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Isaiah chapter 3

English Standard Version

1For behold, the Lord God of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and supply, all support of bread, and all support of water; 2 the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, 3the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skillful magician and the expert in charms. 4 And I will make boys their princes, and infants shall rule over them. 5 And the people will oppress one another, every one his fellow and every one his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the despised to the honorable. 6For a man will take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying: "You have a cloak; you shall be our leader, and this heap of ruins shall be under your rule"; 7in that day he will speak out, saying: "I will not be a healer; in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; you shall not make me leader of the people." 8For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence. 9For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. 10 Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. 11 Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. 12My people — infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths. 13The Lord has taken his place to contend; he stands to judge peoples. 14The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders and princes of his people: "It is you who have devoured the vineyard, the spoil of the poor is in your houses. 15What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor?" declares the Lord God of hosts. 16The Lord said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet, 17therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts. 18In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; 19the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; 20the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; 21the signet rings and nose rings; 22the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; 23the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.
24Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty. 25Your men shall fall by the sword and your mighty men in battle. 26And her gates shall lament and mourn; empty, she shall sit on the ground.
New International Version

1See now, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water, 2the hero and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder,
3the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.
4"I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them."
5People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honored. 6A man will seize one of his brothers in his father’s house, and say, "You have a cloak, you be our leader; take charge of this heap of ruins!"
7But in that day he will cry out, "I have no remedy. I have no food or clothing in my house; do not make me the leader of the people." 8Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling; their words and deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence.
9The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. 10Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.
11Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.
12Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. My people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path. 13The Lord takes his place in court; he rises to judge the people. 14The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: "It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses.
15What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?" declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. 16The Lord says, "The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. 17Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the Lord will make their scalps bald."
18In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, 19the earrings and bracelets and veils, 20the headdresses and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21the signet rings and nose rings, 22the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses 23and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.
24Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding. 25Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle. 26The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
New American Standard Bible

1For behold, the Lord God of armies is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the entire supply of bread And the entire supply of water; 2The mighty man and the warrior, The judge and the prophet, The diviner and the elder, 3The captain of fifty and the esteemed person, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter. 4And I will make mere boys their leaders, And mischievous children will rule over them, 5And the people will be oppressed, Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; The youth will assault the elder, And the contemptible person will assault the one honored. 6When a man lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying, 'You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler! And these ruins will be under your authority,' 7He will protest on that day, saying, 'I will not be your healer, For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; You should not appoint me ruler of the people.' 8For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, To rebel against His glorious presence. 9 The expression of their faces testifies against them, And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have done evil to themselves. 10Say to the righteous that it will go well for them, For they will eat the fruit of their actions. 11Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him, For what he deserves will be done to him. 12My people! Their oppressors treat them violently, And women rule over them. My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths. 13The Lord arises to contend, And stands to judge the people. 14The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people, 'It is you who have devoured the vineyard; The goods stolen from the poor are in your houses. 15What do you mean by crushing My people And oppressing the face of the poor?' Declares the Lord God of armies. 16Moreover, the Lord said, 'Because the daughters of Zion are haughty And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, And go along with mincing steps And jingle the anklets on their feet, 17The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.'
18On that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, 19dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 20headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 21finger rings, nose rings, 22festive robes, outer garments, shawls, purses, 23papyrus garments, undergarments, headbands, and veils.
24Now it will come about that instead of balsam oil there will be a stench; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a robe of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty. 25Your men will fall by the sword And your mighty ones in battle. 26And her gates will lament and mourn, And she will sit deserted on the ground.
Christian Standard Bible

1Note this: The Lord God of Armies is about to remove from Jerusalem and from Judah every kind of security: the entire supply of bread and water, 2heroes and warriors, judges and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders, 3commanders of fifty and dignitaries, counselors, cunning magicians, and necromancers. 4"I will make youths their leaders, and unstable rulers will govern them." 5The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the young will act arrogantly toward the old, and the worthless toward the honorable. 6A man will even seize his brother in his father’s house, saying: "You have a cloak—you be our leader! This heap of rubble will be under your control." 7On that day he will cry out, saying: "I’m not a healer. I don’t even have food or clothing in my house. Don’t make me the leader of the people!" 8For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen because they have spoken and acted against the Lord, defying his glorious presence. 9The look on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom, they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster on themselves. 10Tell the righteous that it will go well for them, for they will eat the fruit of their labor. 11Woe to the wicked—it will go badly for them, for what they have done will be done to them.
12Youths oppress my people, and women rule over them. My people, your leaders mislead you; they confuse the direction of your paths. 13The Lord rises to argue the case and stands to judge the people. 14The Lord brings this charge against the elders and leaders of his people: "You have devastated the vineyard. The plunder from the poor is in your houses.
15Why do you crush my people and grind the faces of the poor?" This is the declaration of the Lord God of Armies.
16The Lord also says: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, walking with heads held high and seductive eyes, prancing along, jingling their ankle bracelets, 17the Lord will put scabs on the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will shave their foreheads bare.
18On that day the Lord will strip their finery: ankle bracelets, headbands, crescents, 19pendants, bracelets, veils, 20headdresses, ankle jewelry, sashes, perfume bottles, amulets, 21signet rings, nose rings, 22festive robes, capes, cloaks, purses, 23garments, linen clothes, turbans, and shawls.
24Instead of perfume there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of beautifully styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothes, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding. 25Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle. 26Then her gates will lament and mourn; deserted, she will sit on the ground.
New Living Translation

