Isaiah 3
New English Translation
A Coming Leadership Crisis
3 Look, the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies[a]
is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
every source of security, including[b]
all the food and water,[c]
2 the mighty men and warriors,
judges and prophets,
omen readers and leaders,[d]
3 captains of groups of fifty,
the respected citizens,[e]
advisers and those skilled in magical arts,[f]
and those who know incantations.
4 The Lord says,[g] “I will make youths their officials;
malicious young men[h] will rule over them.
5 The people will treat each other harshly;
men will oppose each other;
neighbors will fight.[i]
Youths will proudly defy the elderly
and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected.[j]
6 Indeed, a man will grab his brother
right in his father’s house[k] and say,[l]
‘You own a coat—
you be our leader!
This heap of ruins will be under your control.’[m]
7 At that time[n] the brother will shout,[o]
‘I am no doctor,[p]
I have no food or coat in my house;
don’t make me a leader of the people!’”
8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,
Judah falls,
for their words and their actions offend the Lord;[q]
they rebel against his royal authority.[r]
9 The look on their faces[s] testifies to their guilt;[t]
like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin.[u]
Woe to them![v]
For they bring disaster on themselves.
10 Tell the innocent[w] it will go well with them,[x]
for they will be rewarded for what they have done.[y]
11 Woe to the wicked sinners!
For they will get exactly what they deserve.[z]
12 Oppressors treat my[aa] people cruelly;
creditors rule over them.[ab]
My people, your leaders mislead you;
they give you confusing directions.[ac]
13 The Lord takes his position to judge;
he stands up to pass sentence on his people.[ad]
14 The Lord comes to pronounce judgment
on the leaders of his people and their officials.
He says,[ae] “It is you[af] who have ruined[ag] the vineyard![ah]
You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor.[ai]
15 Why do you crush my people
and grind the faces of the poor?”[aj]
The Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies[ak] has spoken.
Washing Away Impurity
16 The Lord says,
“The women[al] of Zion are proud.
They walk with their heads high[am]
and flirt with their eyes.
They skip along[an]
and the jewelry on their ankles jingles.[ao]
17 So[ap] the Lord[aq] will afflict the foreheads of Zion’s women[ar] with skin diseases;[as]
the Lord will make the front of their heads bald.”[at]
18 [au] At that time[av] the Lord will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry,[aw] neck ornaments, crescent-shaped ornaments, 19 earrings, bracelets, veils, 20 headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets,[ax] amulets, 21 rings, nose rings, 22 festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, 23 garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns.[ay]
24 A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices,[az]
a rope will replace a belt,
baldness will replace braided locks of hair,
a sackcloth garment will replace a fine robe,
and a prisoner’s brand will replace beauty.
25 Your[ba] men will fall by the sword,
your strong men will die in battle.[bb]
26 Her gates will mourn and lament;
deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground.[bc]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 3:1 tn Heb “the master, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies [traditionally, the “Lord of hosts”].” On the title “the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,” see the note at 1:9.
- Isaiah 3:1 tn Heb “support and support.” The masculine and feminine forms of the noun are placed side-by-side to emphasize completeness. See GKC 394 §122.v.
- Isaiah 3:1 tn Heb “all the support of food, and all the support of water.”
- Isaiah 3:2 tn Heb “elder” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “older leaders.”
- Isaiah 3:3 tn Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.
- Isaiah 3:3 tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see HALOT 358 s.v. III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. NIV, NASB).
- Isaiah 3:4 tn The words “the Lord says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The prophet speaks in vv. 1-3 (note the third person reference to the Lord in v. 1), but here the Lord himself announces that he will intervene in judgment. It is unclear where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s pick up again. The prophet is apparently speaking again by v. 8, where the Lord is referred to in the third person. Since vv. 4-7 comprise a thematic unity, the quotation probably extends through v. 7.
- Isaiah 3:4 tn תַעֲלוּלִים (taʿalulim) is often understood as an abstract plural meaning “wantonness, cruelty” (cf. NLT). In this case the chief characteristic of these leaders is substituted for the leaders themselves. However, several translations make the parallelism tighter by emending the form to עוֹלְלִים (ʿolelim, “children”; cf. ESV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NKJV, NRSV). This emendation is unnecessary for at least two reasons. The word in the MT highlights the cruelty or malice of the “leaders” who are left behind in the wake of God’s judgment. The immediate context makes clear the fact that they are mere youths. The coming judgment will sweep away the leaders, leaving a vacuum which will be filled by incompetent, inexperienced youths.
