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 counsellor, 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.

For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

13 The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.

14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.

16 Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.

18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,

21 The rings, and nose jewels,

22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,

23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.

24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.

26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:

When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.

And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

1 For the sin of the people, God will take away the wise men, and give them foolish princes. 14 The covetousness of the governors. 26 The pride of the women.

For lo, the Lord God of hosts will take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay [a]and the strength: even all the stay of bread, and all the stay of water,

The strong man, and the man of war, [b]the judge, and the Prophet, the prudent and the aged,

The captain of fifty, and the honorable, and the counselor, and the cunning artificer, and [c]eloquent man.

And I will appoint [d]children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

The people shall be [e]oppressed one of another, and every one by his neighbor: the children shall presume against the ancient, and the vile against the honorable.

When everyone shall [f]take hold of his brother of the house of his father, and say, Thou hast clothing, thou shalt be our prince, and let this fall be under thine hand:

In that day he shall [g]swear, saying, I cannot be an helper: for there is no bread in mine house, nor clothing: therefore make me no prince of the people.

Doubtless Jerusalem is fallen, and Judah is fallen down, because their tongue and works are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

The [h]trial of their countenance testifieth against them, yea, they declare their sins, as Sodom, they hide them not. Woe be unto their souls: for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

10 [i]Say ye, Surely it shall be well with the just: for they shall eat the fruit of their works.

11 Woe be to the wicked, it shall be evil with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

12 [j]Children are extortioners of my people, and women have rule over them: O my people, they that lead thee, cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

13 The Lord standeth up to plead, yea, he standeth to judge the people.

14 The Lord shall enter into judgment with the [k]Ancients of his people and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard: the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15 What have ye to do that ye beat my people to pieces, [l]and grind the faces of the poor, saith the Lord, even the Lord of hosts?

16 The Lord also saith, [m]Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with [n]stretched out necks, and with [o]wandering eyes, walking and [p]mincing as they go, and making a [q]tinkling with their feet,

17 Therefore shall the Lord make the heads of the daughters of Zion bald, and the Lord shall discover their secret parts.

18 In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers, and the cauls, and the round tyres,

19 The sweet balls, and the bracelets, and the bonnets,

20 The tyres of the head, and the slops, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,

21 The rings and the mufflers,

22 The costly apparel and the veils, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,

23 And the glasses and the fine linen, and the hoods and the [r]lawns.

24 And instead of sweet savor, there shall be stink, and instead of girdle, a rent, and instead of dressing of the hair, baldness, and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth, and burning instead of beauty.

25 Thy men shall fall by the [s]sword, and thy strength in the battle.

26 Then shall her gates mourn and lament, and she being desolate, shall sit upon the ground.

1 The small remnant of men after the destruction of Jerusalem. 2 The graces of God upon them that remain.

And in that day shall [t]seven women take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and we will wear our own garments: only [u]let us be called by thy name, and take away our [v]reproach.

In that day shall the [w]bud of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and pleasant for them that are escaped of Israel.

Then he that shall be left in Zion, and he that shall remain in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, and every one shall be [x]written among the living in Jerusalem,

When the Lord shall wash the filthiness of the daughters of Zion, and purge the [y]blood of Jerusalem out of the midst thereof by the spirit of [z]judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

And the Lord shall create upon every place of mount Zion, and upon the assemblies thereof, [aa]a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the [ab]glory shall be a defense.

