Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, [be diligently active, make thoughtful decisions], for you will find it after many days.

²Give a portion to seven, or even [divide it] to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.

³If the clouds are full [of rain], they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it lies.

⁴He who watches the wind [waiting for all conditions to be perfect] will not sow [seed], and he who looks at the clouds will not reap [a harvest].

⁵Just as you do not know the way and path of the wind or how the bones are formed in the womb of a pregnant woman, even so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.

⁶Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle with your hands in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening planting will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

⁷The light is sweet and pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.

⁸Yes, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that is to come will be futility.

⁹Rejoice, young man, in your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant in the days of your young manhood. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the desires of your eyes, but know that God will bring you into judgment for all these things.

¹⁰Therefore, remove sorrow and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, for childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

¹Remember [thoughtfully] also your Creator in the days of your youth [for you are not your own, but His], before the evil days come or the years draw near when you will say [of physical pleasures], "I have no enjoyment and delight in them";

²before the sun and the light, and the moon and the stars are darkened [by impaired vision], and the clouds [of depression] return after the rain [of tears];

³in the day when the keepers of the house (hands, arms) tremble, and the strong men (feet, knees) bow themselves, and the grinders (molar teeth) cease because they are few, and those (eyes) who look through the windows grow dim;

⁴when the doors (lips) are shut in the streets and the sound of the grinding [of the teeth] is low, and one rises at the sound of a bird and the crowing of a rooster, and all the daughters of music (voice, ears) sing softly.

⁵Furthermore, they are afraid of a high place and of dangers on the road; the almond tree (hair) blossoms [white], and the grasshopper (a little thing) is a burden, and the caperberry (desire, appetite) fails. For man goes to his eternal home and the mourners go about the streets and market places.

⁶Earnestly remember your Creator before the silver cord [of life] is broken, or the golden bowl is crushed, or the pitcher at the fountain is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed;

⁷then the dust [out of which God made man's body] will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

⁸"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher. "All [that is done without God's guidance] is vanity (futility)."

⁹Furthermore, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered and searched out and arranged many proverbs.

¹⁰The Preacher sought to find delightful words, even to write correctly words of truth.

¹¹The words of the wise are like [prodding] goads, and these collected sayings are [firmly fixed in the mind] like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd.

¹²But beyond this my son, [about going further than the words given by one Shepherd], be warned: the writing of many books is endless [so do not believe everything you read], and excessive study and devotion to books is wearying to the body.

¹³When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God] and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person.

¹⁴For God will bring every act to judgment, every hidden and secret thing, whether it is good or evil.

¹The Song of Songs [the best of songs], which is Solomon's.

²(The Shulammite Bride) "May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!" [Solomon arrives, she turns to him, saying,] "For your love is better than wine.

³"The aroma of your oils is fragrant and pleasing; Your name is perfume poured out; Therefore the maidens love you.

⁴"Draw me away with you and let us run together! Let the king bring me into his chambers." (The Chorus) "We will rejoice and be glad in you; We will remember and extol your love more [sweet and fragrant] than wine. Rightly do they love you."

⁵(The Shulammite Bride) "I am deeply tanned but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, [I am dark] like the tents of [the Bedouins of] Kedar, Like the [beautiful] curtains of Solomon.

⁶"Do not gaze at me because I am deeply tanned, [I have worked in] the sun; it has left its mark on me. My mother's sons were angry with me; They made me keeper of the vineyards, But my own vineyard (my complexion) I have not kept."

⁷"Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, Where do you pasture your flock, Where do you make it lie down at noon? For why should I be like one who is veiled Beside the flocks of your companions?"

⁸(The Bridegroom) "If you do not know [where your lover is], O you fairest among women, Run along, follow the tracks of the flock, And pasture your young goats By the tents of the shepherds.

⁹"To me, my love, you are like My [favorite] mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.

¹⁰"Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, Your neck with strings of jewels."

¹¹(The Chorus) "We will make for you chains and ornaments of gold, [Studded] with beads of silver."

¹²(The Shulammite Bride) "While the king was at his table, My perfume (Solomon) sent forth [his] fragrance [surrounding me].

