1Note this: The Lord God of Armies
is about to remove from Jerusalem and from Judah
every kind of security:
the entire supply of bread and water,
2heroes and warriors,a
judges and prophets,
fortune-tellers and elders,
3commanders of fifty and dignitaries,
counselors, cunning magicians,A and necromancers.B
4“I will make youths their leaders,a
and unstable rulersA will govern them.”
5The people will oppress one another,a
man against man, neighbor against neighbor;
the young will act arrogantly toward the old,
and the worthless toward the honorable.
6A man will even seize his brother
in his father’s house, saying,
“You have a cloak — you be our leader!
This heap of rubble will be under your control.”
7On that day he will cry out, saying,
“I’m not a healer.
I don’t even have food or clothing in my house.
Don’t make me the leader of the people! ”
8For Jerusalem has stumbled
and Judah has fallen
because they have spoken and acted against the Lord,a
defying his glorious presence.b
9The look on their faces testifies against them,
and like Sodom,a they flaunt their sin;
they do not conceal it.
Woe to them,
for they have brought disaster on themselves.b
10Tell the righteous that it will go well for them,
for they will eat the fruit of their labor.
11Woe to the wicked — it will go badly for them,
for what they have done will be done to them.
12Youths oppress my people,a
and women rule over them.
My people, your leaders mislead you;
they confuse the direction of your paths.b
13The Lord rises to argue the case
and stands to judge the people.a
14The Lord brings this charge
against the elders and leaders of his people:a
“You have devastated the vineyard.
The plunder from the poor is in your houses.b
15Why do you crush my people
and grind the faces of the poor? ”
This is the declaration
of the Lord God of Armies.
