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, YHWH of Hosts, Is turning aside from Jerusalem and from Judah [Both] 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;

Mighty and man of war, judge and prophet, And diviner and elderly,

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.

Head of fifty, and accepted of faces, And counselor, and wise craftsmen, And discerning charmer.

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

And I have made youths their heads, And sucklings 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 has exacted—man on man, Even a man on his neighbor, The youths enlarge themselves against the aged, And the lightly esteemed against the honored.

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 one lays hold on his brother, Of the house of his father, [by] the garment, “Come, you are a ruler to us, And this ruin [is] under your 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 lifts up, in that day, saying, “I am not a binder up, And in my house is neither bread nor garment, You do not make 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 has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, For their tongue and their doings [are] against YHWH, 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 appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Woe to their soul, For they have done evil to themselves.

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

Say to the righteous that [it is] good, Because they eat the fruit of their doings.

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

Woe to the wicked—evil, Because the deed of his hand is done to 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—its exactors [are] sucklings, And women have ruled over it. My people—your eulogists are causing to err, And the way of your paths swallowed up.

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

YHWH has stood up to plead, And He is standing 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.

YHWH enters into judgment With [the] elderly of His people, and its heads: “And you, you have consumed the vineyard, 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.

Why? Why do you [do this]? You bruise My people, And you grind the faces of the poor.” A declaration of the Lord, YHWH of Hosts, And YHWH says:

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:

“Because that daughters of Zion have been haughty, And they walk stretching out the neck, And deceiving [with] the eyes, They go walking and mincing, And they make a jingling 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.

The Lord has also scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And YHWH exposes their simplicity.

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 turns aside The beauty of the jingling ornaments, And of the embroidered works, And of the crescents,

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

Of the pendants, 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,

Of the headdresses, and the ornaments of the legs, And of the bands, And of the perfume boxes, and the amulets,

21 The rings, and the nose-jewels,

Of the seals, and of the nose-rings,

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

Of the costly apparel, and of the mantles, And of the coverings, and of the purses,

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

Of the mirrors, and of the linen garments, And of the hoods, and of the 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 has been, instead of spice is muck, And instead of a girdle, a rope, And instead of curled work, baldness, And instead of a stomacher a girdle of sackcloth.

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

For instead of glory, your men fall by sword, And your might in battle.

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 openings have lamented and mourned, Indeed, she has been emptied, she sits on the earth!”