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God Will Punish Judah and Jerusalem

·Understand this [L Look/T Behold now]:
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
·will [or is about to] take away ·everything [L every support and supply] Judah and Jerusalem need—
    all [L supplies of] the food and water,
the ·heroes [mighty ones] and ·great soldiers [men of war],
    the judges and prophets,
·people who do magic [diviners; fortune-tellers] and elders,
the ·military leaders [L captain/ruler of fifty] and ·government leaders [people of influence/high standing],
    the ·counselors [advisers], the skilled ·craftsmen [or magicians], and ·those who try to tell the future [skillful enchanters/astrologers].
The Lord says, “I will cause ·young boys [youths] to be your ·leaders [rulers; princes],
    and ·foolish children [or capricious youths] will rule over you [Eccl. 10:5–7, 17].
People will ·be against [oppress] each other; everyone will be against his neighbor.
    Young people will ·not respect [arrogantly defy] older people,
    and ·common people [the despised/dishonorable] will not respect ·important people [the honorable].”
At that time a man will grab one of his brothers
    ·from his own family [L in his father’s house] and say,
“You have a ·coat [cloak; C a sign of a little wealth], so you will be our leader.
    These ruins will be under your ·control [charge; rule; L hand].”
·But [L In that day] that brother will ·stand up [or cry out] and say,
    “I ·cannot help you [L am no binder (of wounds)],
because I do not have food or ·clothes [cloak] in my house.
    You will not make me ·your leader [L leader of the people/nation].”
This will happen because Jerusalem has stumbled,
    and Judah has fallen.
The things they say and do are against the Lord;
    they ·turn against [rebel against; defy] ·him [L his glory/glorious presence].
The look on their faces ·shows they are guilty [testifies against them];
    like the people of Sodom [Gen. 18–19], they ·are proud of [flaunt; parade; declare] their sin.
    They don’t ·care who sees [conceal; hide] it.
·How terrible it will be for them [L Woe to their soul],
    because they have brought ·much trouble [disaster; evil] on themselves.

10 Tell ·those who do what is right [the righteous] that things will go well for them,
    because they will ·receive a reward for what they do [L eat the fruit of their actions].
11 ·But how terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the wicked!
    ·They will be punished for all the wrong they have done [L Because the reward/recompense of his hands will be done to him].
12 Children ·treat my people cruelly [oppress my people],
    and ·women [or creditors; usurers] rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you ·in the wrong way [astray]
    and ·turn you away [mislead you; or confuse you] from ·what is right [the right road; L your paths].

13 The Lord takes his place ·in court [to judge/contend]
    and stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord ·presents his case [or comes forward to pronounce judgment]
    against the elders and other ·leaders [rulers; princes] of his people:
“You have ·burned [ruined; ravaged] the vineyard.
    ·Your houses are full of [L In your houses are] what you ·took [stole; plundered] from the poor.
15 What gives you the right to crush my people
    and grind the faces of the ·poor into the dirt [L poor]?”
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says this.

A Warning to Women of Jerusalem

16 The Lord says,
    “The ·women of Jerusalem [L daughters of Zion] are ·proud [haughty; arrogant].
They walk around with ·their heads held high [L an outstretched neck],
    and they flirt with their eyes.
·They take quick, short steps […prancing/mincing along],
    ·making noise with their ankle bracelets [L jingling with their feet].”
17 So the Lord will put ·sores [scabs; skin lesions] on the heads of those ·women in Jerusalem [L daughters of Zion],
    and he will ·make them lose their hair [lay bare/make bald their forehead].

18 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will take away ·everything that makes them proud [their beauty/glory]: their beautiful ankle bracelets, their headbands, their ·necklaces shaped like the moon [L crescents], 19 their ·earrings [or pendants], bracelets, and veils, 20 their ·scarves [headdresses], ·ankle chains [or armlets], the ·cloth belts worn around their waists [sashes], their ·bottles of perfume [sachets], and ·charms [amulets], 21 their signet rings, nose rings, 22 their ·fine robes [festal robes; fine gowns], capes, ·shawls [cloaks], and purses, 23 their mirrors, linen ·dresses [garments; undergarments], ·turbans [or tiaras], and ·long shawls [or flowing veils].

24 Instead of ·wearing sweet-smelling perfume [spice; fragrance], ·they will stink [there will be stench/decay].
    Instead of ·fine cloth belts [a sash], ·they will wear the ropes of captives [L a rope].
Instead of ·having their hair fixed in fancy ways [an elegant coiffure], ·they will be bald [baldness].
    Instead of ·fine clothes [an expensive robe], ·they will wear clothes of sadness [burlap; sackcloth].
    ·Instead of being beautiful, they will wear the brand of a captive [L Branding instead of beauty].
25 At that time your men will ·be killed with swords [L fall by the sword],
    and your ·heroes [mighty/strong ones] will die in war.
26 ·There will be crying and sadness near the city gates [L Her gates will lament and mourn].
    ·Jerusalem will be like a woman who has lost everything and sits on the ground [L Deserted/Destitute, she will sit on the ground].

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

See now, the Lord,
    the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
    both supply and support:(A)
all supplies of food(B) and all supplies of water,(C)
    the hero and the warrior,(D)
the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner(E) and the elder,(F)
the captain of fifty(G) and the man of rank,(H)
    the counselor, skilled craftsman(I) and clever enchanter.(J)

“I will make mere youths their officials;
    children will rule over them.”(K)

People will oppress each other—
    man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(L)
The young will rise up against the old,
    the nobody against the honored.

A man will seize one of his brothers
    in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
    take charge of this heap of ruins!”
But in that day(M) he will cry out,
    “I have no remedy.(N)
I have no food(O) or clothing in my house;
    do not make me the leader of the people.”(P)

Jerusalem staggers,
    Judah is falling;(Q)
their words(R) and deeds(S) are against the Lord,
    defying(T) his glorious presence.
The look on their faces testifies(U) against them;
    they parade their sin like Sodom;(V)
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    They have brought disaster(W) upon themselves.

10 Tell the righteous it will be well(X) with them,
    for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(Y)
11 Woe to the wicked!(Z)
    Disaster(AA) is upon them!
They will be paid back(AB)
    for what their hands have done.(AC)

12 Youths(AD) oppress my people,
    women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(AE)
    they turn you from the path.

13 The Lord takes his place in court;(AF)
    he rises to judge(AG) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(AH)
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder(AI) from the poor(AJ) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(AK)
    and grinding(AL) the faces of the poor?”(AM)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(AN)

16 The Lord says,
    “The women of Zion(AO) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,(AP)
    flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
    with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
    the Lord will make their scalps bald.(AQ)

18 In that day(AR) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,(AS) 19 the earrings and bracelets(AT) and veils,(AU) 20 the headdresses(AV) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings,(AW) 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,(AX) the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments(AY) and tiaras(AZ) and shawls.

24 Instead of fragrance(BA) there will be a stench;(BB)
    instead of a sash,(BC) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;(BD)
    instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;(BE)
    instead of beauty,(BF) branding.(BG)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,(BH)
    your warriors in battle.(BI)
26 The gates(BJ) of Zion will lament and mourn;(BK)
    destitute,(BL) she will sit on the ground.(BM)

For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water.

The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,

The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.

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

And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

When a man 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 swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.

For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

The shew 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 rewarded evil unto themselves.

10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

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

13 The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.

14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.

16 Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.

18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,

21 The rings, and nose jewels,

22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,

23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.

24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.

26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.