Isaiah 3–4

Chapter 3

Judgment against Judah

¹The 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,

²all their heroes and soldiers,

judges and prophets,

fortune-tellers and elders,

³army officers and high officials,

advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers.

⁴I will make boys their leaders,

and toddlers their rulers.

⁵People will oppress each other—

man against man,

neighbor against neighbor.

Young people will insult their elders,

and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable.

⁶In 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!”

⁷But he will reply,

“No! I can’t help.

I don’t have any extra food or clothes.

Don’t put me in charge!”

⁸For Jerusalem will stumble,

and Judah will fall,

because they speak out against the Lord and refuse to obey him.

They provoke him to his face.

⁹The very look on their faces gives them away.

They display their sin like the people of Sodom

and don’t even try to hide it.

They are doomed!

They have brought destruction upon themselves.

¹⁰Tell the godly that all will be well for them.

They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned!

¹¹But the wicked are doomed,

for they will get exactly what they deserve.

¹²Childish leaders oppress my people,

and women rule over them.

O my people, your leaders mislead you;

they send you down the wrong road.

¹³The Lord takes his place in court

and presents his case against his people!

¹⁴The Lord comes forward to pronounce judgment

on the elders and rulers of his people:

“You have ruined Israel, my vineyard.

Your houses are filled with things stolen from the poor.

¹⁵How dare you crush my people,

grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?”

demands the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

A Warning to Jerusalem

¹⁶The Lord says, “Beautiful Zion is haughty:

craning her elegant neck,

flirting with her eyes,

walking with dainty steps,

tinkling her ankle bracelets.

¹⁷So the Lord will send scabs on her head;

the Lord will make beautiful Zion bald.”

¹⁸On that day of judgment

the Lord will strip away everything that makes her beautiful:

ornaments, headbands, crescent necklaces,

¹⁹earrings, bracelets, and veils;

²⁰scarves, ankle bracelets, sashes,

perfumes, and charms;

²¹rings, jewels,

²²party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses;

²³mirrors, fine linen garments,

head ornaments, and shawls.

²⁴Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, she will stink.

She will wear a rope for a sash,

and her elegant hair will fall out.

She will wear rough burlap instead of rich robes.

Shame will replace her beauty.

²⁵The men of the city will be killed with the sword,

and her warriors will die in battle.

²⁶The gates of Zion will weep and mourn.

The city will be like a ravaged woman,

huddled on the ground.

Chapter 4

In that day so few men will be left that seven women will fight for each man, saying, “Let us all marry you! We will provide our own food and clothing. Only let us take your name so we won’t be mocked as old maids.”

A Promise of Restoration

²But in that day, the branch of the Lord

will be beautiful and glorious;

the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory

of all who survive in Israel.

³All who remain in Zion

will be a holy people—

those who survive the destruction of Jerusalem

and are recorded among the living.

⁴The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion

and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains

with the hot breath of fiery judgment.

⁵Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion

and all who assemble there.

He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day

and smoke and flaming fire at night,

covering the glorious land.

⁶It will be a shelter from daytime heat

and a hiding place from storms and rain.