Isaiah 3

1 For behold the sovereign the Lord of hosts shall take away from Jerusalem, and from Juda the valiant and the strong, the whole strength of bread, and the whole strength 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, and the cunning man, and the ancient.

The hero, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,

3 The captain over fifty, and the honourable in countenance, and the counsellor, and the architect, and the skillful in eloquent speech.

The captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counsellor, and the skilful artificer, and the eloquent orator.

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

And I will set up boys as their princes, and children shall rule over them.

5 And the people shall rush one upon another, and every man against his neighbour: the child shall make it tumult against the ancient, 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 For a man shall take hold or his brother, one of the house of his father, saying: Thou hast a garment, be thou our ruler, 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 In that day he shall answer, saying: I am no healer, and in my house there is no bread, nor clothing: make me not 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 is ruined, and Juda is fallen: because their tongue, and their devices are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his majesty.

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 shew of their countenance hath answered them: and they have proclaimed abroad their sin as Sodom, and they have not hid it: woe to their souls, for evils are rendered to them.

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 to the just man that it is well, for he shall eat the fruit of his doings.

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

11 Woe to the wicked unto evil: for the reward of his hands shall be given 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 oppressors have stripped them, and women have ruled over them. O my people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive thee, and destroy the way of thy steps.

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 standeth up to judge, and he standeth to judge the people.

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

14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and its princes: for you have devoured the vineyard, and the spoil of the poor is in your house.

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 Why do you consume my people, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord the God 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 the Lord said: Because the daughters of Sion are haughty, and have walked with stretched out necks, and wanton glances of their eyes, and made a noise as they walked with their feet and moved in a set pace:

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 make bald the crown of the head of the daughters of Sion, and the Lord will discover their hair.

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 ornaments of shoes, and little moons,

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 And chains and necklaces, and bracelets, and bonnets,

The drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

20 And bodkins, and ornaments of the legs, and tablets, and sweet balls, and earrings,

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

21 And rings, and jewels hanging on the forehead,

The finger-rings, and nose-jewels,

22 And changes of apparel, and short cloaks, and fine linen, and crisping pins,

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

23 And looking-glasses, and lawns, and headbands, and fine veils.

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

24 And instead of a sweet smell there shall be stench, and instead of a girdle, a cord, and instead of curled hair, baldness, and instead of a stomacher, haircloth.

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 fairest men also shall fall by the sword, and thy valiant ones in battle.

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

26 And her gates shall lament and mourn, and she shall sit desolate on the ground.

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