< 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, Jehovah of hosts, Taketh away from Jerusalem and from Judah every stay and support; The whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water;
2 Hero and man of war, judge and prophet, And diviner and elder,
The mighty man, and the warrior, The judge, the prophet, the diviner, and the sage,
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 honorable man, The counsellor, the expert in arts, and the skilful in charms.
4 And I have made youths their heads, And sucklings rule over them.
And I will make boys their princes, And children 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, Man striving against man, and neighbor against neighbor; The boy shall behave himself insolently toward the aged, And the base toward the honorable.
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.'
Then shall a man take hold of his brother in his father's house, [[and say, ]] Thou hast yet clothing, Be thou our ruler, And take this ruin into thy hands!
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.'
But in that day shall he lift up his hand, and say: I am no healer; In my house is neither bread nor raiment; Make not me 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 tottereth, and Judah falleth, Because their tongues and their deeds are against Jehovah, To provoke his holy eyes.
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 very countenance witnesseth against them; They publish their sin like Sodom; they hide it not; Woe to them, for they bring evil upon 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 he shall eat the fruit of his doings.
11 Woe to the wicked — evil, Because the deed of his hand is done to him.
Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, For the work of his hands shall be repaid 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, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O my people, thy leaders cause thee to err, And destroy the way in which thou walkest!
13 Jehovah hath stood up to plead, And He is standing to judge the peoples.
Jehovah standeth up to maintain his cause; He standeth up to judge his people.
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.
Jehovah entereth into judgment with the elders of his people, and their princes: “So then ye have consumed the vineyard; The plunder 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 faces of the poor?” Saith Jehovah, the Lord 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,
Thus, also, saith Jehovah: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, And walk with outstretched necks, And glance their eyes wantonly, Mincing their steps as they go, And tinkling with their foot-clasps,
17 The Lord also hath scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And Jehovah their simplicity exposeth.
Therefore will the Lord make their heads bald, And Jehovah will expose their nakedness.
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 shall the Lord take from them The ornaments of the foot-clasps, and the net-works, and the crescents;
19 Of the drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
The ear-rings, 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 turbans, and the ankle-chains, and the belts; The perfume-boxes, and the amulets;
21 Of the seals, and of the nose-rings,
The finger-rings, and the nose-jewels;
22 Of the costly apparel, and of the mantles, And of the coverings, and of the purses,
The embroidered robes, and the tunics, and the cloaks, and the purses;
23 Of the mirrors, and of the linen garments, And of the hoods, and of the vails,
The mirrors, and the linen shifts, and the head-bands, and the large 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 instead of perfume there shall be corruption; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of curled locks, baldness; Instead of a wide mantle, a covering of sackcloth; Fire-scars 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, Yea, thy mighty men in battle;
26 And lamented and mourned have her openings, Yea, she hath been emptied, on the earth she sitteth!
Her gates shall lament and mourn, And she, being desolate, shall sit upon the ground.

< Isaiah 3 >