¶ Even so shall the LORD of Hosts take away from Ierusalem and Iuda, all possessions and power, all meat and drink,
the captain and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the wise and the aged man,
the worshipful of fifty years old, and the honorable: the Senators, and men of understanding: the masters of crafts and orators.
And I shall give you children to be your princes, (sayeth the LORD) and babes shall have the rule of you.
One shall ever be doing violence and wrong to another. The boy shall presume against the elder, and the vile person against the honorable.
Yea one shall take a friend of his own kindred by the bosom, and say: Thou hast clothing, thou shalt be our head, for thou mayest keep us from this fall and peril.
Then shall he swear and say: I can not help you. Moreover, there is neither meat nor clothing in my house, make me no ruler of the people.
For Ierusalem and Iuda must decay, because that both their words and counsels are against the LORD, they provoke the presence of his Majesty unto anger.
¶ The changing of their countenance betrayeth them, yea they declare their own sins themselves, as the Sodomites, and hide them not. Woe be unto their souls, for they shall be heavily rewarded.
Then shall they say: O happy are the godly, for they may enjoy the fruits of their studies.
But woe be unto the ungodly and unrighteous for they shall be rewarded after their works.
O my people, ribaudes oppress thee, and women have rule of thee. O my people, thy leaders deceive thee, and tread out the way of thy footsteps.
The LORD is here to commune of the matter, and stondeth to give judgement with the people.
The LORD shall come forth to reason with the Senators and princes of his people, and shall say thus unto them: It is ye that have burnt up my vineyard, the robbery of the poor is in your house.
Wherefore do ye oppress my people, and marred the faces of the innocents? thus shall the Lord GOD of Hosts revile them.
¶ Moreover thus sayeth the LORD: Seeing the daughters of Sion are become so proud, and come in with stretched out necks, and with vain wanton eyes: seeing they come in tripping so nicely with their feet:
Therefore shall the Lord shave the heads of the daughters of Sion, and make their beauty bare in that day.
In that day shall the Lord take away the gorgeousness of their apparel, and spangles, chains, partlets,
and collars, bracelets and hooves,
the goodly flowered wide and broidered raiment, brushes and headbands,
rings and garlands,
holy day clothes and vails, kerchiefs and pins,
glasses and smocks, bonnets and taches.
And instead of good smell there shall be stink among them. And for their girdles there shall be lowse bands. And for well set hair there shall be baldness. Instead of a stomacher, a sackcloth, and for their beauty witherdness and sunburning.
Their husbands and their mighty men shall perish with the sword in battle.
At that time shall their gates mourn and complain, and they shall sit as desolate folk upon the earth.
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.