¹³"My beloved is to me like a pouch of myrrh Which lies all night between my breasts.

¹⁴"My beloved is to me a cluster of henna flowers In the [fragrant] vineyards of Engedi."

¹⁵(The Bridegroom) "Behold, how beautiful you are, my darling, Behold, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are dove's eyes."

¹⁶(The Shulammite Bride) "Behold, how fair and handsome you are, my beloved; And so delightful! Our arbor is green and luxuriant.

¹⁷"The beams of our houses are cedars, Our rafters and panels are cypresses.

¹"I am the rose [of the plain] of Sharon, The lily of the valleys [that grows in deep places]."

²(The Bridegroom) "Like the lily among the thorns, So are you, my darling, among the maidens."

³(The Shulammite Bride) "Like an apple tree [rare and welcome] among the trees of the forest, So is my beloved among the young men! In his shade I took great delight and sat down, And his fruit was sweet and delicious to my palate.

⁴"He has brought me to his banqueting place, And his banner over me is love [waving overhead to protect and comfort me].

⁵"Sustain me with raisin cakes, Refresh me with apples, Because I am sick with love.

⁶"Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me."

⁷(The Bridegroom) "I command that you take an oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field [which run free], That you do not rouse nor awaken my love Until she pleases."

⁸(The Shulammite Bride) "Listen! My beloved! Behold, he comes, Climbing on the mountains, Leaping and running on the hills!

⁹"My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he is standing behind our wall, He is looking through the windows, He is gazing through the lattice.

¹⁰"My beloved speaks and says to me, 'Arise, my love, my fair one, And come away.

¹¹'For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone.

¹²'The flowers appear on the earth once again; The time for singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

¹³'The fig tree has budded and ripens her figs, And the vines are in blossom and give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, And come away [to climb the rocky steps of the hillside].'"

¹⁴(The Bridegroom) "O my dove, [here] in the clefts in the rock, In the sheltered and secret place of the steep pathway, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely."

¹⁵(The Chorus) "Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that spoil and ruin the vineyards [of love], While our vineyards are in blossom."

¹⁶(The Shulammite Bride) "My beloved is mine and I am his; He pastures his flock among the lilies.

¹⁷"Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away, Return quickly, my beloved, and be like a gazelle Or a young stag on the mountains of Bether [which separate us]."

¹(The Shulammite Bride) "On my bed night after night [I dreamed that] I sought the one Whom my soul loves; I sought him but did not find him.

²"I said 'So I must arise now and go out into the city; Into the streets and into the squares [places I do not know] I must seek him whom my soul loves.' I sought him but I did not find him.

³"The watchmen who go around the city found me, And I said, 'Have you seen him whom my soul loves?'

⁴"Scarcely had I passed them When I found him whom my soul loves. I held on to him and would not let him go Until I had brought him to my mother's house, And into the chamber of her who conceived me."

⁵(The Bridegroom) "I command that you take an oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, That you do not rouse nor awaken my love Until she pleases."

⁶(The Shulammite Bride) "What is this coming up from the wilderness Like [stately] pillars of smoke Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all the fragrant powders of the merchant?"

⁷(The Chorus) "Behold, it is the couch ( palanquin) of Solomon; Sixty mighty men around it, Of the mighty men of Israel.

⁸"All of them handle the sword, All expert in war; Each man has his sword at his thigh, Guarding against the terrors of the night.

⁹"King Solomon has made for himself a palanquin From the [cedar] wood of Lebanon.

¹⁰"He made its posts of silver, Its back of gold, Its seat of purple cloth, The interior lovingly and intricately wrought By the daughters of Jerusalem.

¹¹"Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And gaze on King Solomon wearing the crown With which his mother [Bathsheba] has crowned him On the day of his wedding, On the day of his gladness of heart."

¹(The Bridegroom) "How fair and beautiful you are, my darling, How very beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are like those of a dove; Your hair is like [the shimmering black fleece of] a flock of [Arabian] goats That have descended from Mount Gilead [beyond the Jordan].

²"Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes Which have come up from washing, All of which bear twins, And not one among them has lost her young.

