Isaiah 3
New International Reader's Version
The Lord Will Judge Jerusalem and Judah
3 Here is what
the Lord who rules over all is about to do.
The Lord will take away from Jerusalem and Judah
supplies and help alike.
He will take away all the supplies of food and water.
2 He’ll take away heroes and soldiers.
He’ll take away judges and prophets.
He’ll take away fortune tellers and elders.
3 He’ll take away captains of groups of 50 men.
He’ll take away government leaders.
He’ll take away advisers, skilled workers
and those who are clever at doing evil magic.
4 The Lord will make mere youths their leaders.
Children will rule over them.
5 People will treat one another badly.
They will fight against one another.
They will fight against their neighbors.
Young people will attack old people.
Ordinary people will attack those who are more important.
6 A man will grab one of his brothers
in his father’s house. He will say,
“You have a coat. So you be our leader.
Take charge of all these broken-down buildings!”
7 But at that time the brother will cry out,
“I can’t help you.
I don’t have any food or clothing in my house.
Don’t make me the leader of these people.”
8 Jerusalem is about to fall.
And so is Judah.
They say and do things against the Lord.
They dare to disobey him to his very face.
9 The look on their faces is a witness against them.
They show off their sin, just as the people of Sodom did.
They don’t even try to hide it.
How terrible it will be for them!
They have brought trouble on themselves.
10 Tell those who do what is right that things will go well with them.
They will enjoy the results of the good things they’ve done.
11 But how terrible it will be for those who do what is evil!
Trouble is about to fall on them.
They will be paid back for the evil things they’ve done.
12 Those who are young treat my people badly.
Women rule over them.
My people, your leaders have taken you down the wrong path.
They have turned you away from the right path.
13 The Lord takes his place in court.
He stands up to judge the people.
14 He judges the elders and leaders of his people.
He says to them,
“My people are like a vineyard.
You have destroyed them.
The things you have taken from poor people are in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people?
Why are you grinding the faces of the poor into the dirt?”
announces the Lord. He is the Lord who rules over all.
16 The Lord continues,
“The women in Zion are very proud.
They walk along with their noses in the air.
They tease men with their eyes.
They sway their hips as they walk along.
Little chains jingle on their ankles.
17 So I will put sores on the heads of Zion’s women.
And I will remove the hair from their heads.”
18 At that time the Lord will take away the beautiful things they wear. He will take away their decorations, headbands and moon-shaped necklaces. 19 He’ll take away their earrings, bracelets and veils. 20 He’ll remove their headdresses, anklets and belts. He’ll take away their perfume bottles and charms. 21 He’ll remove the rings they wear on their fingers and in their noses. 22 He’ll take away their fine robes and their capes and coats. He’ll take away their purses 23 and mirrors. And he’ll take away their linen clothes, turbans and shawls.
24 Instead of smelling sweet,
the women will smell bad.
Instead of wearing belts,
they will wear ropes.
Instead of having beautiful hair,
they won’t have any hair at all.
Instead of wearing fine clothes,
they’ll wear rough clothes to show how sad they are.
Instead of being beautiful,
on their bodies they’ll have the marks of their owners.
25 Jerusalem, your men will be killed by swords.
Your soldiers will die in battle.
26 The city of Zion will be very sad.
Like a widow, she will lose everything.
She will sit on the ground and mourn.
Isaiah 3
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
3 For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff [every kind of prop], the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water,
2 The mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the [professional] prophet, the one who foretells by divination and the old man,
3 The captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the expert craftsman and the skillful enchanter.
4 And I will make boys their princes, and with childishness shall they rule over them [with outrage instead of justice].
5 And the people shall be oppressed, each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; the child shall behave himself proudly and with insolence against the old man, and the lowborn against the honorable [person of rank].
6 When a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, You have a robe, you shall be our judge and ruler, and this heap of ruins shall be under your control—
7 In that day he will answer, saying, I will not be a healer and one who binds up; [a]I am not a physician. For in my house is neither bread nor clothing; you shall not make me judge and ruler of the people.
8 For Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory and defy His glorious presence.
9 Their respecting of persons and showing of partiality witnesses against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil [as a reward upon themselves].
10 Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
11 Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with them, for what their hands have done shall be done to them.
12 As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O My people, your leaders cause you to err, and they confuse (destroy and swallow up) the course of your paths.
13 The Lord stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples and His people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment with the elders of His people and their princes: For [by your exactions and oppressions you have robbed the people and ruined the country] you have devoured the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing My people and grinding the faces of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts.
16 Moreover, the Lord said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks and with undisciplined (flirtatious and alluring) eyes, tripping along with mincing and affected gait, and making a tinkling noise with [the anklets on] their feet,
17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the heads of the daughters of Zion [making them bald], and the Lord will cause them to be [taken as captives and to suffer the indignity of being] stripped naked.
18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery of their tinkling anklets, the caps of network, the crescent head ornaments,
19 The pendants, the bracelets or chains, and the spangled face veils and scarfs,
20 The headbands, the short ankle chains [attached from one foot to the other to insure a measured gait], the sashes, the perfume boxes, the amulets or charms [suspended from the ears or neck],
21 The signet rings and nose rings,
22 The festal robes, the cloaks, the stoles and shawls, and the handbags,
23 The hand mirrors, the fine linen [undergarments], the turbans, and the [whole body-enveloping] veils.
24 And it shall come to pass that instead of the sweet odor of spices there shall be the stench of rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; and searing [of captives by the scorching heat] instead of beauty.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty men in battle.
26 And [Jerusalem’s] gates shall lament and mourn [as those who wail for the dead]; and she, being ruined and desolate, shall sit upon the ground.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 3:7 The Latin Vulgate rendering.
Isaiah 3
Darby Translation
3 For behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, will take away from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
2 the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the diviner and the elder,
3 the captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the clever among artificers, and the one versed in enchantments.
4 And I will appoint youths as their princes, and children shall rule over them.
5 And the people shall be oppressed one by the other, and each by his neighbour; the child will be insolent against the elder, and the base against the honourable.
6 When a man shall take hold of his brother, in his father's house, [and shall say:] Thou hast clothing; be our chief, and let this ruin be under thy hand;
7 he will lift up [his hand] in that day, saying, I cannot be a healer, and in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; ye shall not make me a chief of the people.
8 For Jerusalem stumbleth and Judah falleth, because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9 The look of their face doth witness against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom: they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have brought evil upon themselves.
10 Say ye of the righteous that it shall be well [with him], for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill [with him], because the desert of his hands shall be rendered unto him.
12 [As for] my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people! they that guide thee mislead [thee], and destroy the way of thy paths.
13 Jehovah setteth himself to plead, and standeth to judge the peoples.
14 Jehovah will enter into judgment with the elders of his people and their princes, [saying:] It is ye that have eaten up the vineyard: the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 What mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the faces of the afflicted? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
16 And Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-out neck and wanton eyes, and go along mincing, and making a tinkling with their feet;
17 therefore the Lord will make bald the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will lay bare their secret parts.
18 In that day the Lord will take away the ornament of anklets, and the little suns and crescents,
19 the pearl-drops, and the bracelets, and the veils,
20 the head-dresses, and the stepping chains, and the girdles, and the scent-boxes, and the amulets;
21 the finger-rings, and the nose-rings;
22 the festival-robes, and the tunics, and the mantles, and the wallets;
23 the mirrors, and the fine linen bodices, and the turbans, and the flowing veils.
24 And it shall come to pass, instead of perfume there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a robe of display, a girding of sackcloth; brand instead of beauty.
25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the fight;
26 and her gates shall lament and mourn; and, stripped, she shall sit upon the ground.
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)