| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1For behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, Takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah The stock and the store, The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water; | 1Look, the sovereign LORD who commands armies is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah every source of security, including all the food and water, |
| 2The mighty man and the man of war, The judge and the prophet, And the diviner and the elder; | 2the mighty men and warriors, judges and prophets, omen readers and leaders, |
| 3The captain of fifty and the honorable man, The counselor and the skillful artisan, And the expert enchanter. | 3captains of groups of fifty, the respected citizens, advisers and those skilled in magical arts, and those who know incantations. |
| 4“I will give children to be their princes, And babes shall rule over them. | 4The LORD says, "I will make youths their officials; malicious young men will rule over them. |
| 5The people will be oppressed, Every one by another and every one by his neighbor; The child will be insolent toward the elder, And the base toward the honorable.” | 5The people will treat each other harshly; men will oppose each other; neighbors will fight. Youths will proudly defy the elderly and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. |
| 6When a man takes hold of his brother In the house of his father, saying, “You have clothing; You be our ruler, And let these ruins be under your power,” | 6Indeed, a man will grab his brother right in his father's house and say, 'You own a coat--you be our leader! This heap of ruins will be under your control.' |
| 7In that day he will protest, saying, “I cannot cure your ills, For in my house is neither food nor clothing; Do not make me a ruler of the people.” | 7At that time the brother will shout, 'I am no doctor, I have no food or coat in my house; don't make me a leader of the people!'" |
| 8For Jerusalem stumbled, And Judah is fallen, Because their tongue and their doings Are against the LORD, To provoke the eyes of His glory. | 8Jerusalem certainly stumbles, Judah falls, for their words and their actions offend the LORD; they rebel against his royal authority. |
| 9The look on their countenance witnesses against them, And they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves. | 9The look on their faces testifies to their guilt; like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. Too bad for them! For they bring disaster on themselves. |
| 10“Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. | 10Tell the innocent it will go well with them, for they will be rewarded for what they have done. |
| 11Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, For the reward of his hands shall be given him. | 11Too bad for the wicked sinners! For they will get exactly what they deserve. |
| 12As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths.” | 12Oppressors treat my people cruelly; creditors rule over them. My people's leaders mislead them; they give you confusing directions. |
| 13The LORD stands up to plead, And stands to judge the people. | 13The LORD takes his position to judge; he stands up to pass sentence on his people. |
| 14The LORD will enter into judgment With the elders of His people And His princes: “For you have eaten up the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. | 14The LORD comes to pronounce judgment on the leaders of his people and their officials. He says, "It is you who have ruined the vineyard! You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor. |
| 15What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the faces of the poor?” Says the Lord GOD of hosts. | 15Why do you crush my people and grind the faces of the poor?" The sovereign LORD who commands armies has spoken. |
| 16Moreover the LORD says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, And walk with outstretched necks And wanton eyes, Walking and mincing as they go, Making a jingling with their feet, | 16The LORD says, "The women of Zion are proud. They walk with their heads high and flirt with their eyes. They skip along and the jewelry on their ankles jingles. |
| 17Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, And the LORD will uncover their secret parts.” | 17So the sovereign master will afflict the foreheads of Zion's women with skin diseases, the LORD will make the front of their heads bald." |
| 18In that day the Lord will take away the finery: The jingling anklets, the scarves, and the crescents; | 18At that time the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry, neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, |
| 19The pendants, the bracelets, and the veils; | 19earrings, bracelets, veils, |
| 20The headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands; The perfume boxes, the charms, | 20headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets, amulets, |
| 21 and the rings; The nose jewels, | 21rings, nose rings, |
| 22 the festal apparel, and the mantles; The outer garments, the purses, | 22festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, |
| 23 and the mirrors; The fine linen, the turbans, and the robes. | 23garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns. |
| 24And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; Instead of a sash, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty. | 24A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices, a rope will replace a belt, baldness will replace braided locks of hair, a sackcloth garment will replace a fine robe, and a prisoner's brand will replace beauty. |
| 25Your men shall fall by the sword, And your mighty in the war. | 25Your men will fall by the sword, your strong men will die in battle. |
| 26Her gates shall lament and mourn, And she being desolate shall sit on the ground. | 26Her gates will mourn and lament; deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground. |
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