³"Your lips are like a ribbon of scarlet, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a slice of the pomegranate Behind your veil.

⁴"Your neck is like the tower of David, Built with rows of [glistening] stones, Whereon hang a thousand shields, All of them shields of warriors.

⁵"Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies.

⁶"Until the day breaks And the shadows flee away, [In my thoughts] I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense.

⁷"O my love, you are altogether beautiful and fair. There is no flaw nor blemish in you!

⁸"Come away with me from Lebanon, my [promised] bride, May you come with me from Lebanon. Journey down from the top of Amana, From the summit of Senir and Hermon, From the dens of lions, From the mountains of leopards.

⁹"You have ravished my heart and given me courage, my sister, my [promised] bride; You have ravished my heart and given me courage with a single glance of your eyes, With one jewel of your necklace.

¹⁰"How beautiful is your love, my sister, my [promised] bride! How much better is your love than wine, And the fragrance of your oils Than all kinds of balsam and spices.

¹¹"Your lips, my [promised] bride, drip honey [as the honeycomb]; Honey and milk are under your tongue, And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

¹²"A garden enclosed is my sister, my [promised] bride— A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.

¹³"Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, [A paradise] with precious fruits, henna with fragrant plants,

¹⁴Fragrant plants and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices.

¹⁵"You are a fountain in a garden, A well of fresh and living water, And streams flowing from Lebanon."

¹⁶(The Shulammite Bride) "Awake, O north wind, And come, south wind [blow softly upon my garden]; Make my garden breathe out fragrance, [for the one in whom my soul delights], Let its spices flow forth. Let my beloved come into his garden And eat its choicest fruits."

¹(The Bridegroom) "I have come into my garden, my sister, my [promised] bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam and spice [from your sweet words]. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, friends; Drink and drink deeply, O lovers."

²(The Shulammite Bride) "I was asleep, but my heart was awake. A voice [in my dream]! My beloved was knocking: 'Open to me, my sister, my darling, My dove, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with the [heavy night] dew; My hair [is covered] with the dampness of the night.'

³"I had taken off my dress, How can I put it on again? I had washed my feet, How could I get them dirty again?

⁴"My beloved extended his hand through the opening [of the door], And my feelings were aroused for him.

⁵"I arose to open for my beloved; And my hands dripped with myrrh, And my fingers with liquid [sweet-scented] myrrh, On the handles of the bolt.

⁶"I opened for my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart went out to him when he spoke. I searched for him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me.

⁷"The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; The guardsmen of the walls took my shawl from me.

⁸"I command that you take an oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, As to what you tell him— [Say that] I am sick from love [sick from being without him]."

⁹(The Chorus) "What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, That you should so command us to take an oath?"

¹⁰(The Shulammite Bride) "My beloved is exquisitely handsome and ruddy, Outstanding among ten thousand.

¹¹"His head is like [precious] gold, pure gold; His hair is [curly] like clusters of dates And black as a raven.

¹²"His eyes are like doves Beside streams of water, Bathed in milk And reposed in their setting.

¹³"His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, Banks of sweet, fragrant herbs. His lips are lilies Dripping sweet-scented myrrh.

¹⁴"His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl; His abdomen is a figure of carved ivory Inlaid with sapphires.

¹⁵"His legs are [strong and steady] pillars of alabaster Set upon pedestals of fine gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, Stately and choice as the cedars.

¹⁶"His mouth is full of sweetness; Yes, he is altogether lovely and desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."

¹(The Chorus) "Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Where is your beloved hiding himself, That we may seek him with you?"

²(The Shulammite Bride) "My beloved has gone down to his garden, To the beds of balsam, To feed his flock in the gardens And gather lilies.

³"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine, He who feeds his flock among the lilies."

⁴(The Bridegroom) "You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling, As lovely as Jerusalem, As majestic as an army with banners!

⁵"Turn your [flashing] eyes away from me, For they have confused and overcome me; Your hair is like [the shimmering black fleece of] a flock of [Arabian] goats That have descended from Mount Gilead.

⁶"Your teeth are like a flock of ewes Which have come up from their washing, All of which bear twins, And not one among them has lost her young.

