The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

For lo, the Lord God of hostes will take away from Ierusalem and from Iudah the stay and the strength: euen all the staye of bread, and all the stay of water,

The strong man, and the man of warre, the iudge and the prophet, the prudent and the aged,

The captaine of fiftie, and the honourable, and the counseller, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent man.

And I will appoint children to bee their princes, and babes shall rule ouer them.

The people shalbe oppressed one of another, and euery one by his neighbour: the children shall presume against the ancient, and the vile against the honourable.

When euery one shall take holde of his brother of the house of his father, and say, Thou hast clothing: thou shalt bee our prince, and let this fall be vnder thine hand.

In that day hee shall sweare, saying, I cannot bee an helper: for there is no bread in mine house, nor clothing: therefore make me no prince of the people.

Doubtlesse Ierusalem is fallen, and Iudah is fallen downe, because their tongue and workes are against the Lord, to prouoke the eyes of his glory.

The triall of their countenance testifieth against them, yea, they declare their sinnes as Sodom, they hide them not. Wo be vnto their soules: for they haue rewarded euil vnto themselues.

Say ye, Surely it shalbe well with the iust: for they shall eate the fruite of their workes.

Woe be to the wicked, it shalbe euill with him: for the reward of his handes shalbe giuen him.

Children are extortioners of my people, and women haue rule ouer them: O my people, they that leade thee, cause thee to erre, and destroy the way of thy paths.

The Lord standeth vp to pleade, yea, hee standeth to iudge the people.

The Lord shall enter into iudgement with the Ancients of his people and the princes thereof: for ye haue eaten vp the vineyarde: the spoyle of the poore is in your houses.

What haue ye to do, that ye beate my people to pieces, and grinde the faces of the poore, saith the Lord, euen the Lord of hoasts?

A Warning to the Daughters of Zion

The Lord also saith, Because the daughters of Zion are hautie, and walke with stretched out neckes, and with wandering eyes, walking and minsing as they goe, and making a tinkeling with their feete,

Therefore shall the Lord make the heades of the daughters of Zion balde, and the Lord shall discouer their secrete partes.

In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers, and the calles, and the round tyres,

The sweete balles, and the brasselets, and the bonnets,

The tyres of the head, and the sloppes, and the head bandes, and the tablets, and the earings,

The rings and the mufflers,

The costly apparell and the vailes, and the wimples, and the crisping pinnes,

And the glasses and the fine linen, and the hoodes, and the launes.

And in steade of sweete sauour, there shall be stinke, and in steade of a girdle, a rent, and in steade of dressing of the heare, baldnesse, and in steade of a stomacher, a girding of sackecloth, and burning in steade of beautie.

Thy men shall fall by the sworde, and thy strength in the battell.

Then shall her gates mourne and lament, and she, being desolate, shall sit vpon the ground.

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;

the mighty man, the man of war, the judge, the prophet, the diviner, the elder,

the captain of fifty, the honorable man, the counselor, the skilled craftsman, and the clever enchanter.

I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

Tell the righteous that it will be well with them, for they will eat the fruit of their deeds.

Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them, for the deeds of their hands will be paid back to them.

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.

The LORD stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples.

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.

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

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;

therefore the Lord brings sores on the crown of the head of the women of Zion, and the LORD will make their scalps bald.”

In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces,

the earrings, the bracelets, the veils,

the headdresses, the ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume containers, the charms,

the signet rings, the nose rings,

the fine robes, the capes, the cloaks, the purses,

the hand mirrors, the fine linen garments, the tiaras, and the shawls.

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.

Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty in the war.

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.