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.

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.

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