⁷"Your temples are like a slice of the pomegranate Behind your veil.

⁸"There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, And maidens without number;

⁹But my dove, my perfect one, stands alone [above them all]; She is her mother's only daughter; She is the pure child of the one who bore her. The maidens saw her and called her blessed and happy, The queens and the concubines also, and they praised her, saying,

¹⁰'Who is this that looks down like the dawn, Fair and beautiful as the full moon, Clear and pure as the sun, As majestic as an army with banners?'

¹¹"I went down to the orchard of nut trees To see the flowers of the valley, To see whether the grapevine had budded And the pomegranates were in flower.

¹²"Before I was aware [of what was happening], my desire had brought me Into the area of the princes of my people [the king's retinue]."

¹³(The Chorus) "Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may gaze at you." (The Bridegroom) "Why should you gaze at the Shulammite, As at the dance of the two armies?

¹"How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince's daughter! The curves of your hips are like jewels, The work of the hands of an artist.

²"Your navel is a round goblet Which never lacks mixed wine. Your belly is like a heap of wheat Surrounded with lilies.

³"Your two breasts are like two fawns, The twins of a gazelle.

⁴"Your neck is like a tower of ivory, Your eyes the [sparkling] pools of Heshbon By the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon Which looks toward Damascus.

⁵"Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, And the flowing hair of your head like purple threads; I, the king, am held captive by your tresses.

⁶"How beautiful and how delightful you are, My love, with all your delights!

⁷"Your stature is like that of a palm tree And your breasts like its clusters [of dates].

⁸"I said, 'I will climb the palm tree; I will grasp its branches. Let your breasts be like clusters of the grapevine, And the fragrance of your breath like apples,

⁹'And your kisses like the best wine!'" (The Shulammite Bride) "It goes down smoothly and sweetly for my beloved, Gliding gently over his lips while he sleeps.

¹⁰"I am my beloved's, And his desire is for me.

¹¹"Come, my beloved, let us go out into the country, Let us spend the night in the villages.

¹²"Let us go out early to the vineyards; Let us see whether the vine has budded And its blossoms have opened, And whether the pomegranates have flowered. There I will give you my love.

¹³"The mandrakes give forth fragrance, And over our doors are all [kinds of] choice fruits, Both new and old, Which I have saved up for you, my beloved.

¹"Oh, that you were like a brother to me, Who nursed at the breasts of my mother. If I found you out of doors, I would kiss you; No one would blame me or despise me, either.

²"I would lead you and bring you Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me; I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.

³"Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me."

⁴(The Bridegroom) "I command you to take an oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, That you do not rouse nor awaken my love Until she pleases."

⁵(The Chorus) "Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning upon her beloved?" (The Shulammite Bride) "Under the apple tree I awakened you [to my love]; There your mother was in labor with you, There she was in labor and gave you birth.

⁶"Put me like a seal on your heart, Like a seal on your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe and cruel as Sheol (the place of the dead). Its flashes are flashes of fire, [A most vehement flame] the very flame of the LORD!

⁷"Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can rivers drown it. If a man would offer all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly scorned and despised."

⁸(The Chorus) "We have a little sister And she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister On the day when she is spoken for [in marriage]?

⁹"If she is a wall (discreet, womanly), We will build on her a turret (dowry) of silver; But if she is a door (bold, flirtatious), We will enclose her with planks of cedar."

¹⁰(The Shulammite Bride) "I was a wall, and my breasts were like the towers. Then I became in the king's eyes As one [to be respected and allowed] to find peace.

¹¹"Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers; Each one was to bring him a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.

¹²"My very own vineyard is at my disposal; The thousand [shekels of silver] are for you, O Solomon, And two hundred are for those who tend the fruit."

¹³(The Bridegroom) "O you who sit in the gardens, My companions are listening for your voice— Let me hear it."

¹⁴(The Shulammite Bride) "Hurry, my beloved and come quickly, Like a gazelle or a young stag [taking me home] On the mountains of spices."

¹The vision of [the prophet] Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning [the kingdom of] Judah and [its capital] Jerusalem, which he saw [as revealed by God] during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

²Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth; For the LORD has spoken: "I have reared and brought up sons, But they have rebelled against Me and have broken away.

