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Chapter 3

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

[a]The Lord, the Lord of hosts,
    will take away from Jerusalem and from Judah
Support and staff—
    all support of bread,
    all support of water:(A)
Hero and warrior,
    judge and prophet, diviner and elder,
The captain of fifty and the nobleman,
    counselor, skilled magician, and expert charmer.
I will place boys as their princes;
    the fickle will govern them,(B)
And the people will oppress one another,
    yes, each one the neighbor.
The child will be insolent toward the elder,
    and the base toward the honorable.(C)
When anyone seizes a brother
    in their father’s house, saying,
“You have clothes! Be our ruler,
    and take in hand this ruin!”—
    He will cry out in that day:
“I cannot be a healer,(D)
    when there is neither bread nor clothing in my own house!
    You will not make me a ruler of the people!”
Jerusalem has stumbled, Judah has fallen;
    for their speech and deeds affront the Lord,
    a provocation in the sight of his majesty.
Their very look bears witness against them;(E)
    they boast of their sin like Sodom,(F)
They do not hide it.
    Woe to them!
    They deal out evil to themselves.
10 Happy the just, for it will go well with them,
    the fruit of their works they will eat.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go ill with them,
    with the work of their hands they will be repaid.
12 My people—infants oppress them,
    women rule over them!
My people, your leaders deceive you,(G)
    they confuse the paths you should follow.

13 [b]The Lord rises to accuse,
    stands to try his people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment
    with the people’s elders and princes:
You, you who have devoured the vineyard;
    the loot wrested from the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people,
    and grinding down the faces of the poor?
    says the Lord, the God of hosts.

The Haughty Women of Zion[c]

16 The Lord said:(H)
    Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,
    and walk with necks outstretched,
Ogling and mincing as they go,
    their anklets tinkling with every step,
17 The Lord shall cover the scalps of Zion’s daughters with scabs,
    and the Lord shall lay bare their heads.[d](I)

18 [e]On that day the Lord will do away with the finery of the anklets, sunbursts, and crescents; 19 the pendants, bracelets, and veils; 20 the headdresses, bangles, cinctures, perfume boxes, and amulets; 21 the signet rings, and the nose rings; 22 the court dresses, wraps, cloaks, and purses; 23 the lace gowns, linen tunics, turbans, and shawls.

24 Instead of perfume there will be stench,
    instead of a girdle, a rope,
And instead of elaborate coiffure, baldness;
    instead of a rich gown, a sackcloth skirt.
Then, instead of beauty, shame.
25 Your men will fall by the sword,
    and your champions,[f] in war;(J)
26 Her gates will lament and mourn,
    as the city sits desolate on the ground.(K)

Footnotes

  1. 3:1–12 These verses suggest deportation, with resulting social upheaval, and thus may date to sometime after Ahaz submitted as vassal to Assyria. The deportation practiced by Assyria, as later by Babylon, exiled the leading elements of society, such as those named in vv. 2–3; cf. 2 Kgs 24:12, 14–16 for a similar list of those exiled by the Babylonians. Denuding society of its leaders opens the way to near anarchy and a situation in which leadership is seized by or thrust upon those unqualified for it (vv. 5–7). The situation has been provoked by sinfully inept leadership (vv. 4, 8–9, 12). Some suggest that vv. 4 and 12 refer to Ahaz, who may have come to the throne at an early age. Verses 10–11 form a wisdom couplet that was inserted later.
  2. 3:13–15 The princes and the elders, here accused of despoiling the poor, are the very ones who should be their defenders. Loot: by the Hebrew term (gazela) Isaiah conveys the idea of violent seizure, though 10:1–4 suggests the poor could be plundered by legal means.
  3. 3:16–4:1 Here and again in 32:9–14 Isaiah condemns the women of the ruling class for their part in Jerusalem’s plight.
  4. 3:17 A shaven head is a mark of social disgrace; cf. Nm 5:18.
  5. 3:18–23 The long list of women’s apparel in these verses suggests luxury and vanity; it contains a number of rare words, and the precise meaning of many of the terms is uncertain.
  6. 3:25 Your men…your champions: the second person feminine singular pronoun here shows that the prophet has shifted his attention from the women of Zion to the personified city of Zion.

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)