God's New Bible

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 3 -

1
Yahweh, Commander of the angel armies, is about to take away from Jerusalem and other places in Judah everything that you depend on, all food and water.
2
He will take away heroes and other soldiers, judges and prophets, people who do rituals to find out what will happen in the future, and the elders,
3
army officers and other important people, advisors, skilled craftsmen, and those who perform rituals of magic.
4
Yahweh says, “I will appoint boys to be leaders; young children will rule.
5
People will treat each other cruelly: people will fight against their neighbors. Young people will say shameful things against older people, and vulgar people will sneer at people whom others usually honor.
6
At that time, someone will grab one of his brothers in his father’s house and say to him, ’You still have a coat; people respect you for that. So you be our leader! You rule this city, which is now a pile of ruins.’
7
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 make me your leader!’”
8
The people in Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah have disobeyed God, because everything that the people do and say there opposes Yahweh, the powerful and glorious one, and they refuse to obey him. They rebel against him.
9
They even show on their faces that they oppose Yahweh. They are proud about their sins, like the people of Sodom were long ago; they do not try to hide their sins; they talk about them. Because of their sins, terrible things will certainly happen to them.
10
You people must 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
But terrible things will happen to wicked people; Yahweh will pay them back for the evil things that they have done.
12
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 do all kinds of evil things.
13
It is as though Yahweh had taken his place in a courtroom and were ready to accuse his people of breaking the covenant between themselves and him.
14
He will stand up to declare why he should punish the elders and rulers of his people; he says, “The people of Israel are like a vineyard that I planted, but you leaders have made unable to bear any fruit. Your houses are full of things that you have stolen from poor people.
15
You should stop making my people suffer. It is as though you were pushing the faces of poor people into the ground.” That is what Yahweh, Commander of the angel armies, says.

A Warning to the Daughters of Zion

16
Yahweh says this: “The women of Jerusalem are haughty; 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
So the Lord will cause sores to be on their heads, and he will cause those beautiful women in Jerusalem to become bald.
18
At the time that the Lord does that, he will also cause others to take away from the women of Jerusalem all of the beautiful things they like to wear, the ornaments on their ankles and their headbands, their crescent necklaces,
19
their earrings and bracelets and veils,
20
their scarves and ankle bracelets and sashes, their perfumes and charms.
21
He will cause others to remove the women’s finger rings and nose rings,
22
their nice robes and capes and veils and purses,
23
their mirrors and nice linen clothes, the ornaments for their heads, and the shawls.
24
Instead of smelling nice from perfume, they will stink; instead of beautiful sashes, they will have ropes around their waists. Instead of having fancy hairdos, they will be bald. Instead of fancy robes, they will wear rough sackcloth, Instead of beauty, scars of branding.
25
Your men will die by their enemies’ swords, and your soldiers will also die in battle.
26
People will mourn and cry at the gates of the city. The city will be like a woman who sits on the ground because all her friends have deserted her.
1
For, behold,(a) the Lord, GOD of Armies, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supply and support, the whole supply of bread, and the whole supply of water;
2
the mighty man, the man of war, the judge, the prophet, the diviner, the elder,
3
the captain of fifty, the honorable man, the counselor, the skilled craftsman, and the clever enchanter.
4
I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them.
5
The people will be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbor. The child will behave himself proudly against the old man, and the wicked against the honorable.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
10
Tell the righteous that it will be well with them, for they will eat the fruit of their deeds.
11
Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them, for the deeds of their hands will be paid back to them.
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.
13
The LORD stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples.
14
The LORD will enter into judgment 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.
15
What do you mean that you crush my people, and grind the face of the poor?” says the Lord, the LORD of Armies.

A Warning to the Daughters of Zion

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;
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.”
18
In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces,
19
the earrings, the bracelets, the veils,
20
the headdresses, the ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume containers, the charms,
21
the signet rings, the nose rings,
22
the fine robes, the capes, the cloaks, the purses,
23
the hand mirrors, the fine linen garments, the tiaras, and the 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.
25
Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty in the war.
26
Her gates shall lament and mourn. She shall be desolate and sit on the ground.

Footnotes

(a)3:1 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.