³"The ox [instinctively] knows its owner, And the donkey its master's feeding trough, But Israel does not know [Me as LORD], My people do not understand."

⁴Ah, sinful nation, A people loaded down with wickedness [with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing], Offspring of evildoers, Sons who behave corruptly! They have abandoned (rejected) the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel [provoking Him to anger], They have turned away from Him.

⁵Why should you be stricken and punished again [since no change results from it]? You [only] continue to rebel. The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint and sick.

⁶From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing healthy in the nation's body, Only bruises, welts, and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil [as a remedy].

⁷Your land lies desolate [because of your disobedience], Your cities are burned with fire, Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your very presence; It is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

⁸The Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem) is left like a [deserted] shelter in a vineyard, Like a watchman's hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city [isolated, surrounded by devastation].

⁹If the LORD of hosts Had not left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah.

¹⁰Hear the word of the LORD [rulers of Jerusalem], You rulers of [another] Sodom, Listen to the law and instruction of our God, You people of [another] Gomorrah.

¹¹"What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me [without your repentance]?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of [your] burnt offerings of rams And the fat of well-fed cattle [without your obedience]; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls or lambs or goats [offered without repentance].

¹²"When you come to appear before Me, Who requires this of you, this trampling of My [temple] courts [by your sinful feet]?

¹³"Do not bring worthless offerings again, [Your] incense is repulsive to Me; [Your] New Moon and Sabbath [observances], the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure wickedness [your sin, your injustice, your wrongdoing] and [the squalor of] the festive assembly.

¹⁴"I hate [the hypocrisy of] your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.

¹⁵"So when you spread out your hands [in prayer, pleading for My help], I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you offer many prayers, I will not be listening. Your hands are full of blood!

¹⁶"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Get your evil deeds out of My sight. Stop doing evil,

¹⁷Learn to do good. Seek justice, Rebuke the ruthless, Defend the fatherless, Plead for the [rights of the] widow [in court].

¹⁸"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD. " Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be like wool.

¹⁹"If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the best of the land;

²⁰But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

²¹How the faithful city has become a prostitute [idolatrous, despicable], She who was full of justice! Right standing with God once lodged in her, But now murderers.

²²Your silver has turned to lead, Your wine is diluted with water.

²³Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes And chases after gifts. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the widow's cause come before them [instead they delay or turn a deaf ear].

²⁴Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah, I will be freed of My adversaries And avenge Myself on My enemies.

²⁵"And I will turn My hand against you, And will [thoroughly] purge away your dross as with lye And remove all your tin (impurity).

²⁶"Then I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning; Afterward you will be called the city of righteousness, The faithful city."

²⁷Zion will be redeemed with justice And her repentant ones with righteousness.

²⁸But rebels and sinners will be crushed and destroyed together, And those who abandon (turn away from) the LORD will be consumed (perish).

²⁹For you will be ashamed [of the degradation] of the oaks in which you took [idolatrous] pleasure, And you will be ashamed of the gardens [of passion] which you have chosen [for pagan worship].

³⁰For you will be like an oak whose leaf withers and dies And like a garden that has no water.

³¹The strong man will become tinder, And his work a spark. So both will burn together And there will be none to quench them.

¹The word [from God] which Isaiah son of Amoz saw [in a vision] concerning [the nation of] Judah and [its capital city] Jerusalem.

²Now it will come to pass that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains, And will be exalted above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.

³And many peoples shall come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house (temple) of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go out from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

⁴And He will judge between the nations, And will mediate [disputes] for many peoples; And they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up the sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.

⁵O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.

⁶Most certainly [LORD] You have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers [who foretell] like the Philistines; Also they strike bargains with the children of foreigners (pagans).

⁷Their land has also been filled with silver and gold And there is no end to their treasures; Their land has also been filled with horses And there is no end to their chariots.

⁸Their land has also been filled with idols; They worship the work of their hands, That which their own fingers have made.

⁹So the common man has been humbled [before idols] And the man of importance has been degraded, Therefore do not forgive them [O LORD].

