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Isaiah 3

Trouble for Judah and Jerusalem

3 Listen to this! I will show you what the Lord, the Almighty Lord , will do. He will remove from Jerusalem and Judah everything that people trust to help them. He will take away even their food and their water.

2 He will take away

the brave men and the soldiers,

the judges and the prophets,

their leaders and the people who have visions of future things,

3 the army officers and the city officers,

the wise advisors,

and those who use magic to do clever things.

4 The Lord says, ‘I will cause boys to become their leaders who will rule them badly. 5 People will be cruel to each other. Men will argue against one another and neighbours will fight each other. Young people will insult older people. And useless people will speak against people that they should respect.

6 A man will go to his father's house and he will take hold of his brother. The man will say to him, “Look, you have a coat. So you should be our leader! You can rule over the few buildings that remain in our city!”

7 But the brother will refuse. He will say, “I cannot make things any better! There is no food or clothes in my house. Do not choose me as a leader of people.” ’

8 Jerusalem is falling down! The towns of Judah are in trouble! The Lord hates the things that their people say and the things that they do. They have turned against the Lord and they insult him.

9 Their proud faces show that they are guilty. Their sins are as bad as the sins of Sodom's people. And they do not try to hide it! It will be very bad for them! They have caused great trouble for themselves.

10 Tell the righteous people that they are in a good place. They will enjoy the results of the good things that they have done. 11 But it will be very bad for the wicked people. They will receive the punishment that they deserve.

12 Now children are cruel to my people and women rule over them. My people, your leaders lead you in the wrong direction. They cannot show you what is right.

13 The Lord stands up to judge his people. He will decide how to punish them. 14 He comes to judge the leaders and rulers of his people. He says to them, ‘You have destroyed my vineyard. You have robbed the poor people and you have stored their things in your own houses.

15 What are you leaders doing? You should not hurt my people. You should not be cruel to the poor people, as if you are pushing their faces into the dirt.’

The Lord Almighty has said this.

The Lord warns Jerusalem's women

16 The Lord says, ‘Zion's women are very proud. They walk with their heads up high. They turn their eyes towards the men and they have no shame. They like the men to look at them. They walk with small steps so that the rings on their ankles make a nice sound. 17 Because of that, the Lord God will give them sores on their heads. Those beautiful women will be bald!’

18-23 On that day, the Lord God will take away the beautiful rings that they wear on their ankles. He will remove all the valuable rings and bright stones that they wear on their heads, their necks, their ears, their arms, their fingers and their noses. He will take away their beautiful clothes, their belts, their perfumes and their magic rings.

24 Instead of a nice smell of perfume, there will be a smell of dead animals. Instead of a beautiful belt, they will tie a rope round themselves. Instead of lovely hair, they will be bald. They will wear rough sackcloth instead of beautiful dresses. They will have the mark of a prisoner on their skin, instead of beauty.

25 The men of your city will die in war. Yes, your strong brave men will die in battle.

26 The city's gates will see all this and they will weep! The city will be empty. Zion will be like a poor woman who sits on the ground, completely alone.

3 Understand what I am telling you: The Lord God All-Powerful will take away everything Judah and Jerusalem depend on. He will take away all the food and water. 2 He will take away all the heroes and soldiers. He will take away all the judges, the prophets, the fortunetellers, and the elders. 3 He will take away the army officers and important officials. He will take away the skilled counselors, the magicians, and those who try to tell the future.

4 He says, “I will put young boys in charge of you. They will be your leaders. 5 The people will turn against each other. Young people will not respect those who are older. The common people will not respect important leaders.”

6 At that time a man will grab one of his brothers from his own family and tell him, “You have a coat, [ a ] so you will be our leader. You will be the leader over all these ruins.”

7 But the brother will refuse and say, “I cannot help you. I don’t have enough food or clothes for my own family. You will not make me your leader.”

8 This will happen because Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen. They turned against the Lord . They said and did things against him, right in front of his glorious eyes.

9 The look on their faces shows that they are guilty. They are like the people of Sodom; they don’t care who sees their sin. But it will be very bad for them. They will get what they deserve.

10 Tell the good people who do what is right that good things will happen to them. They will receive a reward for what they do. 11 But it will be very bad for wicked people, because they, too, will get what they deserve. They will get what they did to others. 12 Even children will defeat my people, and women will rule over them.

My people, your guides lead you the wrong way, and they destroy the path you should follow.

God’s Decision About His People

13 Look, the Lord is standing to judge his people. 14 The Lord is ready to present his case against the elders and leaders of his people.

He says, “You people have burned the vineyard, [ b ] and what you stole from the poor is still in your houses. 15 What gives you the right to hurt my people? What gives you the right to push the faces of the poor into the dirt?” The Lord God All-Powerful said this.

16 The Lord says, “The women in Zion have become very proud. They walk around with their heads in the air, acting like they are better than other people. They flirt with their eyes and make tinkling sounds with their ankle bracelets as they take their quick little steps.”

17 The Lord will put sores on the heads of those women in Zion. The Lord will make their heads bald. 18 Then the Lord will take away everything they are proud of: the beautiful ankle bracelets, the necklaces that look like the sun and the moon, 19 the earrings, bracelets, and veils, 20 the scarves, the ankle chains, the cloth belts worn around their waists, the bottles of perfume, the charms, [ c ] 21 the signet rings, and the nose rings, 22 the fine dresses, robes, veils, and purses, 23 the mirrors, linen dresses, turbans, and long shawls.

