| King James Bible | NET Bible |
| 1For, 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, | 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 prudent, and the ancient, | 2the mighty men and warriors, judges and prophets, omen readers and leaders, |
| 3The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counseller, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. | 3captains of groups of fifty, the respected citizens, advisers and those skilled in magical arts, and those who know incantations. |
| 4And 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. |
| 5And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable. | 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 shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand: | 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 shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not 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 is ruined, 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 shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto 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. |
| 10Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: 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 unto 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, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. | 12Oppressors treat my people cruelly; creditors rule over them. My people's leaders mislead them; they give you confusing directions. |
| 13The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth 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 ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil 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 mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith 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 saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling 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 smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover 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 bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, | 18At that time the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry, neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, |
| 19The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, | 19earrings, bracelets, veils, |
| 20The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, | 20headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets, amulets, |
| 21The rings, and nose jewels, | 21rings, nose rings, |
| 22The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, | 22festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, |
| 23The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. | 23garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns. |
| 24And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning 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. |
| 25Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war. | 25Your men will fall by the sword, your strong men will die in battle. |
| 26And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground. | 26Her gates will mourn and lament; deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground. |
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