Isaiah 3

The Lord’s Judgment on Sinners in Zion

1 See now, the Lord, the Lord of Armies,is going to take from Jerusalem and Judahevery kind of supportand their entire supply of food and water.2 He will take their heroes and soldiers,judges and prophets,fortunetellers and statesmen,3 military leaders and civilian leaders,counselors, skilled workers, and experts in magic.4 “I will make boys their leaders.Children will govern them.”5 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.6 A person will grab of one of his relativesfrom his father’s family and say,“You have a coat.You’ll be our leader.This pile of ruins will be under your control.”7 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.”8 Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen,because what they say and what they do is against the Lord.They are defiant in his honored presence.9 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 The Lord takes his place in the courtroom.He stands to judge his people.14 The Lord presents his case to the respected leadersand the officials of his people:“You have burned down the vineyard!Your houses are filled with goods stolen from the poor.”15 The Almighty Lord of Armies asks,“How can you crush my peopleand grind the faces of the poor into the ground?”16 The Lord 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 The Lord will cause sores to appearon the heads of the women of Zion,and the Lord will make their foreheads bare.18 On that day the Lord 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.t25 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.

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