18 Say to ^athe king and to the queen mother,
“Humble yourselves;
Sit down,
For your rule shall collapse, the crown of your glory.” ‡

19 The cities of the South shall be shut up,
And no one shall open them;
Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it;
It shall be wholly carried away captive.

21 What will you say when He punishes you?
For you have taught them
To be chieftains, to be head over you.
Will not ^apangs seize you,
Like a woman in¹ labor? ‡

22 And if you say in your heart,
^a“Why have these things come upon me?”
For the greatness of your iniquity
^bYour skirts have been uncovered,
Your heels¹ made bare. ‡