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CHAPTER 3 May 14 
Judgement on Jerusalem and Judah 
For, behold, the Lord Yahweh of Armies takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supply and support, the whole supply of bread, and the whole supply of water; 2the mighty man, the man of war, the judge, the prophet, the diviner, the elder, 3the captain of fifty, the honourable man, the counsellor, the skilled craftsman and the clever enchanter. 4I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them. 5The people will be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbour. The child will behave himself proudly against the old man, and the base against the honourable. 6Indeed a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, You have clothing, you be our ruler, and let this ruin be under your hand. 7In that day he will cry out, saying, I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing. You shall not make me ruler of the people. 8For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Yahweh, to provoke the eyes of His glory. 9The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don’t hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought judgment upon themselves. 10Tell the righteous Good! For they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. 11Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them; for the deeds of his hands will be paid back to him. 12As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people, those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.
The Lord Judges His People 
13Yahweh stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples. 14Yahweh will enter into judgement with the elders of His people, and their leaders: It is you who have eaten up the vineyard. The spoil of the poor is in your houses. 15What do you mean that you crush My people, and grind the face of the poor? says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.
A Warning to the Women
16Moreover Yahweh said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and flirting eyes, walking to trip as they go, jingling ornaments on their feet; 17therefore the Lord brings sores on the crown of the head of the women of Zion, and Yahweh will make their scalps bald. 18In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces, 19the earrings, the bracelets, the veils, 20the headdresses, the ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume bottles, the charms, 21the signet rings, the nose rings, 22the fine robes, the capes, the cloaks, the purses, 23the hand mirrors, the fine linen garments, the tiaras, and the shawls. 24It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of well set hair, baldness; instead of a robe, a wearing of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty. 25Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty in the war. 26Her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit on the ground.

Commentary


3:9 The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin- God’s intense awareness of and sensitivity to human behaviour extends even to His noticing of their body language (see too :16). Out of all the many things for which He could have condemned His people, He focuses on pride. Pride is simply so extremely abhorrent to God. “Testify against them” is legal language- their own body language as it were stands up in court in the witness box and condemns them, and in this sense they “brought judgment upon themselves”. It is they rather than God who ask for the sentence of condemnation. He as the final judge arises to proclaim the verdict (:13), but it is Judah who have asked for it. Judgment is in this sense ongoing; it’s not that God will only open the books and consider our case at Christ’s return. Our own behaviour right now is the statement of the witness in the box, with God right now making the judgment and assessing that witness (:13).
3:16 Again, God notices and condemns the body language of people, so closely does He analyze human behaviour and so hypersensitive is He to any human pride; see on :9.