Isaiah 3

1 For 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;

For behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, will take away from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,

2 The 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;

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

3 The 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.

the captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the clever among artificers, and the one versed in enchantments.

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

And I will appoint youths as their princes, and children shall rule over them.

5 And 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.

And the people shall be oppressed one by the other, and each by his neighbour; the child will be insolent against the elder, and the base against the honourable.

6 When 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:

When a man shall take hold of his brother, in his father's house, [and shall say: ] Thou hast clothing; be our chief, and let this ruin be under thy hand;

7 Then 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.

he will lift up [his hand] in that day, saying, I cannot be a healer, and in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; ye shall not make me a chief of the people.

8 For 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.

For Jerusalem stumbleth and Judah falleth, because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

9 Their 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.

The look of their face doth witness against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom: they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have brought evil upon themselves.

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

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

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

Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill [with him], because the desert of his hands shall be rendered unto him.

12 As 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.

[As for] my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people! they that guide thee mislead [thee], and destroy the way of thy paths.

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

Jehovah setteth himself to plead, and standeth to judge the peoples.

14 The 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.

Jehovah will enter into judgment with the elders of his people and their princes, [saying: ] It is ye that have eaten up the vineyard: the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15 By 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.

What mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the faces of the afflicted? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

16 Again, 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:

And Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-out neck and wanton eyes, and go along mincing, and making a tinkling with their feet;

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

therefore the Lord will make bald the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will lay bare their secret parts.

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

In that day the Lord will take away the ornament of anklets, and the little suns and crescents,

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

the pearl-drops, and the bracelets, and the veils,

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

the head-dresses, and the stepping chains, and the girdles, and the scent-boxes, and the amulets;

21 The rings, and the nose-jewels,

the finger-rings, and the nose-rings;

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

the festival-robes, and the tunics, and the mantles, and the wallets;

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

the mirrors, and the fine linen bodices, and the turbans, and the flowing veils.

24 And 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.

And it shall come to pass, instead of perfume there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a robe of display, a girding of sackcloth; brand instead of beauty.

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

Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the fight;

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

and her gates shall lament and mourn; and, stripped, she shall sit upon the ground.