New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 The Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, will take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything they depend on: every bit of bread and every drop of water,
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The Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, is emptying Jerusalem and Judah Of all the basic necessities, plain bread and water to begin with.
2 all their heroes and soldiers, judges and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders,
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He's withdrawing police and protection, judges and courts, pastors and teachers,
3 army officers and high officials, advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers.
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captains and generals, doctors and nurses, and, yes, even the repairmen and jacks-of-all-trades.
4 I will make boys their leaders, and toddlers their rulers.
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He says, "I'll put little kids in charge of the city. Schoolboys and schoolgirls will order everyone around.
5 People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor. Young people will insult their elders, and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable.
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People will be at each other's throats, stabbing one another in the back: Neighbor against neighbor, young against old, the no-account against the well-respected.
6 In those days a man will say to his brother, “Since you have a coat, you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of ruins!”
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One brother will grab another and say, 'You look like you've got a head on your shoulders. Do something! Get us out of this mess.'
7 But he will reply, “No! I can’t help. I don’t have any extra food or clothes. Don’t put me in charge!”
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And he'll say, 'Me? Not me! I don't have a clue. Don't put me in charge of anything.'
8 For Jerusalem will stumble, and Judah will fall, because they speak out against the LORD and refuse to obey him. They provoke him to his face.
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"Jerusalem's on its last legs. Judah is soon down for the count. Everything people say and do is at cross-purposes with God, a slap in my face.
9 The very look on their faces gives them away. They display their sin like the people of Sodom and don’t even try to hide it. They are doomed! They have brought destruction upon themselves.
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Brazen in their depravity, they flout their sins like degenerate Sodom. Doom to their eternal souls! They've made their bed; now they'll sleep in it.
10 Tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned!
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"Reassure the righteous that their good living will pay off.
11 But the wicked are doomed, for they will get exactly what they deserve.
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But doom to the wicked! Disaster! Everything they did will be done to them.
12 Childish leaders oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you; they send you down the wrong road.
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"Skinny kids terrorize my people. Silly girls bully them around. My dear people! Your leaders are taking you down a blind alley. They're sending you off on a wild goose chase." A City Brought to Her Knees by Her Sorrows
13 The LORD takes his place in court and presents his case against his people.
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God enters the courtroom. He takes his place at the bench to judge his people.
14 The LORD comes forward to pronounce judgment on the elders and rulers of his people: “You have ruined Israel, my vineyard. Your houses are filled with things stolen from the poor.
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God calls for order in the court, hauls the leaders of his people into the dock: "You've played havoc with this country. Your houses are stuffed with what you've stolen from the poor.
15 How dare you crush my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?” demands the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
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What is this anyway? Stomping on my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dirt?" That's what the Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, says.
16 The LORD says, “Beautiful Zion is haughty: craning her elegant neck, flirting with her eyes, walking with dainty steps, tinkling her ankle bracelets.
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God says, "Zion women are stuck-up, prancing around in their high heels, Making eyes at all the men in the street, swinging their hips, Tossing their hair, gaudy and garish in cheap jewelry."
17 So the Lord will send scabs on her head; the LORD will make beautiful Zion bald.”
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The Master will fix it so those Zion women will all turn bald - Scabby, bald-headed women. The Master will do it.
18 On that day of judgment the Lord will strip away everything that makes her beautiful: ornaments, headbands, crescent necklaces,
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The time is coming when the Master will strip them of their fancy baubles -
19 earrings, bracelets, and veils;
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the dangling earrings, anklets and bracelets,
20 scarves, ankle bracelets, sashes, perfumes, and charms;
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combs and mirrors and silk scarves, diamond brooches and pearl necklaces,
21 rings, jewels,
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the rings on their fingers and the rings on their toes,
22 party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses;
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the latest fashions in hats, exotic perfumes and aphrodisiacs, gowns and capes,
23 mirrors, fine linen garments, head ornaments, and shawls.
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all the world's finest in fabrics and design.
24 Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, she will stink. She will wear a rope for a sash, and her elegant hair will fall out. She will wear rough burlap instead of rich robes. Shame will replace her beauty.
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Instead of wearing seductive scents, these women are going to smell like rotting cabbages; Instead of modeling flowing gowns, they'll be sporting rags; Instead of their stylish hairdos, scruffy heads; Instead of beauty marks, scabs and scars.
25 The men of the city will be killed with the sword, and her warriors will die in battle.
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Your finest fighting men will be killed, your soldiers left dead on the battlefield.
26 The gates of Zion will weep and mourn. The city will be like a ravaged woman, huddled on the ground.
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The entrance gate to Zion will be clotted with people mourning their dead - A city stooped under the weight of her loss, brought to her knees by her sorrows.