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The Lord’s Judgment on Sinners in Zion

See now, Adonay, Yahweh Tsebaoth,
    is going to take from Jerusalem and Judah
        every kind of support
            and their entire supply of food and water.
He will take their heroes and soldiers,
    judges and prophets,
        fortunetellers and statesmen,
            military leaders and civilian leaders,
                counselors, skilled workers, and experts in magic.

“I will make boys their leaders.
    Children will govern them.”

People will oppress each other,
    and everyone will oppress his neighbor.
    The young will make fun of the old,
    and common people will make fun of their superiors.
A person will grab one of his relatives
    from his father’s family and say,
        “You have a coat.
            You’ll be our leader.
                This pile of ruins will be under your control.”
When that day comes the relative will cry out,
    “I’m not a doctor!
    I don’t have any food or a coat in my home.
        Don’t make me a leader of our family.”

Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen,
    because what they say and what they do is against Yahweh.
        They are defiant in his honored presence.
The look on their faces will be held against them.
    They boast about their sins,
    which are like those of the people of Sodom.
    They don’t even bother to hide them.
    How horrible it will be for these people,
    because they have brought disaster on themselves.

10 Tell the righteous that blessings will come to them.
    They will taste the fruit of their labor.

11 How horrible it will be for the wicked! Disaster will strike them.
    What they have done will be done to them.
12 “Children will oppress my people.
    Women will rule them.
        My people, your guides mislead you,
            and you don’t know which way to go.”
13 Yahweh takes his place in the courtroom.
    He stands to judge his people.
14 Yahweh presents his case to the respected leaders
    and the officials of his people:
        “You have burned down the vineyard!
            Your houses are filled with goods stolen from the poor.”
15 Adonay Yahweh Tsebaoth asks,
    “How can you crush my people
        and grind the faces of the poor into the ground?”
16 Yahweh adds,
    “The women of Zion are arrogant.
        They walk with their noses in the air,
            making seductive glances,
            taking short little steps,
            jingling the ankle bracelets on their feet.”
17 Adonay will cause sores to appear
    on the heads of the women of Zion,
        and Yahweh will make their foreheads bare.

18 On that day Adonay will take away their fine things: jingling anklets, headbands, crescent-shaped necklaces, 19 pendants, bracelets, scarfs, 20 hats, ankle bracelets, blouses, perfume boxes, charms, 21 signet rings, nose rings, 22 fine robes, coats, shawls, purses, 23 mirrors, underwear, headdresses, and veils.

24 Instead of the smell of perfume, there will be the smell of decay.
    They will wear ropes instead of belts.
    They will have bald heads instead of beautiful hair.
    They will wear sackcloth instead of expensive clothes.
        Their beauty will be scarred.[a]
25 Women, your warriors will die in combat.
    Your mighty men will die in battle.
26 The gates of Zion will cry and grieve,
    and Zion will sit on the ground, exhausted.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 3:24 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text “expensive clothes, instead of beauty.”

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

See now, the Lord,
    the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
    both supply and support:(A)
all supplies of food(B) and all supplies of water,(C)
    the hero and the warrior,(D)
the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner(E) and the elder,(F)
the captain of fifty(G) and the man of rank,(H)
    the counselor, skilled craftsman(I) and clever enchanter.(J)

“I will make mere youths their officials;
    children will rule over them.”(K)

People will oppress each other—
    man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(L)
The young will rise up against the old,
    the nobody against the honored.

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(M) he will cry out,
    “I have no remedy.(N)
I have no food(O) or clothing in my house;
    do not make me the leader of the people.”(P)

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

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

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

13 The Lord takes his place in court;(AF)
    he rises to judge(AG) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(AH)
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder(AI) from the poor(AJ) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(AK)
    and grinding(AL) the faces of the poor?”(AM)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(AN)

16 The Lord says,
    “The women of Zion(AO) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,(AP)
    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.(AQ)

18 In that day(AR) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,(AS) 19 the earrings and bracelets(AT) and veils,(AU) 20 the headdresses(AV) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings,(AW) 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,(AX) the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments(AY) and tiaras(AZ) and shawls.

24 Instead of fragrance(BA) there will be a stench;(BB)
    instead of a sash,(BC) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;(BD)
    instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;(BE)
    instead of beauty,(BF) branding.(BG)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,(BH)
    your warriors in battle.(BI)
26 The gates(BJ) of Zion will lament and mourn;(BK)
    destitute,(BL) she will sit on the ground.(BM)