Isaiah 3

Judgment on Jerusalem’s Leaders

1 Look, the Lord, the Lord of Armies, is about to snatch away everything that keeps Judah and Jerusalem standing strong: food, water, support, and supply.

2 All the warriors, soldiers, judges, prophets, and elders, gone.

3 The captains, the bosses, the influencers, the charmers, and those slick-talking magicians, gone too.

4 God says, “I am putting kids in charge of them. Immature people are going to run the city.”

5 The people are going to start tripping, neighbor against neighbor, kids disrespecting elders, nobodies talking crazy to people who used to be respected.

6 A man will grab his brother in his daddy’s house and say, “You got a coat, so you be our leader! Fix this mess for us!”

7 But that man is going to back up like, “Nah, not me. I do not have any answers, no food, no clothes, do not make me in charge over this.”

The Collapse of Jerusalem’s Pride

8 Jerusalem’s crashing, Judah falling, because they talking and living against the Lord. They got no shame showing their sin in His face.

9 They fronting like Sodom, proud of their dirt. They do not even try to hide it. They bringing judgment on themselves.

10 Tell the righteous it is going to be all good, they will eat the fruit of their obedience.

11 But for the wicked, It is bad, real bad. What they dished out is going to come right back to them.

12 My people’s leaders are children. Their influencers twist them up, steering them off the path they should be on.

The Lord Steps in to Judge

13 The Lord’s standing up to lay down judgment. He is ready to handle His people.

14 He is calling out the elders and leaders, “You all the ones who drained My vineyard dry! You robbed the poor, and the stuff you stole is sitting in your houses!”

15 “What gives you the right to crush My people and grind the faces of the poor into the dirt?” says the Lord, the God of Armies.

Judgment on the Women of Zion

16 The Lord says, “These daughters of Zion out here walking around all proud, heads high, eyes rolling, stepping with attitude, showing off with every move.”

17 So the Lord is going to humble them, take away their pride, and the nice hair they love to show off will be stripped away.

18 In that day, the Lord is going to take away all their jewelry, ankle bracelets, headbands, moon charms,

19 Earrings, bracelets, veils,

20 Headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume bottles, and charms,

21 Signet rings and nose rings,

22 Party clothes, robes, shawls, purses,

23 Mirrors, linen outfits, turbans, and fancy scarves.

24 Instead of sweet smell, stink. Instead of a belt, rope. Instead of done hair, bald heads. Instead of fancy clothes, sackcloth. Instead of beauty, shame.

25 Your men are going to die by the sword, and your soldiers in war.

26 The city gates are going to cry and mourn. Jerusalem is going to sit on the ground, broken and empty.