- Isaiah 3:5 tn Heb “man against man, and a man against his neighbor.”
- Isaiah 3:5 tn Heb “and those lightly esteemed those who are respected.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) does double duty in the parallelism.
- Isaiah 3:6 tn Heb “[in] the house of his father” (so ASV); NIV “at his father’s home.”
- Isaiah 3:6 tn The words “and say” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 3:6 tn Heb “your hand”; NASB “under your charge.”sn The man’s motives are selfish. He tells his brother to assume leadership because he thinks he has some wealth to give away.
- Isaiah 3:7 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
- Isaiah 3:7 tn Heb “he will lift up [his voice].”
- Isaiah 3:7 tn Heb “wrapper [of wounds]”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “healer.”
- Isaiah 3:8 tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”
- Isaiah 3:8 tn Heb “to rebel [against] the eyes of his majesty.” The word כָּבוֹד (kavod) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.
- Isaiah 3:9 sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.
- Isaiah 3:9 tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”
- Isaiah 3:9 tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”
- Isaiah 3:9 tn Heb “woe to their soul.”
- Isaiah 3:10 tn Or “the righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, TEV); NLT “those who are godly.”
- Isaiah 3:10 tn Heb “that it is good.”
- Isaiah 3:10 tn Heb “for the fruit of their deeds they will eat.”
- Isaiah 3:11 tn Heb “for the work of his hands will be done to him.”
- Isaiah 3:12 sn This may refer to the prophet or to the Lord.
- Isaiah 3:12 tc The Hebrew text appears to read literally, “My people, his oppressors, he deals severely, and women rule over them.” The correct text and precise meaning of the verse are debated. The translation above assumes (1) an emendation of נֹגְשָׂיו (nogesayv, “his oppressors”) to נֹגְשִׂים (nogeshim, “oppressors”) by moving the mem (ם) on the following form to the end of the word and dropping the vav (ו) as virtually dittographic; (2) an emendation of מְעוֹלֵל (meʿolel, a singular participle that does not agree with the preceding plural subject) to עֹלְלוּ (ʿolelu), a third plural Poel perfect from עָלַל (ʿalal, “deal severely”; note that the following form begins with a vav [ו]; the text may be haplographic or misdivided); and (3) an emendation (with support from the LXX) of נָשִׁים (nashim, “women”) to נֹשִׁים (noshim, “creditors”; a participle from נָשַׁא, nashaʾ). Another option is to emend מְעוֹלֵל to עוֹלְלִים (ʿolelim, “children”) and read, “My people’s oppressors are children; women rule over them.” In this case the point is the same as in v. 4; the leadership void left by the judgment will be filled by those incompetent to lead the community—children and women.
- Isaiah 3:12 tn Heb “and the way of your paths they confuse.” The verb בָּלַע (balaʿ, “confuse”; HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”; see HALOT 134 s.v. בלע).
- Isaiah 3:13 tc The Hebrew text has עַמִּים (ʿammim, “nations”) but the context makes it clear that the Lord is judging his covenant people. As indicated by the LXX the text should read עַמּוֹ (ʿammo, “his people”). The final mem (ם) on the form in the Hebrew is either dittographic or enclitic. When the mem was added or read as a plural ending, the vav (ו) was then misread as a yod (י).
- Isaiah 3:14 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 3:14 tn The pronominal element is masculine plural; the leaders are addressed.
- Isaiah 3:14 tn The verb בָּעַר (baʿar, “graze, ruin”; HALOT 146 s.v. II בער) is a homonym of the more common בָּעַר (baʿar, “burn”; see HALOT 145 s.v. I בער).
- Isaiah 3:14 sn The vineyard is a metaphor for the nation here. See 5:1-7.
- Isaiah 3:14 tn Heb “the plunder of the poor [is] in your houses” (so NASB).
- Isaiah 3:15 sn The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s outrage at what the leaders have done to the poor. He finds it almost unbelievable that they would have the audacity to treat his people in this manner.
- Isaiah 3:15 tn Heb Traditionally, the “Lord of hosts.” On the title “the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,” see the note at 1:9.sn The use of this title, which also appears in v. 1, forms an inclusio around vv. 1-15. The speech begins and ends with a reference to “the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
- Isaiah 3:16 tn Heb “daughters” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 3:16 tn Heb “with an outstretched neck.” They proudly hold their heads high so that others can see the jewelry around their necks.
