A warning to the women of Jerusalem

16 Yahweh says this:

“The women of Jerusalem are haughty/proud;

they walk around sticking their chins out,

and flirting with men with their eyes.

They walk with tiny steps

with bracelets on their ankles that jingle.

17 So I, Yahweh, will cause sores to be on their heads,

and I will cause those beautiful women in Jerusalem to become bald.”

18 At the time that Yahweh does that, he will strip away everything that the women of Jerusalem wear to make themselves beautiful—the ornaments on their ankles and their headbands, their crescent necklaces, 19 their earrings and bracelets and veils, 20 their scarves and ankle bracelets and sashes, their perfumes and ◄charms/little things that they wear thinking that those things will protect them from evil►, 21 their signet rings and nose rings, 22 their nice robes and capes and cloaks and purses, 23 their mirrors and nice linen clothes and shawls.

24 Instead of their having a nice smell from perfume, they will stink;

instead of nice sashes, they will have ropes around their waists because they will be captives.

Instead of having fancy hairdos, they will be bald.

Instead of fancy/beautiful robes, they will wear rough sackcloth,

and instead of being beautiful, they will be branded.

25 Their husbands will be killed by their enemies’ swords,

and their soldiers will also die in battles.

26 People [PRS] will mourn and cry at the gates of the city.

The city will be like [MET] a woman who sits on the ground because everything that she owned is gone.

4 When that happens, there will be very few unmarried men still alive.

As a result, seven unmarried women will grab one man, and say,

“Allow us all to marry you [IDM]!

We will provide our own food and clothing.

All that we want is to no longer be disgraced because of not being married.”