Isaiah 3:1–7

For behold, the Lord God of hosts

is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah

support and supply,

all support of bread,

and all support of water;

the mighty man and the soldier,

the judge and the prophet,

the diviner and the elder,

the captain of fifty

and the man of rank,

the counselor and the skillful magician

and the expert in charms.

And I will make boys their princes,

and infants shall rule over them.

And the people will oppress one another,

every one his fellow

and every one his neighbor;

the youth will be insolent to the elder,

and the despised to the honorable.

For a man will take hold of his brother

in the house of his father, saying:

“You have a cloak;

you shall be our leader,

and this heap of ruins

shall be under your rule”;

in that day he will speak out, saying:

“I will not be a healer;

in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;

you shall not make me

leader of the people.”

See 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,

the hero and the warrior,

the judge and the prophet,

the diviner and the elder,

the captain of fifty and the man of rank,

the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.

“I will make mere youths their officials;

children will rule over them.”

People will oppress each other—

man against man, neighbor against neighbor.

The young will rise up against the old,

the nobody against the honored.

A 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!”

But 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.”

Note this: The Lord God of Armies

is about to remove from Jerusalem and from Judah

every kind of security:

the entire supply of bread and water,

heroes and warriors,

judges and prophets,

fortune-tellers and elders,

commanders of fifty and dignitaries,

counselors, cunning magicians, and necromancers.

“I will make youths their leaders,

and unstable rulers will govern them.”

The people will oppress one another,

man against man, neighbor against neighbor;

the young will act arrogantly toward the old,

and the worthless toward the honorable.

A man will even seize his brother

in his father’s house, saying,

“You have a cloak—you be our leader!

This heap of rubble will be under your control.”

On that day he will cry out, saying,

“I’m not a healer.

I don’t even have food or clothing in my house.

Don’t make me the leader of the people!”

The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

will take away from Jerusalem and Judah

everything they depend on:

every bit of bread

and every drop of water,

all their heroes and soldiers,

judges and prophets,

fortune-tellers and elders,

army officers and high officials,

advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers.

I will make boys their leaders,

and toddlers their rulers.

People will oppress each other—

man against man,

neighbor against neighbor.

Young people will insult their elders,

and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable.

In those days a man will say to his brother,

“Since you have a coat, you be our leader!

Take charge of this heap of ruins!”

But he will reply,

“No! I can’t help.

I don’t have any extra food or clothes.

Don’t put me in charge!”

For look, the Lord Yahweh of hosts is removing every source of support

from Jerusalem and from Judah:

all of the supplies of bread

and all of the supplies of water,

mighty warrior and man of war,

judge and prophet,

and diviner and elder,

captain of fifty and the honorable men of rank,

and counselor and skillful magicians and skillful enchanter.

And I will make boys their princes,

and children shall rule over them.

And the people will be oppressed by each other

and a man by his neighbor.

The boy will act arrogantly toward the elder,

and the dishonorable toward the honorable.

Indeed, a man will seize his brother

in the house of his father:

“You have a cloak;

you shall be a leader for us,

and this heap of ruins shall be under your hand!”

He will lift up his voice on that day, saying,

“I will not be a healer;

in my house there is no bread

and there is no cloak.

You shall not make me the leader of the people!”

For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts,

Doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff,

The whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,

The mighty man, and the man of war,

The judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,

The captain of fifty, and the honourable man,

And the counseller, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.

And I will give children to be their princes,

And babes shall rule over them.

And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour:

The child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient,

And the base against the honourable.

When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying,

Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler,

And let this ruin be under thy hand:

In that day shall he swear, saying,

I will not be an healer;

For in my house is neither bread nor clothing:

Make me not a ruler of the people.