Isaiah 3
Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem
1
For behold, the Lord God of hosts
is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah
support and supply,t
all support of bread,
and all support of water;
2
the mighty man and the soldier,
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner and the elder,
3
the captain of fifty
and the man of rank,
the counselor and the skillful magician
and the expert in charms.
4
And I will make boys their princes,
and infantst shall rule over them.
5
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.
6
For 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";
7
in that day he will speak out, saying:
"I will not be a healer;t
in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
you shall not make me
leader of the people."
8
For Jerusalem has stumbled,
and Judah has fallen,
because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord,
defying his glorious presence.t
9
For the look on their faces bears witness against them;
they proclaim their sin like Sodom;
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
For they have brought evil on themselves.
10
Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them,
for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
11
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—infants are their oppressors,
and women rule over them.
O my people, your guides mislead you
and they have swallowed upt the course of your paths.
13
The Lord has taken his place to contend;
he stands to judge peoples.
14
The Lord will enter into judgment
with the elders and princes of his people:
"It is you who have devouredt the vineyard,
the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15
What do you mean by crushing my people,
by grinding the face of the poor?"
declares the Lord God of hosts.
16
The Lord said:
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty
and walk with outstretched necks,
glancing wantonly with their eyes,
mincing along as they go,
tinkling with their feet,
17
therefore the Lord will strike with a scab
the heads of the daughters of Zion,
and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.
18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents;19 the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves;20 the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets;21 the signet rings and nose rings;22 the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags;23 the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.
24
Instead of perfume there will be rottenness;
and instead of a belt, a rope;
and instead of well-set hair, baldness;
and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth;
and branding instead of beauty.
25
Your men shall fall by the sword
and your mighty men in battle.
26
And her gates shall lament and mourn;
empty, she shall sit on the ground.
Isaiah 3
A Coming Leadership Crisis
1 Look, the sovereign Lord who commands armiest
is about to remove from Jerusalems and Judah
every source of security, includingt
all the food and water,t
2 the mighty men and warriors,
judges and prophets,
omen readers and leaders,t
3 captains of groups of fifty,
the respected citizens,t
advisers and those skilled in magical arts,t
and those who know incantations.
4 The Lord says,t “I will make youths their officials;
malicious young ment will rule over them.
5 The people will treat each other harshly;
men will oppose each other;
neighbors will fight.t
Youths will proudly defy the elderly
and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected.t
6 Indeed, a man will grab his brother
right in his father’s houset and say,t
‘You own a coat –
you be our leader!
This heap of ruins will be under your control.’ts
7 At that timet the brother will shout,t
‘I am no doctor,t
I have no food or coat in my house;
don’t make me a leader of the people!’”
8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,
Judah falls,
for their words and their actions offend the Lord;t
they rebel against his royal authority.t
9 The look on their facess testifies to their guilt;t
like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin.t
Too bad for them!t
For they bring disaster on themselves.
10 Tell the innocentt it will go well with them,t
for they will be rewarded for what they have done.t
11 Too bad for the wicked sinners!
For they will get exactly what they deserve.t
12 Oppressors treat mys people cruelly;
creditors rule over them.s
My people’s leaders mislead them;
they give you confusing directions.t
13 The Lord takes his position to judge;
he stands up to pass sentence on his people.s
14 The Lord comes to pronounce judgment
on the leaders of his people and their officials.
He says,t “It is yout who have ruinedt the vineyard!s
You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor.t
15 Why do you crush my people
and grind the faces of the poor?”s
The sovereign Lord who commands armiests has spoken.
Washing Away Impurity
16 The Lord says,
“The woment of Zion are proud.
They walk with their heads hight
and flirt with their eyes.
They skip alongt
and the jewelry on their ankles jingles.t
17 Sot the sovereign mastert will afflict the foreheads of Zion’s woment with skin diseases,t
the Lord will make the front of their heads bald.”t
18 s At that timet the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry,t neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments,19 earrings, bracelets, veils,20 headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets,t amulets,21 rings, nose rings,22 festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses,
23 garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns.ts
24 A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices,t
a rope will replace a belt,
baldness will replace braided locks of hair,
a sackcloth garment will replace a fine robe,
and a prisoner’s brand will replace beauty.
25 Yourt men will fall by the sword,
your strong men will die in battle.t
26 Her gates will mourn and lament;
deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground.t
