⁵⁶,

The glasses⁵⁷, and the fine linen⁵⁸, and the hoods, and the vails⁵⁹.

And it shall come to pass, that instead⁶⁰ of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness⁶¹; and instead of a stomacher a girding⁶² of sackcloth; and burning⁶³ instead of beauty.

Thy men⁶⁴ shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty⁶⁵ in the war.

And her gates⁶⁶ shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate⁶⁷ shall sit upon the ground.