3:1 Look, the sovereign LORD who leads armies,¹
is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
every source of security, including²
all the food and water,³
3:2 the mighty men and warriors,
judges and prophets,
omen readers and leaders,⁴
3:3 captains of groups of 50,
the highly respected,⁵
advisers and those skilled in magical arts,⁶
and those who know incantations.
3:4 The LORD says,⁷ “I will make youths their officials,
children⁸ will rule over them.
3:5 The people will treat each other harshly,
men will oppose each other,
neighbors will fight.⁹
Youths will proudly defy the elderly,
and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected.¹⁰
3:6 Indeed a man will grab his brother
right in his family’s house¹¹ and say,¹²
‘You own a coat,
you be our leader.
This heap of ruins will be under your control.’¹³
3:7 At that time¹⁴ the brother will shout,¹⁵
‘I am no doctor,¹⁶
I have no food or coat in my house;
don’t make me a leader of the people.’”
3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,
Judah falls;
for their words and their actions offend the LORD,¹⁷
they rebel against his royal authority.¹⁸
3:9 The look on their faces¹⁹ testifies to their guilt;²⁰
like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin.²¹
Too bad for them!
For they bring disaster on themselves.
3:10 Tell the innocent²² it will go well with them,²³
for they will be rewarded for what they have done.²⁴
3:11 Too bad for the wicked sinners!
For they will get exactly what they deserve.²⁵
3:12 Oppressors treat my²⁶ people cruelly,
loan sharks rule over them.²⁷
My people’s leaders mislead them,
they give you confusing directions.²⁸
3:13 The LORD takes his position to judge,
he stands up to pass sentence on his people.²⁹
3:14 The LORD comes to pronounce judgment
on the leaders of his people and their officials.
He says,³⁰ “You³¹ have ruined³² the vineyard.³³
You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor.³⁴
3:15 Why do you crush my people,
and grind the faces of the poor?”³⁵
The sovereign LORD who leads armies³⁶ has spoken.

3:16 The LORD says,
“The women³⁷ of Zion are proud.
They walk with their heads high,³⁸
and flirt with their eyes.
They skip along,³⁹
and the jewelry on their ankles jingles.⁴⁰
3:17 So⁴¹ the sovereign master will afflict the foreheads of Zion’s women⁴² with skin diseases,⁴³
the LORD will make the front of their heads bald.”⁴⁴

3:18⁴⁵ At that time⁴⁶ the sovereign master will remove the glitter⁴⁷ of the ankle jewelry, neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, 3:19 earrings, bracelets, veils, 3:20 headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets,⁴⁸ amulets, 3:21 rings, nose rings, 3:22 festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, 3:23 garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns.⁴⁹

3:24 A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices,⁵⁰
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.
3:25 Your⁵¹ men will fall by the sword,
your strong men will die in battle.⁵²
3:26 People will mourn and lament at her gates;⁵³
deprived of her people she will sit on the ground.⁵⁴