God Will Remove the Leaders

For behold, the Lord [a]God of armies (A)is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
Both supply and support, the entire supply of bread
And the entire supply of water;
(B)The mighty man and the warrior,
The judge and the prophet,
The diviner and the elder,
The captain of fifty and the esteemed person,
The counselor and the expert artisan,
And the skillful enchanter.
And I will make mere (C)boys their leaders,
And [b]mischievous children will rule over them,
And the people will be (D)oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his (E)neighbor;
The youth will assault the elder,
And the contemptible person will assault the one honored.
When a man (F)lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying,
“You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler!
And these ruins will be under your [c]authority,”
He will [d]protest on that day, saying,
“I will not be your [e](G)healer,
For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”
For (H)Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their [f](I)speech and their actions are against the Lord,
To (J)rebel against [g]His glorious presence.
[h]The expression of their faces testifies against them,
And they [i]display their sin like (K)Sodom;
They do not even conceal it.
Woe to [j]them!
For they have (L)done evil to themselves.
10 Say to the (M)righteous that it will go well for them,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him,
For [k](N)what he deserves will be done to him.
12 My people! Their oppressors (O)treat them violently,
And women rule over them.
My people! (P)Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.

God Will Judge

13 (Q)The Lord arises to contend,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord (R)enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people,
“It is you who have [l](S)devoured the vineyard;
The (T)goods stolen from the poor are in your houses.
15 What do you mean by (U)crushing My people
And [m]oppressing the face of the poor?”
Declares the Lord [n]God of armies.

Judah’s Women Denounced

16 Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the (V)daughters of Zion are haughty
And walk with [o]heads held high and seductive eyes,
And go along with mincing steps
And jingle the anklets on their feet,
17 The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.”

18 On that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, (W)crescent ornaments, 19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 20 (X)headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 21 [p]finger rings, (Y)nose rings, 22 festive robes, outer garments, shawls, purses, 23 papyrus garments, undergarments, headbands, and veils.

24 Now it will come about that instead of (Z)balsam oil there will be a stench;
Instead of a belt, a rope;
Instead of (AA)well-set hair, a (AB)plucked-out scalp;
Instead of fine clothes, a (AC)robe of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will (AD)fall by the sword
And your [q]mighty ones in battle.
26 And her [r](AE)gates will lament and mourn,
And she will (AF)sit deserted on the ground.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 3:1 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  2. Isaiah 3:4 Or arbitrary power will rule
  3. Isaiah 3:6 Lit hand
  4. Isaiah 3:7 Lit lift up his voice
  5. Isaiah 3:7 Lit binder of wounds
  6. Isaiah 3:8 Lit tongue
  7. Isaiah 3:8 Lit the eyes of His glory
  8. Isaiah 3:9 Or Their partiality testifies
  9. Isaiah 3:9 Lit proclaim
  10. Isaiah 3:9 Lit their soul
  11. Isaiah 3:11 Lit the accomplishment of his hands
  12. Isaiah 3:14 Lit grazed over
  13. Isaiah 3:15 Lit grinding the face of
  14. Isaiah 3:15 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  15. Isaiah 3:16 Lit outstretched necks
  16. Isaiah 3:21 Or signet rings
  17. Isaiah 3:25 Lit strength
  18. Isaiah 3:26 Lit entrances

For, hinei, HaAdon, Hashem Tzva’os, doth take away from Yerushalayim and from Yehudah supply and support, the whole supply of lechem, and the whole supply of mayim.

The Gibbor, and the Ish Milchamah, the Shofet, and the Navi, the Diviner, and the Zaken,

The sar chamishim, the men of rank and yo’etz (counselor), and masters in art, and the expert enchanter.

And I will make ne’arim (lads) to be their sarim, and babes shall rule over them.

And HaAm shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his re’a; the na’ar shall behave himself proudly against the zaken, and the base against the honorable.

When an ish shall take hold of his brother of his bais avi, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our katzin, and let this ruin be under thy yad;

In Yom Hahu shall he protest, saying, I am no curer of your ills; for in my bais is neither lechem nor simlah (clothing); make me not a Katzin Am.

For Yerushalayim is ruined, and Yehudah fallen; because their leshon and their deeds are against Hashem, to provoke the eyes of His kavod.