- Isaiah 3:16 tn Heb “walking and skipping, they walk.”
- Isaiah 3:16 tn Heb “and with their feet they jingle.”
- Isaiah 3:17 tn In the Hebrew text vv. 16-17 are one long sentence, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud and walk…, the Lord will afflict….” In v. 17 the Lord refers to himself in the third person.
- Isaiah 3:17 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v. 18 is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
- Isaiah 3:17 tn Heb “the daughters of Zion.”
- Isaiah 3:17 tn Or “a scab” (KJV, ASV); NIV, NCV, CEV “sores.”
- Isaiah 3:17 tn The precise meaning of this line is unclear because of the presence of the rare word פֹּת (pot). Since the verb in the line means “lay bare, make naked,” some take פֹּת as a reference to the genitals (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV, CEV). (In 1 Kgs 7:50 a noun פֹּת appears, with the apparent meaning “socket.”) J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:139, n. 2), basing his argument on alleged Akkadian evidence and the parallelism of the verse, takes פֹּת as “forehead.”
- Isaiah 3:18 sn The translation assumes that the direct quotation ends with v. 17. The introductory formula “in that day” and the shift from a poetic to prosaic style indicate that a new speech unit begins in v. 18.
- Isaiah 3:18 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
- Isaiah 3:18 tn Or “the beauty of [their] ankle jewelry.”
- Isaiah 3:20 tn Heb “houses of breath.” HALOT 124 s.v. בַּיִת defines them as “scent-bottles”; cf. NAB, NRSV “perfume boxes.”
- Isaiah 3:23 tn The precise meaning of many of the words in this list is uncertain.sn The rhetorical purpose for such a lengthy list is to impress on the audience the guilt of these women with their proud, materialistic attitude, whose husbands and fathers have profited at the expense of the poor.
- Isaiah 3:24 tn Heb “and it will be in place of spices there will be a stench.” The nouns for “spices” and “stench” are right next to each other in the MT for emphatic contrast. The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
- Isaiah 3:25 tn The pronoun is feminine singular, suggesting personified Zion, as representative of its women, is the addressee. The reference to “her gates’ in v. 26 makes this identification almost certain.
- Isaiah 3:25 tn Heb “your strength in battle.” The verb in the first clause provides the verbal idea for the second clause.
- Isaiah 3:26 tn Heb “she will be empty, on the ground she will sit.” Jerusalem is personified as a destitute woman who sits mourning the empty city.
Isaiah 3
New King James Version
Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem
3 For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts,
(A)Takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah
(B)The[a] stock and the store,
The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water;
2 (C)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 [b]honorable man,
The counselor and the skillful artisan,
And the expert enchanter.
4 “I will give (D)children[c] to be their princes,
And [d]babes shall rule over them.
5 The people will be oppressed,
Every one by another and every one by his neighbor;
The child will be insolent toward the [e]elder,
And the [f]base toward the honorable.”
6 When a man takes hold of his brother
In the house of his father, saying,
“You have clothing;
You be our ruler,
And let these ruins be under your [g]power,”
7 In that day he will protest, saying,
“I cannot cure your ills,
For in my house is neither food nor clothing;
Do not make me a ruler of the people.”
8 For (E)Jerusalem stumbled,
And Judah is fallen,
Because their tongue and their doings
Are against the Lord,
To provoke the eyes of His glory.
9 The look on their countenance witnesses against them,
And they declare their sin as (F)Sodom;
They do not hide it.
Woe to their soul!
For they have brought evil upon themselves.
10 “Say to the righteous (G)that it shall be well with them,
(H)For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11 Woe to the wicked! (I)It shall be ill with him,
For the reward of his hands shall be [h]given him.
12 As for My people, children are their oppressors,
And women rule over them.
O My people! (J)Those who lead you [i]cause you to err,
And destroy the way of your paths.”
Oppression and Luxury Condemned
13 The Lord stands up (K)to [j]plead,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord will enter into judgment
With the elders of His people
And His princes:
“For you have [k]eaten up (L)the vineyard;
The plunder of the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by (M)crushing My people
And grinding the faces of the poor?”
Says the Lord God of hosts.
16 Moreover the Lord says:
“Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,
And walk with [l]outstretched necks
And [m]wanton eyes,
Walking and [n]mincing as they go,
Making a jingling with their feet,
17 Therefore the Lord will strike with (N)a scab
The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion,
And the Lord will (O)uncover their secret parts.”
