2The mighty man and the warrior,
            The judge and the prophet,
            The diviner and the elder,

      3The captain of fifty and the honorable man,
            The counselor and the expert artisan,
            And the skillful enchanter.

      4And I will make mere lads their princes,
            And capricious children will rule over them,

      5And the people will be oppressed,
            Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor;
            The youth will storm against the elder
            And the inferior against the honorable.

      6When a man lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying,
            “You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler,
            And these ruins will be under your charge,”

      7He will protest on that day, saying,
            “I will not be your healer,
            For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
            You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”

      8For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
            Because their speech and their actions are against the LORD,
            To rebel against His glorious presence.

      9The expression of their faces bears witness against them,
            And they display their sin like Sodom;
            They do not even conceal it.
            Woe to them!
            For they have brought evil on themselves.

      10Say to the righteous that it will go well with them,
            For they will eat the fruit of their actions.

      11Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him,
            For what he deserves will be done to him.

      12O My people! Their oppressors are children,
            And women rule over them.
            O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray
            And confuse the direction of your paths.

God Will Judge

13The LORD arises to contend,
            And stands to judge the people.

      14The LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people,
            “It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
            The plunder of the poor is in your houses.

      15“What do you mean by crushing My people
            And grinding the face of the poor?”
            Declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

Judah’s Women Denounced

16Moreover, the LORD said, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud
            And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes,
            And go along with mincing steps
            And tinkle the bangles on their feet,

      17Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
            And the LORD will make their foreheads bare.”

18In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, 19dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 20headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 21finger rings, nose rings, 22festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses, 23hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans and veils.

      24Now it will come about that instead of sweet perfume there will be putrefaction;
            Instead of a belt, a rope;
            Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp;
            Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth;
            And branding instead of beauty.

      25Your men will fall by the sword
            And your mighty ones in battle.

      26And her gates will lament and mourn,
            And deserted she will sit on the ground.