Isaiah 3

¹For the Lord, the Lord of armies, is about to take away from Jerusalem and from Judah all their support; their store of bread and of water;

²The strong man and the man of war; the judge and the prophet; the man who has knowledge of secret arts, and the man who is wise because of his years;

³The captain of fifty, and the man of high position, and the wise guide, and the wonder-worker, and he who makes use of secret powers.

⁴And I will make children their chiefs, and foolish ones will have rule over them.

⁵And the people will be crushed, every one by his neighbour; the young will be full of pride against the old, and those of low position will be lifted up against the noble.

⁶When one man puts his hand on another in his father's house, and says, You have clothing, be our ruler and be responsible for us in our sad condition:

⁷Then he will say with an oath, I will not be a helper, for in my house there is no bread or clothing: I will not let you make me a ruler of the people.

⁸For Jerusalem has become feeble, and destruction has come on Judah, because their words and their acts are against the Lord, moving the eyes of his glory to wrath.

⁹Their respect for a man's position is a witness against them; and their sin is open to the view of all; like that of Sodom, it is not covered. A curse on their soul! for the measure of their sin is full.

¹⁰Happy is the upright man! for he will have joy of the fruit of his ways.

¹¹Unhappy is the sinner! for the reward of his evil doings will come on him.

¹²As for my people, their ruler is acting like a child, and those who have authority over them are women. O my people, your guides are the cause of your wandering, turning your footsteps out of the right way.

¹³The Lord is ready to take up his cause against his people, and is about to come forward as their judge.

¹⁴The Lord comes to be the judge of their responsible men and of their rulers: it is you who have made waste the vine-garden, and in your houses is the property of the poor which you have taken by force.

¹⁵By what right are you crushing my people, and putting a bitter yoke on the necks of the poor? This is the word of the Lord, the Lord of armies.

¹⁶Again, the Lord has said, Because the daughters of Zion are full of pride, and go with outstretched necks and wandering eyes, with their foot-chains sounding when they go:

¹⁷The Lord will send disease on the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will let their secret parts be seen.

¹⁸In that day the Lord will take away the glory of their foot-rings, and their sun-jewels, and their moon-ornaments,

¹⁹The ear-rings, and the chains, and the delicate clothing,

²⁰The head-bands, and the arm-chains, and the worked bands, and the perfume-boxes, and the jewels with secret powers,

²¹The rings, and the nose-jewels,

²²The feast-day dresses, and the robes, and the wide skirts, and the handbags,

²³The looking-glasses, and the fair linen, and the high head-dresses, and the veils.

²⁴And in the place of sweet spices will be an evil smell, and for a fair band a thick cord; for a well-dressed head there will be the cutting-off of the hair, and for a beautiful robe there will be the clothing of sorrow; the mark of the prisoner in place of the ornaments of the free.

²⁵Your men will be put to the sword, and your men of war will come to destruction in the fight.

²⁶And in the public places of her towns will be sorrow and weeping; and she will be seated on the earth, waste and uncovered.

Isaiah 3

¹For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supply and support, the whole supply of bread, and the whole supply of water;

²the mighty man, the man of war, the judge, the prophet, the diviner, the elder,

³the captain of fifty, the honorable man, the counselor, the skilled craftsman, and the clever enchanter.

⁴I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them.

⁵The people will be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbor. The child will behave himself proudly against the old man, and the base against the honorable.

⁶Indeed a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, "You have clothing, you be our ruler, and let this ruin be under your hand."

⁷In that day he will cry out, saying, I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing. You shall not make me ruler of the people.

⁸For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

⁹The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought disaster upon themselves.

¹⁰Tell the righteous "Good!" For they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.

¹¹Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them; for the deeds of his hands will be paid back to him.

¹²As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people, those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.

¹³The Lord stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples.

¹⁴The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and their leaders: "It is you who have eaten up the vineyard. The spoil of the poor is in your houses.

¹⁵What do you mean that you crush my people, and grind the face of the poor?" says the Lord, the Lord of hosts.

¹⁶Moreover the Lord said, "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and flirting eyes, walking to trip as they go, jingling ornaments on their feet;

¹⁷therefore the Lord brings sores on the crown of the head of the women of Zion, and the Lord will make their scalps bald."

¹⁸In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces,

¹⁹the earrings, the bracelets, the veils,

²⁰the headdresses, the ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume bottles, the charms,

²¹the signet rings, the nose rings,

²²the fine robes, the capes, the cloaks, the purses,

²³the hand mirrors, the fine linen garments, the tiaras, and the shawls.

²⁴It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of well set hair, baldness; instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.

²⁵Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty in the war.

²⁶Her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit on the ground.