1For, 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, 2The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, 3The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.3.3 the honourable…: Heb. a man eminent in countenance3.3 eloquent…: or, skilful of speech 4And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. 5And 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. 6When 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: 7In 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.3.7 swear: Heb. lift up the hand3.7 healer: Heb. binder up 8For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9¶ 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. 10Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.3.11 given…: Heb. done to 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.3.12 lead…: or, call thee blessed3.12 destroy: Heb. swallow up 13The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. 14The 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.3.14 eaten: or, burnt 15What 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:3.16 wanton…: Heb. deceiving with their eyes3.16 mincing: or, tripping nicely 17Therefore 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.3.17 discover: Heb. make naked 18In 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,3.18 cauls: or, networks 19The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,3.19 chains: or, sweet balls3.19 mufflers: or, spangled ornaments 20The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,3.20 tablets: Heb. houses of the soul 21The rings, and nose jewels, 22The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, 23The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. 24And 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. 25Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.3.25 mighty: Heb. might 26And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.3.26 desolate: or, emptied: Heb. cleansed
Dom over folkets ledere
1Herren, den Almægtige, vil afskære Jerusalem og Juda fra al hjælp og alle forsyninger af mad og vand. 2Han vil fjerne landets ledere—helte og krigere, dommere og profeter, spåmænd og slægtsoverhoveder, 3delingsførere og magtfulde mænd, rådgivere, troldmænd og slangetæmmere.
4De får drenge som ledere, kåde knægte skal herske over dem. 5Der bliver anarki og kaos. Folk bekæmper hinanden, de unge gør oprør mod de ældre, slyngler overfuser hæderlige folk. 6Når den tid kommer, vil en mand gribe fat i sin slægtning og sige: „Du har i det mindste tøj på kroppen. Tag ledelsen, så vi kan få ryddet op i det her rod!” 7Men hans slægtning vil svare: „Nej tak! Jeg vil ikke overtage et fallitbo. Jeg har slet ikke ressourcer til at klare den opgave.” 8Jerusalem falder og Judariget går i opløsning, fordi de har trodset Herren med deres ord og handlinger og ringeagtet hans ære og værdighed. 9Deres ansigtsudtryk er nok til at afsløre dem. De er stolte over deres synder som Sodomas mænd, de har ikke skygge af skam i livet. De har nedkaldt dommen over sig selv.
10Lad de retskafne glæde sig, for dem skal det gå godt. De skal nyde frugten af deres gode gerninger. 11Men ve de onde, for med dem står det skidt til. De skal få, hvad de har fortjent.
12Folkets ledere er som selviske børn og dominerende kvinder. De vejleder jer ikke, de vildleder jer! De fører jer på afveje, så I ender i afgrunden.
13Herren rejser sig, parat til at dømme folkene. 14Herren, den Almægtige, anklager folkets ledere og siger: „Det er jer, der har plyndret vinmarkerne og røvet kornhøsten fra de magtesløse bønder. 15Hvor vover I at knuse mit folk og træde de fattige ned i støvet?”
Dom over de stolte kvinder
16Herren siger: „Jerusalems kvinder tripper stolte af sted med ringlende ankelkæder og næsen i sky, med knejsende nakke og kælne blikke. 17Derfor vil jeg gøre dem skaldede, så de må gå skamfulde omkring.”
18-19Herren vil fjerne al deres pynt: ankelkæder, månetegn og soltegn, øreringe, armbånd, slør, 20tørklæder, ankellænker,3,20 Meningen uklar. Måske er det en kort lænke, som tvang dem til at tage små skridt. bælter, lugtedåser, amuletter, 21fingerringe, næseringe, 22festdragter, kapper, slag, tasker, 23spejle, kjortler, turbaner og sjaler. 24I stedet for duft af parfume bliver der stank, i stedet for et bælte om livet får de reb, i stedet for kunstfærdige frisurer skaldethed, i stedet for festtøj sækkelærred, i stedet for skønhed skam.
Dommen over landets og byens krigere
25Landets mænd vil falde for sværdet, Jerusalems krigere dø i kamp. 26På byens torve vil man jamre og klage, for byen er som en kvinde, der sidder på jorden, berøvet alt.
