Isaiah 3

Judah’s Leaders Judged

3Observe this: The Lord God of Hosts

is about to remove from Jerusalem and from Judah

every kind of security:

the entire supply of bread and water,

²the hero and warrior, ^z

the judge and prophet,

the fortune-teller and elder,

³the commander of 50 and the dignitary,

the counselor, cunning magician, ^aand necromancer. ^b

⁴“I will make youths their leaders, ^c

and the unstable ^dwill govern them.”

⁵The people will oppress one another, ^e

man against man, neighbor against neighbor;

the youth will act arrogantly toward the elder,

and the worthless toward the honorable.

⁶A 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.”

⁷On 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!”

⁸For Jerusalem has stumbled

and Judah has fallen

because they have spoken and acted against the Lord, ^f

defying His glorious presence. ^g

⁹The look on their faces testifies against them,

and like Sodom, ^hthey flaunt their sin.

They do not conceal it.

Woe to them,

for they have brought evil on themselves. ⁱ

¹⁰Tell the righteous that it will go well for them,

for they will eat the fruit of their labor.

¹¹Woe to the wicked—it will go badly for them,

for what they have done will be done to them.

¹²Youths oppress My people, ^j

and women rule over them.

My people, your leaders mislead you;

they confuse the direction of your paths. ^k

¹³The Lord rises to argue the case

and stands to judge the people. ^l

¹⁴The Lord brings this charge

against the elders and leaders of His people: ^m

“You have devastated the vineyard.

The plunder from the poor is in your houses. ⁿ

¹⁵Why do you crush My people

and grind the faces of the poor?”

This is the declaration

of the Lord God of Hosts.

Jerusalem’s Women Judged

¹⁶The Lord also says:

Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, ^o

walking with heads held high

and seductive eyes,

going along with prancing steps,

jingling their ankle bracelets,

¹⁷the Lord will put scabs on the heads

of the daughters of Zion,

and the Lord will shave their foreheads bare.

¹⁸On that day ^pthe Lord will strip their finery: ankle bracelets, headbands, crescents, ^q19pendants, bracelets, veils, ²⁰headdresses, ankle jewelry, sashes, perfume bottles, amulets, ^r21signet rings, nose rings, ^s22festive robes, capes, cloaks, purses, ²³garments, linen clothes, turbans, and veils.

²⁴Instead of perfume there will be a stench;

instead of a belt, a rope;

instead of beautifully styled hair, ^tbaldness; ^u

instead of fine clothes, sackcloth; ^v

instead of beauty, branding. ^w

²⁵Your men will fall by the sword,

your warriors in battle.

²⁶Then her gates ^xwill lament and mourn;

deserted, she will sit on the ground. ^y