3 ¹ For, behold, Yahweh, Yahweh of hosts,
is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah
stay and staff,
the whole stay of bread,
and the whole stay of water;
3 ² the mighty man and the soldier,
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner and the elder,
3 ³ the captain of fifty and the man of rank,
the counselor and the skilful magician
and the expert in charms.
3 ⁴ And I will make boys their princes,
and babes shall rule over them.
3 ⁵ And the people will oppress one another,
every man his fellow and every man his neighbour;
the youth will be insolent to the elder,
and the base fellow to the honourable.

3 ⁶ When a man takes hold of his brother
in the house of his father, saying:
"You have a mantle;
you shall be our leader,
and this heap of ruins
shall be under your rule";
3 ⁷ in that day he will speak out, saying:
"I will not be a healer;
in my house there is neither bread nor mantle;
you shall not make me
leader of the people."
3 ⁸ For Jerusalem has stumbled,
and Judah has fallen;
because their speech and their deeds are against Yahweh,
defying his glorious presence.

3 ⁹ Their partiality witnesses against them;
they proclaim their sin like Sodom,
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
For they have brought evil upon themselves.
3 ¹⁰ Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them,
for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
3 ¹¹ Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him,
for what his hands have done shall be done to him.
3 ¹² My people - children are their oppressors,
and women rule over them.
O my people, your leaders mislead you,
and confuse the course of your paths.