< Isaiah 3 >

1 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,
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 mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the diviner and the elder,
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 honourable man, and the counsellor, and the clever among artificers, and the one versed in enchantments.
The captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counsellor, and the skilful artificer, and the eloquent orator.
4 And I will appoint youths as their princes, and children shall rule over them.
And I will set up boys as their princes, and children shall rule over them.
5 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.
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 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;
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 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.
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 stumbleth and Judah falleth, because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
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 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.
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 Say ye of the righteous that it shall be well [with him], for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
Say ye to the righteous, that he hath done well; for the fruit of their doings shall they eat.
11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill [with him], because the desert of his hands shall be rendered unto him.
Woe unto the wicked who doeth evil; for the recompense of his hands shall be bestowed on him.
12 [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.
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 Jehovah setteth himself to plead, and standeth to judge the peoples.
The Lord is stepped forth to plead, and standeth up to judge the people.
14 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.
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 What mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the faces of the afflicted? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
What mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind down the faces of the poor? saith the Lord the Eternal of hosts.
16 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;
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 therefore the Lord will make bald the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will lay bare their secret parts.
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 ornament of anklets, and the little suns and crescents,
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 pearl-drops, and the bracelets, and the veils,
The drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
20 the head-dresses, and the stepping chains, and the girdles, and the scent-boxes, and the amulets;
The bonnets, and the foot-chains, and the head-bands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
21 the finger-rings, and the nose-rings;
The finger-rings, and nose-jewels,
22 the festival-robes, and the tunics, and the mantles, and the wallets;
The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the shawls, and the pockets.
23 the mirrors, and the fine linen bodices, and the turbans, and the flowing veils.
The mirrors, and the chemisettes, and the turbans, and the long vails.
24 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.
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 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the fight;
Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty ones in the war.
26 and her gates shall lament and mourn; and, stripped, she shall sit upon the ground.
And then shall her gates lament and mourn; and stript of all shall she sit upon the ground.

< Isaiah 3 >