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Jerusalem certainly stumbles,
Judah falls,
for their words and their actions offend the Lord;[a]
they rebel against his royal authority.[b]
The look on their faces[c] testifies to their guilt;[d]
like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin.[e]
Woe to them![f]
For they bring disaster on themselves.
10 Tell the innocent[g] it will go well with them,[h]
for they will be rewarded for what they have done.[i]
11 Woe to the wicked sinners!
For they will get exactly what they deserve.[j]
12 Oppressors treat my[k] people cruelly;
creditors rule over them.[l]
My people, your leaders mislead you;
they give you confusing directions.[m]
13 The Lord takes his position to judge;
he stands up to pass sentence on his people.[n]
14 The Lord comes to pronounce judgment
on the leaders of his people and their officials.
He says,[o] “It is you[p] who have ruined[q] the vineyard![r]
You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor.[s]
15 Why do you crush my people
and grind the faces of the poor?”[t]
The Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies[u] has spoken.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 3:8 tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”
  2. 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.
  3. Isaiah 3:9 sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.
  4. Isaiah 3:9 tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”
  5. Isaiah 3:9 tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”
  6. Isaiah 3:9 tn Heb “woe to their soul.”
  7. Isaiah 3:10 tn Or “the righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, TEV); NLT “those who are godly.”
  8. Isaiah 3:10 tn Heb “that it is good.”
  9. Isaiah 3:10 tn Heb “for the fruit of their deeds they will eat.”
  10. Isaiah 3:11 tn Heb “for the work of his hands will be done to him.”
  11. Isaiah 3:12 sn This may refer to the prophet or to the Lord.
  12. 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.
  13. 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).
  14. 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).
  15. Isaiah 3:14 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  16. Isaiah 3:14 tn The pronominal element is masculine plural; the leaders are addressed.
  17. 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).
  18. Isaiah 3:14 sn The vineyard is a metaphor for the nation here. See 5:1-7.
  19. Isaiah 3:14 tn Heb “the plunder of the poor [is] in your houses” (so NASB).
  20. 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.
  21. 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.”

“For Jerusalem has stumbled,
    and Judah has fallen,
because what they say and do opposes[a] the Lord;
    they keep defying him.[b]

“The expressions on their faces give them away.[c]
    They parade their sin around like Sodom;
        they don’t even try to[d] hide it.
How horrible it will be for them,
    because they have brought disaster on themselves!”

Encouragement to the Righteous

10 “Tell[e] the righteous that things will go well,
    because they will enjoy[f] the fruit of their actions.”

Warning to the Wicked

11 “How terrible it will be for the wicked!
    Disaster is headed their way,
        because what they did with their hand[g] will be repaid[h] to them.

12 “As for my people, children[i] are their oppressors,
    and women rule over them.
My people, your leaders are misleading you—
    they’re giving you confusing directions.”[j]

When God Goes to Court

13 The Lord is taking his place to argue his case;
    he’s standing up to judge the people.
14 The Lord will go to court[k]
    to oppose[l] the elders and princes of his people:

“You’re the ones who have been devouring the vineyard,
    the plunder of the poor is in your own houses!
15 How dare you crush[m] my people
    as you grind down the face of the poor?”
        declares the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies.[n]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 3:8 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read do is towards
  2. Isaiah 3:8 Lit. defying his glorious presence
  3. Isaiah 3:9 Lit. faces bears witness against them
  4. Isaiah 3:9 1QIsaa MT lack try to
  5. Isaiah 3:10 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks Tell
  6. Isaiah 3:10 Lit. eat
  7. Isaiah 3:11 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read hands
  8. Isaiah 3:11 So 1QIsaa; MT reads done
  9. Isaiah 3:12 Or youths
  10. Isaiah 3:12 So MT; 1QIsaa reads they’re devouring your paths
  11. Isaiah 3:14 Lit. go into judgment
  12. Isaiah 3:14 Lit. with
  13. Isaiah 3:15 Lit. What do you mean by crushing
  14. Isaiah 3:15 So 1QIsaa MT; LXX lacks this line