Isaiah 3
God Will Remove the Leaders
1 For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread
And the whole supply of water;
2 The mighty man and the warrior,
The judge and the prophet,
The diviner and the elder,
3 The captain of fifty and the honorable man,
The counselor and the expert artisan,
And the skillful enchanter.
4 And I will make mere lads their princes,
And capricious children will rule over them,
5 And the people will be oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor;
The youth will storm against the elder
And the inferior against the honorable.
6 When a man lays hold of his brother in his father's house, saying,
"You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler,
And these ruins will be under your charge,"
7 He will protest on that day, saying,
"I will not be your healer,
For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
You should not appoint me ruler of the people."
8 For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their speech and their actions are against the LORD,
To rebel against His glorious presence.
9 The expression of their faces bears witness against them,
And they display their sin like Sodom;
They do not even conceal it.
Woe to them!
For they have brought evil on themselves.
10 Say to the righteous that it will go well with them,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him,
For what he deserves will be done to him.
12 O My people! Their oppressors are children,
And women rule over them.
O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.
God Will Judge
13 The LORD arises to contend,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people,
"It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
The plunder of the poor is in your houses.
15 "What do you mean by crushing My people
And grinding the face of the poor?"
Declares the Lord GOD of hosts.
Judah's Women Denounced
16 Moreover, the LORD said, "Because the daughters of Zion are proud
And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes,
And go along with mincing steps
And tinkle the bangles on their feet,
17 Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
And the LORD will make their foreheads bare."18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments,19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils,20 headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets,21 finger rings, nose rings,22 festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses,23 hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans and veils.
24 Now it will come about that instead of sweet perfume there will be putrefaction;
Instead of a belt, a rope;
Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp;
Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will fall by the sword
And your mighty ones in battle.
26 And her gates will lament and mourn,
And deserted she will 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