The show of their countenance doth testify against them; and they make known their chet like S’dom; they conceal it not. Oy to their nefesh! For they do ra’ah unto themselves.

10 Say ye to the tzaddik, that it shall be tov with him; for they shall eat the p’ri of their deeds.

11 Oy to the rasha! It shall be rah with him; for what his hands have wrought will be done to him.

12 As for My people, children are their nogesim (taskmasters), and nashim rule over them. O My people, they which lead thee cause thee to go astray, misleading and swallowing up the Derech Orkhot (way of paths) of thee.

13 Hashem hath stood to accuse, and standeth for Din (judging) the Amim (Nations).

14 Hashem will enter into mishpat with the Ziknei Amo (Elders of His People), and the sarim thereof; for ye have eaten up the kerem (vineyard); the plunder of the oni is in your batim (houses).

15 What mean ye that ye crush Ami, and grind the faces of the aniyim? saith Adonoi Hashem Tzva’os.

16 Moreover Hashem saith, Because the Banot Tziyon are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and winking [flirtatious] eyes, walking and tripping along as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet [ankle rings];

17 Therefore Adonoi will strike with a scab the kodkod (top of the head) Banot Tziyon, and Hashem will lay bare their nakedness.

18 In Yom Hahu, Adonoi will take away the fine show of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their headbands, and their crescent necklaces,

19 The earrings, and the bracelets, and the veils,

20 The diadems, and the ankle chains, and the girdles, and the perfume bottles, and the lechashim (amulets),

21 The taba’ot (rings), and nose rings,

22 The machalatzot (festal robes), and the mantles, and the cloaks, and the charitim (money purses),

23 The hand mirrors, and the sedinim (linen coverings), and the tzenifot (turbans), and the veils.

24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of fragrance there shall be stench; and instead of a sash, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich cloak, a wrapping of sak (sackcloth); and branding instead of yofi (beauty).

25 Thy men shall fall by the cherev, and thy gevurah in milchamah.

26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon ha’aretz.

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

See now, the Lord,
    the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
    both supply and support:(A)
all supplies of food(B) and all supplies of water,(C)
    the hero and the warrior,(D)
the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner(E) and the elder,(F)
the captain of fifty(G) and the man of rank,(H)
    the counselor, skilled craftsman(I) and clever enchanter.(J)

“I will make mere youths their officials;
    children will rule over them.”(K)

People will oppress each other—
    man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(L)
The young will rise up against the old,
    the nobody against the honored.

A man will seize one of his brothers
    in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
    take charge of this heap of ruins!”
But in that day(M) he will cry out,
    “I have no remedy.(N)
I have no food(O) or clothing in my house;
    do not make me the leader of the people.”(P)

Jerusalem staggers,
    Judah is falling;(Q)
their words(R) and deeds(S) are against the Lord,
    defying(T) his glorious presence.
The look on their faces testifies(U) against them;
    they parade their sin like Sodom;(V)
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    They have brought disaster(W) upon themselves.

10 Tell the righteous it will be well(X) with them,
    for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(Y)
11 Woe to the wicked!(Z)
    Disaster(AA) is upon them!
They will be paid back(AB)
    for what their hands have done.(AC)

12 Youths(AD) oppress my people,
    women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(AE)
    they turn you from the path.

13 The Lord takes his place in court;(AF)
    he rises to judge(AG) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(AH)
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder(AI) from the poor(AJ) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(AK)
    and grinding(AL) the faces of the poor?”(AM)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(AN)

16 The Lord says,
    “The women of Zion(AO) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,(AP)
    flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
    with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
    the Lord will make their scalps bald.(AQ)

18 In that day(AR) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,(AS) 19 the earrings and bracelets(AT) and veils,(AU) 20 the headdresses(AV) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings,(AW) 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,(AX) the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments(AY) and tiaras(AZ) and shawls.

24 Instead of fragrance(BA) there will be a stench;(BB)
    instead of a sash,(BC) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;(BD)
    instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;(BE)
    instead of beauty,(BF) branding.(BG)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,(BH)
    your warriors in battle.(BI)
26 The gates(BJ) of Zion will lament and mourn;(BK)
    destitute,(BL) she will sit on the ground.(BM)