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, the Eternal of hosts, doth remove from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff, every stay of bread, and every 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 hero, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,

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 honorable man, and the counsellor, and the skilful artificer, and the eloquent orator.

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

And I will set up boys 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 so shall the people press man against man, and one against the other: the boy shall demean himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honorable.

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 will seize hold on his brother in the house of his father, [saying, ] Thou hast a garment, thou shalt be our ruler, 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 swear on that day, saying, I will not be a chief; and in my house is neither bread nor clothing; you shall not appoint me a ruler 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 is sunk to decay, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to incense 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 boldness of their face testifieth against them; and like Sodom they tell openly their sin, they conceal it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have prepared evil unto themselves.

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

Say ye to the righteous, that he hath done well; for the fruit of their doings shall they eat.

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

Woe unto the wicked who doeth evil; for the recompense of his hands shall be bestowed on 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.

My people! their oppressors are children, and women rule over them. O my people! thy leaders cause thee to err, and the direction of thy paths they corrupt.

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

The Lord is stepped forth to plead, and standeth up to judge the people.

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.

The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and their princes; but ye—ye have eaten up the vineyard; the plunder 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 down the faces of the poor? saith the Lord the Eternal 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 the Lord said, Forasmuch as the daughters of Zion are proud, and walk with stretched forth necks and casting about their eyes, walking and mincing as they go, 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 will the Lord smite with leprosy the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will lay open their nakedness.

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

On that day will the Lord take away the beauty of their tinkling shoe-buckles, and the hair-nets, and the crescent-shaped ornaments,

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

The drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

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

The bonnets, and the foot-chains, and the head-bands, and the tablets, and the earrings,

21 The rings, and the nose-jewels,

The finger-rings, and nose-jewels,

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

The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the shawls, and the pockets.

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

The mirrors, and the chemisettes, and the turbans, and the long vails.

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, that instead of sweet smell there shall be corruption; and instead of a girdle a rope; and instead of curled hair baldness; and instead of a wide garment a girding of sackcloth, a mark of burning 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 ones in the war.

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 then shall her gates lament and mourn; and stript of all shall she sit upon the ground.