Isaiah 3

1 For, lo, the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, Is turning aside 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 Hero and man of war, judge and prophet, And diviner and 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 Head of fifty, and accepted of faces, And counsellor, and the wise of artificers, And the intelligent of charmers.

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 have made youths their heads, And sucklings rule over them.

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

5 And the people hath exacted — man upon man, Even a man on his neighbour, Enlarge themselves do the youths against the aged, And the lightly esteemed against the honoured.

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 one layeth hold on his brother, [Of] the house of his father, [by] the garment, 'Come, a ruler thou art to us, And this ruin [is] 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 He lifteth up, in that day, saying: 'I am not a binder up, And in my house is neither bread nor garment, Ye do not make me a ruler 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 For stumbled hath Jerusalem, and Judah hath fallen, For their tongue and their doings [are] against Jehovah, 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 appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Woe to their soul, For they have done to themselves evil.

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 to the righteous, that [it is] good, Because the fruit of their doings they eat.

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

11 Woe to the wicked — evil, Because the deed of his hand is done to him.

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

12 My people — its exactors [are] sucklings, And women have ruled over it. My people — thy eulogists are causing to err, And the way of thy paths swallowed up.

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 Jehovah hath stood up to plead, And He is standing 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 Jehovah into judgment doth enter With elders of His people, and its heads: 'And ye, ye have consumed the vineyard, Plunder 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 — to you? ye bruise My people, And the faces of the poor ye grind.' An affirmation of the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, And Jehovah saith:

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 'Because that daughters of Zion have been haughty, And they walk stretching out the neck, And deceiving [with] the eyes, Walking and mincing they go, And with their feet they make a tinkling,

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 The Lord also hath scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And Jehovah their simplicity exposeth.

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 doth the Lord turn aside The beauty of the tinkling ornaments, And of the embroidered works, And of the round tires like moons,

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

19 Of the drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

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

20 Of the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, And of the bands, And of the perfume boxes, 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 Of the seals, and of the nose-rings,

The rings, and the nose-jewels,

22 Of the costly apparel, and of the mantles, And of the coverings, and of the purses,

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

23 Of the mirrors, and of the linen garments, And of the hoods, and of the vails,

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

24 And it hath been, instead of spice is muck, And instead of a girdle, a rope, And instead of curled work, baldness, And instead of a stomacher a girdle of sackcloth.

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 For instead of glory, thy men by sword do fall, And thy might in battle.

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

26 And lamented and mourned have her openings, Yea, she hath been emptied, on the earth she sitteth!

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