Isaiah 3
1 For, behold, the Lord, GOD of Hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supply and support, the whole supply of bread, and the whole supply of water;
The Commander of the armies of angels is about to take away from Jerusalem and [other places in] Judea everything that you depend on— all your food and water.
2 the mighty man, the man of war, the judge, the prophet, the diviner, the elder,
He will take away your heroes and your [other] soldiers, your judges and your prophets, people who do rituals to find out what will happen in the future and the elders,
3 the captain of fifty, the honourable man, the counsellor, the skilled craftsman, and the clever enchanter.
army officers and [other] officials, advisors and skilled craftsmen and those who perform rituals to predict the future.
4 I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them.
He will appoint boys to be your leaders; your children will rule you.
5 The people will be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbour. The child will behave himself proudly against the old man, and the wicked against the honourable.
People will treat each other cruelly: people will fight against their neighbors. Young people will insult older people, and vulgar/dishonorable people will sneer at people who should be honored.
6 Indeed a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, “You have clothing, you be our ruler, and let this ruin be under your hand.”
At that time, someone will grab one of his brothers in his father’s house and say to him, “You have a coat, [which shows that you are respected]. [So] you be our leader! You rule this [city, which is now] a pile of ruins!”
7 In that day he will cry out, saying, “I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing. You shall not make me ruler of the people.”
[But] his brother will reply, “[No], I cannot help you, [because] I do not have [any extra] food or clothes in this house. [So] do not appoint me to be your leader!”
8 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.
Jerusalem and [the other towns in] Judah will be destroyed, because [everything] that the people do and say there opposes Yahweh, who is powerful and glorious, and they refuse to obey him. They rebel against him.
9 The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don’t hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought disaster upon themselves.
They even show on their faces that [they oppose Yahweh]. They are proud of their sins, like [the people of] Sodom were [long ago]; they do not try to hide their sins. [Because of their sins], terrible things will happen to them, [but] they will bring those disasters on themselves.
10 Tell the righteous that it will be well with them, for they will eat the fruit of their deeds.
[Yahweh told me to] tell the righteous people that good things will happen to them; they will enjoy the blessings that they will receive for their good deeds.
11 Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them, for the deeds of their hands will be paid back to them.
[But] terrible things will happen to wicked people; they will be (paid back/punished) for [the evil things that] [MTY] they have done.
12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people, those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.
[Now], youths [who have become leaders] treat my people cruelly, and women rule over my people. My people, your leaders are misleading you; they are causing you to go down the wrong road [MET].
13 The LORD stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples.
[It is as though] Yahweh has sat in his place in a courtroom and is ready to judge his people.
14 The LORD will enter into judgement with the elders of his people and their leaders: “It is you who have eaten up the vineyard. The plunder of the poor is in your houses.
He will stand up to declare why the elders and rulers of his people should be punished: [he says], “The people of Israel are [like] [MET] a vineyard that I planted, but you have ruined it! Your houses are full of things that you have stolen from poor people.
15 What do you mean that you crush my people, and grind the face of the poor?” says the Lord, GOD of Hosts.
You should stop [RHQ] crushing my people! [It is as though] you are pushing the faces of poor people into the dirt!” [That is what] the Commander of the armies of angels says.
16 Moreover the LORD said, “Because the daughters of Zion are arrogant, and walk with outstretched necks and flirting eyes, walking daintily as they go, jingling ornaments on their feet;
Yahweh says this: “The women of Jerusalem are haughty/proud; they walk around sticking their chins out, and flirting [with men] with their eyes. They walk with tiny steps with bracelets on their ankles that jingle.
17 therefore the Lord brings sores on the crown of the head of the women of Zion, and the LORD will make their scalps bald.”
So I, Yahweh, will cause sores to be on their heads, and I will cause those beautiful women in Jerusalem to become bald.”
18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces,
At the time [that Yahweh does that], he will strip away everything that the women of Jerusalem wear to make themselves beautiful—the ornaments on their ankles and their headbands, their crescent necklaces,
19 the earrings, the bracelets, the veils,
their earrings and bracelets and veils,
20 the headdresses, the ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume containers, the charms,
their scarves and ankle bracelets and sashes, their perfumes and (charms/little things that they wear thinking that those things will protect them from evil),
21 the signet rings, the nose rings,
their signet rings and nose rings,
22 the fine robes, the capes, the cloaks, the purses,
their nice robes and capes and cloaks and purses,
23 the hand mirrors, the fine linen garments, the tiaras, and the shawls.
their mirrors and nice linen clothes and shawls.
24 It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of well set hair, baldness; instead of a robe, a wearing of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.
Instead of their having a nice smell from perfume, they will stink; instead of nice sashes, they will have ropes [around their waists because they will be captives]. Instead of having fancy hairdos, they will be bald. Instead of fancy/beautiful robes, they will wear rough sackcloth, and instead of being beautiful, they will be branded.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty in the war.
Their husbands will be killed by [their enemies’] swords, and their soldiers [will also die] in battles.
26 Her gates shall lament and mourn. She shall be desolate and sit on the ground.
People [PRS] will mourn and cry at the gates [of the city]. The city will [be like] [MET] a woman who sits on the ground because everything that she owned is gone.
