Isaiah 3

1 For lo, the Lord God of hostes will take away from Ierusalem and from Iudah the stay and the strength: euen all the staye of bread, and all the stay of water,

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;

2 The strong man, and the man of warre, the iudge and the prophet, the prudent and the aged,

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;

3 The captaine of fiftie, and the honourable, and the counseller, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent man.

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.

4 And I will appoint children to bee their princes, and babes shall rule ouer them.

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

5 The people shalbe oppressed one of another, and euery one by his neighbour: the children shall presume against the ancient, and the vile against the honourable.

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.

6 When euery one shall take holde of his brother of the house of his father, and say, Thou hast clothing: thou shalt bee our prince, and let this fall be vnder thine hand.

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:

7 In that day hee shall sweare, saying, I cannot bee an helper: for there is no bread in mine house, nor clothing: therefore make me no prince of the people.

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.

8 Doubtlesse Ierusalem is fallen, and Iudah is fallen downe, because their tongue and workes are against the Lord, to prouoke the eyes of his glory.

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.

9 The triall of their countenance testifieth against them, yea, they declare their sinnes as Sodom, they hide them not. Wo be vnto their soules: for they haue rewarded euil vnto themselues.

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.

10 Say ye, Surely it shalbe well with the iust: for they shall eate the fruite of their workes.

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

11 Woe be to the wicked, it shalbe euill with him: for the reward of his handes shalbe giuen him.

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

12 Children are extortioners of my people, and women haue rule ouer them: O my people, they that leade thee, cause thee to erre, and destroy the way of thy paths.

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.

13 The Lord standeth vp to pleade, yea, hee standeth to iudge the people.

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

14 The Lord shall enter into iudgement with the Ancients of his people and the princes thereof: for ye haue eaten vp the vineyarde: the spoyle of the poore is in your houses.

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.

15 What haue ye to do, that ye beate my people to pieces, and grinde the faces of the poore, saith the Lord, euen the Lord of hoasts?

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.

16 The Lord also saith, Because the daughters of Zion are hautie, and walke with stretched out neckes, and with wandering eyes, walking and minsing as they goe, and making a tinkeling with their feete,

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:

17 Therefore shall the Lord make the heades of the daughters of Zion balde, and the Lord shall discouer their secrete partes.

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

18 In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers, and the calles, and the round tyres,

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

19 The sweete balles, and the brasselets, and the bonnets,

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

20 The tyres of the head, and the sloppes, and the head bandes, and the tablets, and the earings,

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

21 The rings and the mufflers,

The rings, and the nose-jewels,

22 The costly apparell and the vailes, and the wimples, and the crisping pinnes,

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

23 And the glasses and the fine linen, and the hoodes, and the launes.

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

24 And in steade of sweete sauour, there shall be stinke, and in steade of a girdle, a rent, and in steade of dressing of the heare, baldnesse, and in steade of a stomacher, a girding of sackecloth, and burning in steade of beautie.

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.

25 Thy men shall fall by the sworde, and thy strength in the battell.

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

26 Then shall her gates mourne and lament, and she, being desolate, shall sit vpon the ground.

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