< 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, 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;
2 Hero and man of war, judge and prophet, And diviner and elder,
The mighty man, and the man of war; the judge, and the prophet, and the diviner, and the elder;
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 rank, and the counsellor, and the cunning charmer, and the skilful enchanter.
4 And I have made youths their heads, And sucklings rule over them.
And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall 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 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,
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.'
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.'
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.'
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.'
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 is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of His glory.
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.
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.
10 Say ye to the righteous, that [it is] good, Because the fruit of their doings they eat.
Say ye of the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11 Woe to the wicked — evil, Because the deed of his hand is done to him.
Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him; for the work of his hands shall be done to 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, 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.
13 Jehovah hath stood up to plead, And He is standing to judge the peoples.
The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the peoples.
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 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;
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:
What mean ye that ye crush My people, and grind the face of the poor?' saith the Lord, the GOD of hosts.
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,
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;
17 The Lord also hath scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And Jehovah their simplicity exposeth.
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.
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 bravery of their anklets, and the fillets, and the crescents;
19 Of the drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
the pendants, and the bracelets, and the veils;
20 Of the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, And of the bands, And of the perfume boxes, and the amulets,
the headtires, and the armlets, and the sashes, and the corselets, and the amulets;
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 aprons, and the mantelets, and the cloaks, and the girdles;
23 Of the mirrors, and of the linen garments, And of the hoods, and of the vails,
and the gauze robes, and the fine linen, and the turbans, and the mantles.
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 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.
25 For instead of glory, thy men by sword do fall, And thy might in battle.
Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
26 And lamented and mourned have her openings, Yea, she hath been emptied, on the earth she sitteth!
And her gates shall lament and mourn; and utterly bereft she shall sit upon the ground.