18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery:
The jingling anklets, the [o]scarves, and the (P)crescents;
19 The pendants, the bracelets, and the veils;
20 The headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands;
The perfume boxes, the charms,
21 and the rings;
The nose jewels,
22 the festal apparel, and the mantles;
The outer garments, the purses,
23 and the mirrors;
The fine linen, the turbans, and the robes.
24 And so it shall be:
Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench;
Instead of a sash, a rope;
Instead of well-set hair, (Q)baldness;
Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth;
And [p]branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword,
And your [q]mighty in the war.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 3:1 Every support
- Isaiah 3:3 Eminent looking men
- Isaiah 3:4 boys
- Isaiah 3:4 Or capricious ones
- Isaiah 3:5 aged
- Isaiah 3:5 despised, lightly esteemed
- Isaiah 3:6 Lit. hand
- Isaiah 3:11 done to him
- Isaiah 3:12 lead you astray
- Isaiah 3:13 contend, plead His case
- Isaiah 3:14 burned
- Isaiah 3:16 Head held high
- Isaiah 3:16 seductive, ogling
- Isaiah 3:16 tripping or skipping
- Isaiah 3:18 headbands
- Isaiah 3:24 burning scar
- Isaiah 3:25 Lit. strength
Isaiah 3
King James Version
3 For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the 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 prudent, and the ancient,
3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:
7 In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.
8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.
10 Say ye to 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: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.
12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
13 The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.
14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.
16 Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:
17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.
18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,
19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
21 The rings, and nose jewels,
22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,
23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.
24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.
25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.
Isaiah 3
English Standard Version
Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem
3 For behold, the (A)Lord God of hosts
is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah
support and supply,[a]
all (B)support of bread,
and all support of water;
2 (C)the mighty man and the soldier,
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner and the elder,
3 the captain of fifty
and the man of rank,
the counselor and the skillful magician
and the expert in charms.
4 (D)And I will make boys their princes,
and infants[b] shall rule over them.
5 (E)And the people will oppress one another,
every one his fellow
and every one his neighbor;
the youth will be insolent to the elder,
and the despised to the honorable.
6 For (F)a man will take hold of his brother
in the house of his father, saying:
“You have a cloak;
you shall be our leader,
and this heap of ruins
shall be under your rule”;
7 in that day he will speak out, saying:
“I will not be a (G)healer;[c]
in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
you shall not make me
leader of the people.”
8 For Jerusalem has stumbled,
and Judah has fallen,
because their (H)speech and their deeds are against the Lord,
(I)defying his glorious presence.[d]
9 For the look on their faces bears witness against them;
they proclaim their sin (J)like Sodom;
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
(K)For they have brought evil on themselves.
10 (L)Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them,
(M)for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
11 (N)Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him,
for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.
12 My people—(O)infants are their oppressors,
and women rule over them.
O my people, (P)your guides mislead you
and they have swallowed up[e] the course of your paths.
13 The Lord (Q)has taken his place to contend;
he stands to judge peoples.
14 The Lord will enter into judgment
with the (R)elders and princes of his people:
“It is you who (S)have devoured[f] the vineyard,
(T)the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by (U)crushing my people,
by grinding the face of the poor?”
declares the Lord God of hosts.
16 The Lord said:
(V)Because (W)the daughters of Zion are haughty
and walk with outstretched necks,
glancing wantonly with their eyes,
mincing along as they go,
(X)tinkling with their feet,
17 therefore the Lord (Y)will strike with a scab
the heads of (Z)the daughters of Zion,
and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.
18 In that day the Lord will take away (AA)the finery of the anklets, the (AB)headbands, and the (AC)crescents; 19 the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; 20 the (AD)headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; 21 the signet rings and (AE)nose rings; 22 the (AF)festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; 23 the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.
24 Instead of (AG)perfume there will be rottenness;
and instead of a (AH)belt, a rope;
and instead of (AI)well-set hair, (AJ)baldness;
and instead of a rich robe, a (AK)skirt of sackcloth;
and (AL)branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword
and your mighty men in battle.
26 And (AM)her gates shall lament and mourn;
empty, she shall (AN)sit on the ground.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 3:1 Hebrew staff
- Isaiah 3:4 Or caprice
- Isaiah 3:7 Hebrew binder of wounds
- Isaiah 3:8 Hebrew the eyes of his glory
- Isaiah 3:12 Or they have confused
- Isaiah 3:14 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5
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