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 Judah and Jerusalem

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;
(C)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 [b]honorable man,
The counselor and the skillful artisan,
And the expert enchanter.

“I will give (D)children[c] to be their princes,
And [d]babes shall rule over them.
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.”

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,”
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.”

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.
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.

26 (R)Her gates shall lament and mourn,
And she being desolate (S)shall sit on the ground.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 3:1 Every support
  2. Isaiah 3:3 Eminent looking men
  3. Isaiah 3:4 boys
  4. Isaiah 3:4 Or capricious ones
  5. Isaiah 3:5 aged
  6. Isaiah 3:5 despised, lightly esteemed
  7. Isaiah 3:6 Lit. hand
  8. Isaiah 3:11 done to him
  9. Isaiah 3:12 lead you astray
  10. Isaiah 3:13 contend, plead His case
  11. Isaiah 3:14 burned
  12. Isaiah 3:16 Head held high
  13. Isaiah 3:16 seductive, ogling
  14. Isaiah 3:16 tripping or skipping
  15. Isaiah 3:18 headbands
  16. Isaiah 3:24 burning scar
  17. Isaiah 3:25 Lit. strength