< Esias 3 >

1 Behold now, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will take away from Jerusalem and from Judea the mighty man and mighty woman, the strength of bread, and the strength of water,
For behold the sovereign the Lord of hosts shall take away from Jerusalem, and from Juda the valiant and the strong, the whole strength of bread, and the whole strength of water.
2 the great and mighty man, the warrior and the judge, and the prophet, and the counsellor, and the elder,
The strong man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the cunning man, and the ancient.
3 the captain of fifty also, and the honorable counsellor, and the wise artificer, and the intelligent hearer.
The captain over fifty, and the honourable in countenance, and the counsellor, and the architect, and the skillful in eloquent speech.
4 And I will make youths their princes, and mockers shall have dominion over them.
And I will give children to be their princes, and the effeminate shall rule over them.
5 And the people shall fall, man upon man, and [every] man upon his neighbor: the child shall insult the elder man, and the base the honorable.
And the people shall rush one upon another, and every man against his neighbour: the child shall make it tumult against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
6 For a man shall lay hold of his brother, as one of his father's household, saying, You have raiment, be you our ruler, and let my meat be under you.
For a man shall take hold or his brother, one of the house of his father, saying: Thou hast a garment, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand.
7 And he shall answer in that day, and say, I will not be your ruler; for I have no bread in my house, nor raiment: I will not be the ruler of this people.
In that day he shall answer, saying: I am no healer, and in my house there is no bread, nor clothing: make me not ruler of the people.
8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judea has fallen, and their tongues [have spoken] with iniquity, disobedient [as they are] towards the Lord.
For Jerusalem is ruined, and Juda is fallen: because their tongue, and their devices are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his majesty.
9 Therefore now their glory has been brought low, and the shame of their countenance has withstood them, and they have proclaimed their sin as Sodom, and made it manifest.
The shew of their countenance hath answered them: and they have proclaimed abroad their sin as Sodom, and they have not hid it: woe to their souls, for evils are rendered to them.
10 Woe to their soul, for they have devised an evil counsel against themselves, saying against themselves, Let us bind the just, for he is burdensome to us: therefore shall they eat the fruits of their works.
Say to the just man that it is well, for he shall eat the fruit of his doings.
11 Woe to the transgressor! evils shall happen to him according to the works of his hands.
Woe to the wicked unto evil: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.
12 O my people, your exactors strip you, and extortioners rule over you: O my people, they that pronounce you blesses lead you astray, and pervert the path of your feet.
As for my people, their oppressors have stripped them, and women have ruled over them. O my people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive thee, and destroy the way of thy steps.
13 But now the Lord will stand up for judgment, and will enter into judgment with his people.
The Lord standeth up to judge, and he standeth to judge the people.
14 The Lord himself shall enter into judgment with the elders of the people, and with their rulers: but why have you set my vineyard on fire, and [why is] the spoil of the poor in your houses?
The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and its princes: for you have devoured the vineyard, and the spoil of the poor is in your house.
15 Why do you wrong my people, and shame the face of the poor?
Why do you consume my people, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord the God of hosts.
16 Thus says the Lord, Because the daughters of Sion are haughty, and have walked with an outstretched neck, and with winking of the eyes, and motion of the feet, at the same time drawing their garments in trains, and at the same time sporting with their feet:
And the Lord said: Because the daughters of Sion are haughty, and have walked with stretched out necks, and wanton glances of their eyes, and made a noise as they walked with their feet and moved in a set pace:
17 therefore the Lord will humble the chief daughters of Sion, and the Lord will expose their form in that day;
The Lord will make bald the crown of the head of the daughters of Sion, and the Lord will discover their hair.
18 and the Lord will take away the glory of their raiment, the curls and the fringes, and the crescents,
In that day the Lord will take away the ornaments of shoes, and little moons,
19 and the chains, and the ornaments of their faces,
And chains and necklaces, and bracelets, and bonnets,
20 and the array of glorious ornaments, and the armlets, and the bracelets, and the wreathed work, and the finger-rings, and the ornaments for the right hand,
And bodkins, and ornaments of the legs, and tablets, and sweet balls, and earrings,
21 and the ear-rings, and the garments with scarlet borders, and the garments with purple grounds, and the shawls to be worn in the house, and the Spartan transparent dresses, and those made of fine linen, and the purple [ones], and the scarlet [ones], and the fine linen, interwoven with gold and purple, and the light coverings for couches.
And rings, and jewels hanging on the forehead,
22 And there shall be instead of a sweet smell, dust; and instead of a girdle, you shall gird yourself with a rope; and instead of a golden ornament for the head, you shall have baldness on account of your works; and instead of a tunic with a scarlet ground, you shall gird yourself with sackcloth.
And changes of apparel, and short cloaks, and fine linen, and crisping pins,
23 And your most beautiful son whom you love shall fall by the sword; and your mighty men shall fall by the sword, and shall be brought low.
And looking-glasses, and lawns, and headbands, and fine veils.
24 And the stores of your ornaments shall mourn, and you shall be left alone, and shall be levelled with the ground.
And instead of a sweet smell there shall be stench, and instead of a girdle, a cord, and instead of curled hair, baldness, and instead of a stomacher, haircloth.
Thy fairest men also shall fall by the sword, and thy valiant ones in battle.
And her gates shall lament and mourn, and she shall sit desolate on the ground.

< Esias 3 >