Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem

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;
(C)the mighty man and the soldier,
    the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner and the elder,
the captain of fifty
    and the man of rank,
the counselor and the skillful magician
    and the expert in charms.
(D)And I will make boys their princes,
    and infants[b] shall rule over them.
(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.

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”;
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.”
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]

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

  1. Isaiah 3:1 Hebrew staff
  2. Isaiah 3:4 Or caprice
  3. Isaiah 3:7 Hebrew binder of wounds
  4. Isaiah 3:8 Hebrew the eyes of his glory
  5. Isaiah 3:12 Or they have confused
  6. Isaiah 3:14 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

See now, the Lord,
    the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
    both supply and support:
all supplies of food and all supplies of water,
    the hero and the warrior,
the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner and the elder,
the captain of fifty and the man of rank,
    the counsellor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.

‘I will make mere youths their officials;
    children will rule over them.’

People will oppress each other –
    man against man, neighbour against neighbour.
The young will rise up against the old,
    the nobody against the honoured.

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 he will cry out,
    ‘I have no remedy.
I have no food or clothing in my house;
    do not make me the leader of the people.’

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

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

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

13 The Lord takes his place in court;
    he rises to judge the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
‘It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder from the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people
    and grinding the faces of the poor?’
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

16 The Lord says,
    ‘The women of Zion are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,
    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.’

18 In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings and bracelets and veils, 20 the head-dresses and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings, 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.

24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench;
    instead of a sash, a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;
    instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;
    instead of beauty, branding.
25 Your men will fall by the sword,
    your warriors in battle.
26 The gates of Zion will lament and mourn;
    destitute, she will sit on the ground.

For, behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water; the mighty man, and the man of war; the judge, and the prophet, and the diviner, and the elder; the captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counsellor, and the expert [a]artificer, and the skilful enchanter. And I will give children to be their princes, and [b]babes shall rule over them. And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor: the child shall behave himself proudly against the old man, and the base against the honorable. When a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our [c]ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand; in that day shall he lift up his voice, saying, I will not be [d]a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: ye shall not make me ruler of the people. For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of his glory. [e]The show 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 done evil unto 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; for what his hands have done shall be done unto him. 12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and [f]destroy the way of thy paths.

13 Jehovah standeth up to contend, and standeth to judge the [g]peoples. 14 Jehovah will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and the princes thereof: 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 face of the poor? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

16 Moreover Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched 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 Jehovah will lay bare their secret parts. 18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, and the [h]cauls, and the crescents; 19 the pendants, and the [i]bracelets, and the mufflers; 20 the headtires, and the ankle chains, and the sashes, and the perfume-boxes, and the amulets; 21 the rings, and the nose-jewels; 22 the festival robes, and the mantles, and the shawls, and the satchels; 23 the hand-mirrors, and the fine linen, and the turbans, and the veils. 24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth; branding instead of beauty. 25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy [j]mighty in the war. 26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be [k]desolate and sit upon the ground.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 3:3 Or, charmer
  2. Isaiah 3:4 Or, with childishness shall they rule over them
  3. Isaiah 3:6 Or, judge
  4. Isaiah 3:7 Hebrew a binder up.
  5. Isaiah 3:9 Or, Their respecting of persons doth etc.
  6. Isaiah 3:12 Hebrew swallow up.
  7. Isaiah 3:13 Or, people
  8. Isaiah 3:18 Or, networks
  9. Isaiah 3:19 Or, chains
  10. Isaiah 3:25 Hebrew might.
  11. Isaiah 3:26 Or, emptied