And a covering shall be for a shadow in the day for the heat, and a place of refuge and a covert for the storm [ac]and for the rain.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 3:1 Because they trusted in their abundance and prosperity, he showeth that they should be taken from them.
  2. Isaiah 3:2 The temporal governor and the minister.
  3. Isaiah 3:3 By these he meaneth that God would take away everything that was in any estimation, and wherein they had any occasion to vaunt themselves.
  4. Isaiah 3:4 Not only in age: but in wit, manners, knowledge and strength.
  5. Isaiah 3:5 For lack of good regiment and order.
  6. Isaiah 3:6 He showeth that this plague shall be so horrible, that contrary to the common manner of men, which by nature are ambitious, none shall be found able or willing to be their governor.
  7. Isaiah 3:7 Fear shall rather cause him to forswear himself, than to take such a dangerous charge upon him.
  8. Isaiah 3:9 When God shall examine their deeds whereupon they now set an impudent face, he shall find the mark of their impiety in their forehead.
  9. Isaiah 3:10 Be ye that are godly, assured that God will defend you in the midst of these troubles.
  10. Isaiah 3:12 Because the wicked people were more addicted to their princes, than to the commandments of God, he showeth that he would give them such princes, by whom they should have no help, but that should be manifest tokens of his wrath, because they should be fools and effeminate.
  11. Isaiah 3:14 Meaning, that the rulers and governors had destroyed his Church, and not preserved it, according to their duty.
  12. Isaiah 3:15 That is, ye show all cruelty against them.
  13. Isaiah 3:16 He meaneth the people because of the arrogancy and pride of their women, which gave themselves to all wantonness and dissolution.
  14. Isaiah 3:16 Which declared their pride.
  15. Isaiah 3:16 As a sign, that they were not chaste.
  16. Isaiah 3:16 Which showed their wantonness.
  17. Isaiah 3:16 They delighted then in slippers that did creak, or had little plates sewed upon them, which tinkled as they went.
  18. Isaiah 3:23 In rehearsing all these things particularly, he showeth the lightness and vanity of such as cannot be content with comely apparel according to their degree.
  19. Isaiah 3:25 Meaning, that God will not only punish the women, but their husbands which have suffered this dissoluteness, and also the commonweal, which hath not remedied it.
  20. Isaiah 4:1 When God shall execute this vengeance, there shall not be one man found to be the head to many women, and they contrary to womanly shamefacedness, shall seek unto men, and offer themselves to any condition.
  21. Isaiah 4:1 Be thou our husband, and let us be called thy wives.
  22. Isaiah 4:1 For so they thought it to be without an head and husband.
  23. Isaiah 4:2 He comforteth the Church in this desolation, which shall spring up like a bud, signifying that God’s graces should be as plentiful toward the faithful, as though they sprang out of the earth, as Isa. 45:8. Some by the bud of the Lord mean Christ.
  24. Isaiah 4:3 He alludeth to the book of life, whereof read Exod. 32:32, meaning, God’s secret counsel, wherein his elect are predestinate to life everlasting.
  25. Isaiah 4:4 That is, the cruelty, extortion, avarice, and all wickedness.
  26. Isaiah 4:4 When things shall be redressed that were amiss.
  27. Isaiah 4:5 He alludeth to the pillar of the cloud, Exod. 13:21, meaning, that God’s favor and protection should appear in every place.
  28. Isaiah 4:5 The faithful are called the glory of God, because his image and tokens of his grace shine in them.
  29. Isaiah 4:6 God promiseth to be the defense of his Church against all troubles and dangers.

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

See now, the Lord,
    the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
    both supply and support:(A)
all supplies of food(B) and all supplies of water,(C)
    the hero and the warrior,(D)
the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner(E) and the elder,(F)
the captain of fifty(G) and the man of rank,(H)
    the counselor, skilled craftsman(I) and clever enchanter.(J)

“I will make mere youths their officials;
    children will rule over them.”(K)

People will oppress each other—
    man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(L)
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(M) he will cry out,
    “I have no remedy.(N)
I have no food(O) or clothing in my house;
    do not make me the leader of the people.”(P)

Jerusalem staggers,
    Judah is falling;(Q)
their words(R) and deeds(S) are against the Lord,
    defying(T) his glorious presence.
The look on their faces testifies(U) against them;
    they parade their sin like Sodom;(V)
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    They have brought disaster(W) upon themselves.

10 Tell the righteous it will be well(X) with them,
    for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(Y)
11 Woe to the wicked!(Z)
    Disaster(AA) is upon them!
They will be paid back(AB)
    for what their hands have done.(AC)

12 Youths(AD) oppress my people,
    women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(AE)
    they turn you from the path.

13 The Lord takes his place in court;(AF)
    he rises to judge(AG) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(AH)
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder(AI) from the poor(AJ) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(AK)
    and grinding(AL) the faces of the poor?”(AM)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(AN)

16 The Lord says,
    “The women of Zion(AO) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,(AP)
    flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
    with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
    the Lord will make their scalps bald.(AQ)

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

24 Instead of fragrance(BA) there will be a stench;(BB)
    instead of a sash,(BC) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;(BD)
    instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;(BE)
    instead of beauty,(BF) branding.(BG)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,(BH)
    your warriors in battle.(BI)
26 The gates(BJ) of Zion will lament and mourn;(BK)
    destitute,(BL) she will sit on the ground.(BM)

In that day(BN) seven women
    will take hold of one man(BO)
and say, “We will eat our own food(BP)
    and provide our own clothes;
only let us be called by your name.
    Take away our disgrace!”(BQ)

The Branch of the Lord

In that day(BR) the Branch of the Lord(BS) will be beautiful(BT) and glorious, and the fruit(BU) of the land will be the pride and glory(BV) of the survivors(BW) in Israel. Those who are left in Zion,(BX) who remain(BY) in Jerusalem, will be called holy,(BZ) all who are recorded(CA) among the living in Jerusalem. The Lord will wash away the filth(CB) of the women of Zion;(CC) he will cleanse(CD) the bloodstains(CE) from Jerusalem by a spirit[a] of judgment(CF) and a spirit[b] of fire.(CG) Then the Lord will create(CH) over all of Mount Zion(CI) and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night;(CJ) over everything the glory[c](CK) will be a canopy.(CL) It will be a shelter(CM) and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge(CN) and hiding place from the storm(CO) and rain.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
  2. Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
  3. Isaiah 4:5 Or over all the glory there