Isaiah 3

God Will Remove the Leaders

1For behold, the Lord 1God of armies 2is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the entire supply of bread And the entire supply of water;23The mighty man and the warrior, The judge and the prophet, The diviner and the elder,3The captain of fifty and the esteemed person, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter.4And I will make mere 4boys their leaders, And 5mischievous children will rule over them,5And the people will be 6oppressed, Each one by another, and each one by his 7neighbor; The youth will assault the elder, And the contemptible person will assault the one honored.6When a man 8lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying, “You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler! And these ruins will be under your 9authority,”7He will 10protest on that day, saying, “I will not be your 1112healer, For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”8For 13Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, Because their 1415speech and their actions are against the Lord, To 16rebel against 17His glorious presence.918The expression of their faces testifies against them, And they 19display their sin like 20Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to 21them! For they have 22done evil to themselves.10Say to the 23righteous that it will go well for them, For they will eat the fruit of their actions.11Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him, For 2425what he deserves will be done to him.12My people! Their oppressors 26treat them violently, And women rule over them. My people! 27Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths.

God Will Judge

1328The Lord arises to contend, And stands to judge the people.14The Lord 29enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people, “It is you who have 3031devoured the vineyard; The 32goods stolen from the poor are in your houses.15What do you mean by 33crushing My people And 34oppressing the face of the poor?” Declares the Lord 35God of armies.

Judah’s Women Denounced

16Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the 36daughters of Zion are haughty And walk with 37heads held high and seductive eyes, And go along with mincing steps And jingle the anklets on their feet,17The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.” 18On that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, 38crescent ornaments, 19dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 2039headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 2140finger rings, 41nose rings, 22festive robes, outer garments, shawls, purses, 23papyrus garments, undergarments, headbands, and veils.24Now it will come about that instead of 42balsam oil there will be a stench; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of 43well-set hair, a 44plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a 45robe of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.25Your men will 46fall by the sword And your 47mighty ones in battle.26And her 4849gates will lament and mourn, And she will 50sit deserted on the ground.