< Esias 3 >

1 Behold now, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will take away from Jerusalem and from Judea the mighty man and mighty woman, the strength of bread, and the strength of water,
For behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: the whole supply of food and water,
2 the great and mighty man, the warrior and the judge, and the prophet, and the counsellor, and the elder,
the mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the soothsayer and the elder,
3 the captain of fifty also, and the honorable counsellor, and the wise artificer, and the intelligent hearer.
the commander of fifty and the dignitary, the counselor, the cunning magician, and the clever enchanter.
4 And I will make youths their princes, and mockers shall have dominion over them.
“I will make mere lads their leaders, and children will rule over them.”
5 And the people shall fall, man upon man, and [every] man upon his neighbor: the child shall insult the elder man, and the base the honorable.
The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the young will rise up against the old, and the base against the honorable.
6 For a man shall lay hold of his brother, as one of his father's household, saying, You have raiment, be you our ruler, and let my meat be under you.
A man will seize his brother within his father’s house: “You have a cloak—you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of rubble.”
7 And he shall answer in that day, and say, I will not be your ruler; for I have no bread in my house, nor raiment: I will not be the ruler of this people.
On that day he will cry aloud: “I am not a healer. I have no food or clothing in my house. Do not make me leader of the people!”
8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judea has fallen, and their tongues [have spoken] with iniquity, disobedient [as they are] towards the Lord.
For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen because they spoke and acted against the LORD, defying His glorious presence.
9 Therefore now their glory has been brought low, and the shame of their countenance has withstood them, and they have proclaimed their sin as Sodom, and made it manifest.
The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.
10 Woe to their soul, for they have devised an evil counsel against themselves, saying against themselves, Let us bind the just, for he is burdensome to us: therefore shall they eat the fruits of their works.
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
11 Woe to the transgressor! evils shall happen to him according to the works of his hands.
Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done.
12 O my people, your exactors strip you, and extortioners rule over you: O my people, they that pronounce you blesses lead you astray, and pervert the path of your feet.
Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths.
13 But now the Lord will stand up for judgment, and will enter into judgment with his people.
The LORD arises to contend; He stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord himself shall enter into judgment with the elders of the people, and with their rulers: but why have you set my vineyard on fire, and [why is] the spoil of the poor in your houses?
The LORD brings this charge against the elders and leaders of His people: “You have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses.
15 Why do you wrong my people, and shame the face of the poor?
Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?”
16 Thus says the Lord, Because the daughters of Sion are haughty, and have walked with an outstretched neck, and with winking of the eyes, and motion of the feet, at the same time drawing their garments in trains, and at the same time sporting with their feet:
The LORD also says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty— walking with heads held high and wanton eyes, prancing and skipping as they go, jingling the bracelets on their ankles—
17 therefore the Lord will humble the chief daughters of Sion, and the Lord will expose their form in that day;
the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will make their foreheads bare.”
18 and the Lord will take away the glory of their raiment, the curls and the fringes, and the crescents,
In that day the Lord will take away their finery: their anklets and headbands and crescents;
19 and the chains, and the ornaments of their faces,
their pendants, bracelets, and veils;
20 and the array of glorious ornaments, and the armlets, and the bracelets, and the wreathed work, and the finger-rings, and the ornaments for the right hand,
their headdresses, ankle chains, and sashes; their perfume bottles and charms;
21 and the ear-rings, and the garments with scarlet borders, and the garments with purple grounds, and the shawls to be worn in the house, and the Spartan transparent dresses, and those made of fine linen, and the purple [ones], and the scarlet [ones], and the fine linen, interwoven with gold and purple, and the light coverings for couches.
their signet rings and nose rings;
22 And there shall be instead of a sweet smell, dust; and instead of a girdle, you shall gird yourself with a rope; and instead of a golden ornament for the head, you shall have baldness on account of your works; and instead of a tunic with a scarlet ground, you shall gird yourself with sackcloth.
their festive robes, capes, cloaks, and purses;
23 And your most beautiful son whom you love shall fall by the sword; and your mighty men shall fall by the sword, and shall be brought low.
and their mirrors, linen garments, tiaras, and shawls.
24 And the stores of your ornaments shall mourn, and you shall be left alone, and shall be levelled with the ground.
Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, shame.
Your men will fall by the sword, and your warriors in battle.
And the gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.

< Esias 3 >