24 Those women now have sweet-smelling perfume, but it will get moldy and stink. Now they wear belts, but then they will have only ropes to wear. Now they have their hair fixed in fancy ways, but then their heads will be shaved—they will have no hair. [ d ] Now they have party dresses, but then they will have only mourning clothes. They have beauty marks on their faces now, but then they will have another mark. It will be a mark burned into their skin to show that they are slaves.

25 Your men will be killed with swords. Your heroes will die in war. 26 There will be crying and sadness in the meeting places by the city gates. Jerusalem will sit there empty, like a woman who has lost everything to thieves and robbers and now just sits on the ground and cries.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 3:6 coat Or “robe.” This showed that a person was a leader of the people.
  2. Isaiah 3:14 vineyard A garden for growing grapes. Here, this probably means Judah.
  3. Isaiah 3:20 charms Things people wore on bracelets and necklaces. People thought these things would protect them from evil or danger.
  4. Isaiah 3:24 they will have no hair This means that they will become slaves.

3 For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water.

2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,

3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.

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

5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:

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

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

9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

13 The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.

14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.

16 Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.

18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,

21 The rings, and nose jewels,

22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,

23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.

24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.

26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

God Will Remove the Leaders

3 For behold, the Lord [ a ] God of armies ( A ) is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
Both supply and support, the entire supply of bread
And the entire supply of water;
2 ( B ) The mighty man and the warrior,
The judge and the prophet,
The diviner and the elder,
3 The captain of fifty and the esteemed person ,
The counselor and the expert artisan,
And the skillful enchanter.
4 And I will make mere ( C ) boys their leaders,
And [ b ] mischievous children will rule over them,
5 And the people will be ( D ) oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his ( E ) neighbor;
The youth will assault the elder,
And the contemptible person will assault the one honored.
6 When a man ( F ) 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 [ c ] authority,”
7 He will [ d ] protest on that day, saying,
“I will not be your [ e ] ( G ) healer,
For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”
8 For ( H ) Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their [ f ] ( I ) speech and their actions are against the Lord ,
To ( J ) rebel against [ g ] His glorious presence.
9 [ h ] The expression of their faces testifies against them,
And they [ i ] display their sin like ( K ) Sodom;
They do not even conceal it .
Woe to [ j ] them!
For they have ( L ) done evil to themselves.
10 Say to the ( M ) righteous that it will go well for them ,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him ,
For [ k ] ( N ) what he deserves will be done to him.
12 My people! Their oppressors ( O ) treat them violently,
And women rule over them.
My people! ( P ) Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.

God Will Judge

13 ( Q ) The Lord arises to contend,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord ( R ) enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people,
“It is you who have [ l ] ( S ) devoured the vineyard;
The ( T ) goods stolen from the poor are in your houses.
15 What do you mean by ( U ) crushing My people
And [ m ] oppressing the face of the poor?”
Declares the Lord [ n ] God of armies.

Judah’s Women Denounced

16 Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the ( V ) daughters of Zion are haughty
And walk with [ o ] heads held high and seductive eyes,
And go along with mincing steps
And jingle the anklets on their feet,
17 The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.”

18 On that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, ( W ) crescent ornaments, 19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 20 ( X ) headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 21 [ p ] finger rings, ( Y ) nose rings, 22 festive robes, outer garments, shawls, purses, 23 papyrus garments, undergarments, headbands, and veils.

24 Now it will come about that instead of ( Z ) balsam oil there will be a stench;
Instead of a belt, a rope;
Instead of ( AA ) well-set hair, a ( AB ) plucked-out scalp;
Instead of fine clothes, a ( AC ) robe of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will ( AD ) fall by the sword
And your [ q ] mighty ones in battle.
26 And her [ r ] ( AE ) gates will lament and mourn,
And she will ( AF ) sit deserted on the ground.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 3:1 Heb YHWH , usually rendered Lord
  2. Isaiah 3:4 Or arbitrary power will rule
  3. Isaiah 3:6 Lit hand
  4. Isaiah 3:7 Lit lift up his voice
  5. Isaiah 3:7 Lit binder of wounds
  6. Isaiah 3:8 Lit tongue
  7. Isaiah 3:8 Lit the eyes of His glory
  8. Isaiah 3:9 Or Their partiality testifies
  9. Isaiah 3:9 Lit proclaim
  10. Isaiah 3:9 Lit their soul
  11. Isaiah 3:11 Lit the accomplishment of his hands
  12. Isaiah 3:14 Lit grazed over
  13. Isaiah 3:15 Lit grinding the face of
  14. Isaiah 3:15 Heb YHWH , usually rendered Lord
  15. Isaiah 3:16 Lit outstretched necks
  16. Isaiah 3:21 Or signet rings
  17. Isaiah 3:25 Lit strength
  18. Isaiah 3:26 Lit entrances

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

3 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 )
2 the hero and the warrior, ( D )
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner ( E ) and the elder, ( F )
3 the captain of fifty ( G ) and the man of rank, ( H )
the counselor, skilled craftsman ( I ) and clever enchanter. ( J )

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

5 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.

6 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!”
7 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 )

8 Jerusalem staggers,
Judah is falling; ( Q )
their words ( R ) and deeds ( S ) are against the Lord ,
defying ( T ) his glorious presence.
9 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 )

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