1. Understand what I am telling you: The Lord GOD All-Powerful will take away everything Judah and Jerusalem depend on. He will take away all the food and water.
2. He will take away all the heroes and soldiers. He will take away all the judges, the prophets, the fortunetellers, and the elders.
3. He will take away the army officers and important officials. He will take away the skilled counselors, the magicians, and those who try to tell the future.
4. He says, “I will put young boys in charge of you. They will be your leaders.
5. The people will turn against each other. Young people will not respect those who are older. The common people will not respect important leaders.”
6. At that time a man will grab one of his brothers from his own family and tell him, “You have a coat, so you will be our leader. You will be the leader over all these ruins.”
7. But the brother will refuse and say, “I cannot help you. I don’t have enough food or clothes for my own family. You will not make me your leader.”
8. This will happen because Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen. They turned against the Lord. They said and did things against him, right in front of his glorious eyes.
9. The look on their faces shows that they are guilty. They are like the people of Sodom; they don’t care who sees their sin. But it will be very bad for them. They will get what they deserve.
10. Tell the good people who do what is right that good things will happen to them. They will receive a reward for what they do.
11. But it will be very bad for wicked people, because they, too, will get what they deserve. They will get what they did to others.
12. Even children will defeat my people, and women will rule over them. My people, your guides lead you the wrong way, and they destroy the path you should follow.