Jerusalem’s Women Judged

16 The Lord also says:

Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,(A)
walking with heads held high
and seductive eyes,
prancing along,
jingling their ankle bracelets,
17 the Lord will put scabs on the heads
of the daughters of Zion,
and the Lord will shave their foreheads bare.

18 On that day(B) the Lord will strip their finery: ankle bracelets, headbands, crescents,(C) 19 pendants, bracelets, veils, 20 headdresses, ankle jewelry, sashes, perfume bottles, amulets,(D) 21 signet rings, nose rings,(E) 22 festive robes, capes, cloaks, purses, 23 garments, linen clothes, turbans, and shawls.

24 Instead of perfume there will be a stench;
instead of a belt, a rope;
instead of beautifully styled hair,(F) baldness;(G)
instead of fine clothes, sackcloth;(H)
instead of beauty, branding.[a]
25 Your men will fall by the sword,
your warriors in battle.
26 Then her gates(I) will lament and mourn;
deserted, she will sit on the ground.(J)
On that day seven women
will seize one man,(K) saying,
“We will eat our own bread
and provide our own clothing.
Just let us bear your name.
Take away our disgrace.”(L)

Footnotes

  1. 3:24 DSS read shame

The Pride of Jerusalem’s Women

16 And Yahweh said: “Because[a] the daughters of Zion are haughty,
    and they walk with outstretched neck,
    and they give flirting glances with their eyes,
        mincing along as they go,[b]
    and with their feet they rattle their bangles,[c]
17 the Lord will make the heads[d] of the daughters of Zion scabby,
    and Yahweh will lay their foreheads bare.”
18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets
    and the headbands and the crescent necklaces,
19 the pendants and the bracelets and the veils,
20     the headdresses and the armlets and the sashes,
and the perfume boxes[e] and the amulets,
21     the signet rings and the nose rings,
22 the festal robes and the mantles,
    and the cloaks and the handbags,
23 and the mirrors and the linen garments,
    and the turbans and the wraps.
24 And this shall happen: There will be
    a stench instead of perfume,
and a rope instead of a sash,
    and baldness instead of a well-set hairdo,
and a clothing wrap of sackcloth instead of a rich robe,
    branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword,
    and your warriors in battle.
26 And her[f] gates shall lament and mourn,
    and she shall be banished;
        she shall sit upon the ground.

And seven women shall grasp at one man on that day, saying,
“We will eat our own bread,
    and we will wear our own clothing;
only let us be called by your name![g]
    Take away our disgrace!”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 3:16 There are two Hebrew words for “because” here
  2. Isaiah 3:16 Literally “they go walking and mincing along”
  3. Isaiah 3:16 Literally “they tinkle with their feet”
  4. Isaiah 3:17 Hebrew “head”
  5. Isaiah 3:20 Literally “houses of the breath”
  6. Isaiah 3:26 That is, Jerusalem’s
  7. Isaiah 4:1 Literally “let your name be called upon us”