< 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, 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 man of rank, and the counsellor, and the cunning charmer, and the skilful enchanter.
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 babes shall rule over them.
And I will set up boys as their princes, and children shall 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 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 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 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 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.'
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 Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, 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 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.
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; for the work of his hands shall be done to him.
Woe unto the wicked who doeth evil; for the recompense of his hands shall be bestowed 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.
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 plead, and standeth to judge the peoples.
The Lord is stepped forth to plead, and standeth up to judge the people.
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 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 face 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 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;
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 smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD 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 bravery of their anklets, and the fillets, and the 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 pendants, and the bracelets, and the veils;
The drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
20 the headtires, and the armlets, and the sashes, and the corselets, and the amulets;
The bonnets, and the foot-chains, and the head-bands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
21 the rings, and the nose-jewels;
The finger-rings, and nose-jewels,
22 the aprons, and the mantelets, and the cloaks, and the girdles;
The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the shawls, and the pockets.
23 and the gauze robes, and the fine linen, and the turbans, and the mantles.
The mirrors, and the chemisettes, and the turbans, and the long vails.
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 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 war.
Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty ones in the war.
26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and utterly bereft 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 >