Isaiah 3

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

¹See now, the Lord,

the Lord Almighty,

is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah

both supply and support:

all supplies of food and all supplies of water,

²the hero and the warrior,

the judge and the prophet,

the diviner and the elder,

³the captain of fifty and the man of rank,

the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.

⁴“I will make mere youths their officials;

children will rule over them.”

⁵People will oppress each other—

man against man, neighbor against neighbor.

The young will rise up against the old,

the nobody against the honored.

⁶A man will seize one of his brothers

in his father’s house, and say,

“You have a cloak, you be our leader;

take charge of this heap of ruins!”

⁷But in that day he will cry out,

“I have no remedy.

I have no food or clothing in my house;

do not make me the leader of the people.”

⁸Jerusalem staggers,

Judah is falling;

their words and deeds are against the Lord,

defying his glorious presence.

⁹The look on their faces testifies against them;

they parade their sin like Sodom;

they do not hide it.

Woe to them!

They have brought disaster upon themselves.

¹⁰Tell the righteous it will be well with them,

for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.

¹¹Woe to the wicked!

Disaster is upon them!

They will be paid back

for what their hands have done.

¹²Youths oppress my people,

women rule over them.

My people, your guides lead you astray;

they turn you from the path.

¹³The Lord takes his place in court;

he rises to judge the people.

¹⁴The Lord enters into judgment

against the elders and leaders of his people:

“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;

the plunder from the poor is in your houses.

¹⁵What do you mean by crushing my people

and grinding the faces of the poor?”

declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

¹⁶The Lord says,

“The women of Zion are haughty,

walking along with outstretched necks,

flirting with their eyes,

strutting along with swaying hips,

with ornaments jingling on their ankles.

¹⁷Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;

the Lord will make their scalps bald.”

¹⁸In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, ¹⁹the earrings and bracelets and veils, ²⁰the headdresses and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, ²¹the signet rings and nose rings, ²²the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses ²³and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.

²⁴Instead of fragrance there will be a stench;

instead of a sash, a rope;

instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;

instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;

instead of beauty, branding.

²⁵Your men will fall by the sword,

your warriors in battle.

²⁶The gates of Zion will lament and mourn;

destitute, she will sit on the ground.