Isaiah 3
Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah
Behold, the LORD God is about to deprive
Jerusalem's daily supply,
and take away Judah's support to survive:
their water and bread will run dry,
the hero who's brave and the warrior who's bold,
the judge and the prophet, the prudent, the old,
the captain of fifty, the honored and great,
the counselor, craftsman, those skilled at debate.
And I'll make mere children their leaders and head,
by infants and babes will the people be led.
And people will battle their fellow man's rage,
and strife between neighbors will rise;
the young will abuse, without conscience, the sage,
the vulgar will insult the wise.
A man will take hold of his brother, and say,
Since you have a cloak, more or less,
become now our leader and starting today,
take charge of this great, ruined mess.
The brother will say in reply to his kin,
There's nothing I'm able to do;
I've no extra clothing nor food in my bin,
don't make me the leader of you.
Jerusalem stumbles, and Judah will fall,
their words and their deeds make their case;
they simply refuse to obey him at all,
and insult their God to his face.
The look on their faces lends truth to this fact,
like Sodom, parading their sin;
they don't even hide it, there's no turning back,
inviting their doom to come in.
Speak well to the righteous, assure them all's fine,
for on the fruit of their deeds, they'll surely dine.
But woe to the wicked, their doom has been planned,
for they'll be repaid for the works of their hand.
My people, by youths, are weighed down with a load,
by women, my people are ruled.
O people, your guides lead you down the wrong road,
you've turned from your path and are fooled.
The LORD is now ready to argue his case;
he'll stand up to judge all his people he'll face.
The LORD turns his judgement on elders who failed,
and charges those ruling his people with guilt:
My vineyard's consumed and my people assailed,
by spoils of the poor have your houses been built.
Why have you been crushing my people I love,
and grinding the poor? states the LORD God above.
Behold, the LORD God is about to deprive
Jerusalem's daily supply,
and take away Judah's support to survive:
their water and bread will run dry,
the hero who's brave and the warrior who's bold,
the judge and the prophet, the prudent, the old,
the captain of fifty, the honored and great,
the counselor, craftsman, those skilled at debate.
And I'll make mere children their leaders and head,
by infants and babes will the people be led.
And people will battle their fellow man's rage,
and strife between neighbors will rise;
the young will abuse, without conscience, the sage,
the vulgar will insult the wise.
A man will take hold of his brother, and say,
Since you have a cloak, more or less,
become now our leader and starting today,
take charge of this great, ruined mess.
The brother will say in reply to his kin,
There's nothing I'm able to do;
I've no extra clothing nor food in my bin,
don't make me the leader of you.
Jerusalem stumbles, and Judah will fall,
their words and their deeds make their case;
they simply refuse to obey him at all,
and insult their God to his face.
The look on their faces lends truth to this fact,
like Sodom, parading their sin;
they don't even hide it, there's no turning back,
inviting their doom to come in.
Speak well to the righteous, assure them all's fine,
for on the fruit of their deeds, they'll surely dine.
But woe to the wicked, their doom has been planned,
for they'll be repaid for the works of their hand.
My people, by youths, are weighed down with a load,
by women, my people are ruled.
O people, your guides lead you down the wrong road,
you've turned from your path and are fooled.
The LORD is now ready to argue his case;
he'll stand up to judge all his people he'll face.
The LORD turns his judgement on elders who failed,
and charges those ruling his people with guilt:
My vineyard's consumed and my people assailed,
by spoils of the poor have your houses been built.
Why have you been crushing my people I love,
and grinding the poor? states the LORD God above.
A Warning to the Daughters of Zion
The LORD says, The women of Zion are vain,
by craning their necks as they strut down the street,
they flirt with their eyes, prance about in the lane,
the bells on their ankles make noise at their feet.
The LORD will bring scabs to their lush head of hair,
upon Zion's daughters, they'll be;
and they'll be ashamed when their foreheads lay bare,
and naked for all men to see.
The LORD will remove all their beautiful things,
and all that their beauty entails:
their ornaments, headbands, their crescent-shaped rings,
their earrings and bracelets and veils,
their scarves and their anklets and sashes they wear,
their perfume and charms for a curse,
their rings and their nose rings and formal affair,
their mantles and shawls and their purse,
their mirrors of brass and their fine linen clothes,
their turbans and veils from their head to their toes.
Instead of perfume, a great stench fills the air;
instead of a girdle, a rope will hang there;
instead of her curls, her scalp will be bare;
instead of fine garments, rough sackcloth she'll wear;
instead of her beauty, her shame and despair.
The men of her city, by sword, will be killed,
in battle, the blood of her warriors is spilled.
The gates around Zion will mourn and lament,
like she, who was ravaged, exhausted and spent.
The LORD says, The women of Zion are vain,
by craning their necks as they strut down the street,
they flirt with their eyes, prance about in the lane,
the bells on their ankles make noise at their feet.
The LORD will bring scabs to their lush head of hair,
upon Zion's daughters, they'll be;
and they'll be ashamed when their foreheads lay bare,
and naked for all men to see.
The LORD will remove all their beautiful things,
and all that their beauty entails:
their ornaments, headbands, their crescent-shaped rings,
their earrings and bracelets and veils,
their scarves and their anklets and sashes they wear,
their perfume and charms for a curse,
their rings and their nose rings and formal affair,
their mantles and shawls and their purse,
their mirrors of brass and their fine linen clothes,
their turbans and veils from their head to their toes.
Instead of perfume, a great stench fills the air;
instead of a girdle, a rope will hang there;
instead of her curls, her scalp will be bare;
instead of fine garments, rough sackcloth she'll wear;
instead of her beauty, her shame and despair.
The men of her city, by sword, will be killed,
in battle, the blood of her warriors is spilled.
The gates around Zion will mourn and lament,
like she, who was ravaged, exhausted and spent.
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