¹⁰Go among the rocks and hide in the dust From the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty.

¹¹The proud look of man will be degraded And the arrogance of men will be humbled, And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

¹²For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against all who are proud and arrogant And against all who are lifted up, That they may be degraded.

¹³And the wrath of God will be against all the cedars of Lebanon [west of the Jordan] that are high and lifted up, Against all the oaks of Bashan [east of the Jordan],

¹⁴Against all the high mountains, Against all the hills that are lifted up,

¹⁵Against every high tower, Against every fortified wall,

¹⁶Against all the ships of Tarshish And against all the beautiful craft.

¹⁷Then the pride of man will be humbled And the arrogance of men will be degraded; The LORD alone shall be exalted in that day,

¹⁸And the idols will completely vanish (be abolished).

¹⁹They [the stricken, deprived of all in which they had trusted] will go into the caves of the rocks And into the holes of the ground [fleeing] From the terror and dread of the LORD And from the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to terrify the earth.

²⁰In that day men will throw away to the moles and to the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves [as objects] to worship,

²¹To go into the caverns of the rocks and into the clefts of the [ragged] cliffs [as they flee] From the terror and dread of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to terrify the earth.

²²Stop regarding man, whose breath [of life] is in his nostrils [for so little time]; For why should he be esteemed?

¹Listen carefully, the Lord GOD of hosts is removing from Jerusalem and from Judah Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread And the whole supply of water;

²The brave man and the warrior [He is also removing], The judge and the prophet, The diviner and the elder,

³The captain of fifty and the man of honor, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter.

⁴And I will make mere boys their princes, And capricious (impulsive, unpredictable) children will rule over them.

⁵And the people will be oppressed, Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; The boy will be arrogant and insolent toward the elder And the vulgar (common) toward the honorable [person of rank].

⁶When a man takes hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, "You have a robe, you shall be our judge and ruler, And this pile of ruins will be under your control,"

⁷He will protest on that day, saying, "I will not be a governor; For in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; You should not make me a judge and ruler of the people."

⁸For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, Because their words and their actions are against the LORD, To rebel against His glorious presence and defiantly provoke Him.

⁹Their partiality testifies against them, They display their sin like Sodom; They do not even hide it. Woe (judgment is coming) to them! For they have brought evil on themselves [as a reward].

¹⁰Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, For they will eat the fruit of their [righteous] actions.

¹¹Woe (judgment is coming) to the wicked! It shall go badly with him, For what his hand has done shall be done to him.

¹²O My people! Children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Your leaders lead you astray And confuse (destroy, swallow up) the direction of your paths.

¹³The LORD rises to contend, And stands to judge the people.

¹⁴The LORD enters into judgment with the elders of His people and their princes, "For it is you who have devoured the vineyard [with your oppression, you have robbed the people and ruined the country]; The plunder of the poor is in your houses.

¹⁵"What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the face of the poor?" Declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

¹⁶Moreover, the LORD said, "Because the daughters of Zion are proud And walk with outstretched necks and seductive (flirtatious, alluring) eyes, And trip along with mincing steps and an affected gait And walk with jingling anklets on their feet,

¹⁷Therefore the Lord will afflict the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion with scabs [making them bald], And the LORD will expose their foreheads (send them into captivity)."

¹⁸In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, [braided] caps, crescent [head] ornaments,

¹⁹dangling earrings, bracelets, and the hanging veils and scarves,

²⁰head wraps (turbans), [short, jingling] ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets (charms),

²¹signet [finger] rings, nose rings,

²²festival robes, outer tunics, shawls, handbags,

²³hand mirrors, [fine linen] undergarments, headbands, and veils [covering the entire body].

²⁴Now it will come to pass that instead of the sweet fragrance of spices there will be [the stench of] rottenness; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of fine clothes, a robe of sackcloth; And branding [of captives by the scorching heat] instead of beauty.

²⁵Your men will fall by the sword And your mighty men in battle.

²⁶And Jerusalem's gates will lament (cry out in grief) and mourn [as those who wail for the dead]; And she, being ruined and desolate, will sit upon the ground.