Isaiah 3

1 For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff, every stay of bread, and every 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 mighty man, and the man of war; the judge, and the prophet, and the diviner, and the elder;

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 captain of fifty, and the man of rank, and the counsellor, and the cunning charmer, and the skilful enchanter.

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 give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

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

5 And the people shall oppress one another, every man his fellow, and every man his neighbour; the child shall behave insolently against the aged, and the base 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 For a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father: 'Thou hast a mantle, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy 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 shall he swear, saying: 'I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor a mantle; ye shall not make me ruler of a 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 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke 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 show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have wrought evil unto themselves.

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 of the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

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

11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him; for the work of his hands shall be done to him.

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

12 As for My people, a babe is their master, and women rule over them. O My people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, 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 up to plead, and standeth to judge the peoples.

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

14 The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders of His people, and the princes thereof: 'It is ye that have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor 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 mean ye that ye crush My people, and grind the face of the poor?' saith the Lord, the GOD of hosts.

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 Moreover the LORD said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet;

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 the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts.

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 the Lord will take away the bravery of their anklets, and the fillets, and the crescents;

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

19 the pendants, and the bracelets, and the veils;

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

20 the headtires, and the armlets, and the sashes, and the corselets, and the amulets;

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 nose-jewels;

The rings, and the nose-jewels,

22 the aprons, and the mantelets, and the cloaks, and the girdles;

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

23 and the gauze robes, and the fine linen, and the turbans, and the mantles.

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

24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle rags; and instead of curled hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; branding instead of beauty.

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 sword, and thy mighty in the war.

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

26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and utterly bereft she shall sit upon 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.