III. 1 For 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,

2 Mighty man, and man of war, judge, and prophet, and diviner, and elder,

3 Captain of ﬁfty, and him that is high of face, and counsellor, and cunning artificer, and skilled enchanter,

4 And I will give children to be their princes, and freakishness shall rule over them.

5 And the people shall oppress one another, each against another, and each against his neighbour; the child shall be insolent against the ancient, and the vile against the honourable.

6 When a man shall take hold of his brother in) the house of his father: Thou hast clothing, thou shalt be our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:

7 In that day shall he lift up (his voice) saying, I will not be a binder up: for in my house is neither bread nor clothing; ye shall not make me a ruler of the people.

8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to defy the eyes of his glory.

9 The show of their face doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have awarded evil unto themselves.

10 Say ye to the righteous, that it is well; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11 Woe unto the wicked, it is ill! for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

1. ‘staff’ in Heb. is fem. form of ‘stay.’4. ‘freakishness’ (plur. in Heb.), ‘difficult word: cf. lxvi. 4.5. ‘vile,’ or, ‘despised.’9. ‘awarded,’ or, ‘requited,’ ‘rendered.’

12 My people, their oppressors are children, and women rule over them. My people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and swallow up the way of thy paths.

13 The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the peoples.

14 The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and the princes thereof; and ye—ye have eaten up vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15 What mean ye, that ye crush my people, and grind the face of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of Hosts.

16 And the LORD said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with throat stretched out and staring eyes; tripping along they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the-crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts.

18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of the anklets, and headbands, and crescents,

19 The pendants, and the bracelets, and the veils,

20 The head-tires, and the stepping chains, and the sashes, and the scent-boxes, and the amulets,