1The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything they depend on: every bit of bread and every drop of water, 2all their heroes and soldiers, judges and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders, 3army officers and high officials, advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers.
4I will make boys their leaders, and toddlers their rulers. 5People will oppress each other — man against man, neighbor against neighbor. Young people will insult their elders, and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable.
6In those days a man will say to his brother, 'Since you have a coat, you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of ruins!' 7But he will reply, 'No! I can’t help. I don’t have any extra food or clothes. Don’t put me in charge!'
8For Jerusalem will stumble, and Judah will fall, because they speak out against the Lord and refuse to obey him. They provoke him to his face. 9The very look on their faces gives them away. They display their sin like the people of Sodom and don’t even try to hide it. They are doomed! They have brought destruction upon themselves.
10Tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned! 11But the wicked are doomed, for they will get exactly what they deserve.
12Childish leaders oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you; they send you down the wrong road.
13The Lord takes his place in court and presents his case against his people. 14The Lord comes forward to pronounce judgment on the elders and rulers of his people: 'You have ruined Israel, my vineyard. Your houses are filled with things stolen from the poor. 15How dare you crush my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?' demands the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
16The Lord says, 'Beautiful Zion is haughty: craning her elegant neck, flirting with her eyes, walking with dainty steps, tinkling her ankle bracelets. 17So the Lord will send scabs on her head; the Lord will make beautiful Zion bald.'
18On that day of judgment the Lord will strip away everything that makes her beautiful: ornaments, headbands, crescent necklaces, 19earrings, bracelets, and veils; 20scarves, ankle bracelets, sashes, perfumes, and charms; 21rings, jewels, 22party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses; 23mirrors, fine linen garments, head ornaments, and shawls.
24Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, she will stink. She will wear a rope for a sash, and her elegant hair will fall out. She will wear rough burlap instead of rich robes. Shame will replace her beauty. 25The men of the city will be killed with the sword, and her warriors will die in battle. 26The gates of Zion will weep and mourn. The city will be like a ravaged woman, huddled on the ground.
King James Version

1For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
2The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
3The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
4And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
5And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
6When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:
7In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.
8For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.
10Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.
12As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
13The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.
14The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts. 16Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: 17Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.
18In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, 19The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, 21The rings, and nose jewels, 22The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, 23The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. 24And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.
25Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
26And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.
New King James Version

1For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah The stock and the store, The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water; 2 The mighty man and the man of war, The judge and the prophet, And the diviner and the elder; 3The captain of fifty and the honorable man, The counselor and the skillful artisan, And the expert enchanter. 4“I will give children to be their princes, And babes shall rule over them. 5The people will be oppressed, Every one by another and every one by his neighbor; The child will be insolent toward the elder, And the base toward the honorable.” 6When a man takes hold of his brother In the house of his father, saying, “You have clothing; You be our ruler, And let these ruins be under your power,” 7In that day he will protest, saying, “I cannot cure your ills, For in my house is neither food nor clothing; Do not make me a ruler of the people.” 8For Jerusalem stumbled, And Judah is fallen, Because their tongue and their doings Are against the Lord, To provoke the eyes of His glory. 9The look on their countenance witnesses against them, And they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves. 10“Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, For the reward of his hands shall be given him. 12 As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths.” 13The Lord stands up to plead, And stands to judge the people. 14The Lord will enter into judgment With the elders of His people And His princes: “For you have eaten up the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. 15What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the faces of the poor?” Says the Lord God of hosts.
16Moreover the Lord says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, And walk with outstretched necks And wanton eyes, Walking and mincing as they go, Making a jingling with their feet, 17Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, And the Lord will uncover their secret parts.” 18In that day the Lord will take away the finery: The jingling anklets, the scarves, and the crescents; 19The pendants, the bracelets, and the veils; 20The headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands; The perfume boxes, the charms, 21and the rings; The nose jewels, 22the festal apparel, and the mantles; The outer garments, the purses, 23and the mirrors; The fine linen, the turbans, and the robes.
24And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; Instead of a sash, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty. 25Your men shall fall by the sword, And your mighty in the war. 26 Her gates shall lament and mourn, And she being desolate shall sit on the ground.

What does Isaiah chapter 3 mean?

Isaiah 3 describes more of what the Lord will take away from the people of Judah and Jerusalem in response to their faithlessness to Him. This includes qualified men and all the expensive adornments of beauty worn by women.

The previous chapter ended with a warning from Isaiah to the people: Stop trusting men to provide for and save you. They are one breath away from death (Isaiah 2:22).

Now Isaiah shows the problem with trusting in men. The Lord is going to take away all the powerful men and soldiers from Judah. As well as the judges, prophets, military leaders, counselors, and even the occult magicians and charms experts (Isaiah 3:1–3). When the Lord's judgment falls, in the form of invading armies, every man of substance will be killed or carried off.

The leaders left behind will be young, inexperienced, and weak (Isaiah 3:4). In the power vacuum that follows, the people will turn on each other, with the strong oppressing the poor and the old (Isaiah 3:5). Every person will fend for themselves. The people will try to convince any man with a cloak to become their leader (Isaiah 3:6). Overwhelmed, those elected will refuse the job (Isaiah 3:7).

Why will this happen? The people have been defying the Lord to His face. They sin boldly and out in the open. Isaiah says woe to them for they brought this upon themselves. The righteous will benefit from their good choices, but the wicked will get the same vile treatment they have given to others (Isaiah 3:8–12).

The Lord stands, as if in court, to present His charges against Israel's leaders. They are guilty of refusing the right path that Israel should be following. Instead of helping to provide for God's people, these selfish leaders have taken the food and belongings from the poor and have abused the needy (Isaiah 3:13–15).

Next, the Lord brings charges against the wealthy, haughty women of Jerusalem and Judah. Instead of being humble before the Lord because of their sin, they hold their heads high and constantly look around with seductive eyes. The Lord will take away the glory of their hair, leaving their heads bald and scabbing. He will strip them of their fancy clothes and leave them shamed and naked (Isaiah 3:16–17).

Isaiah provides a lengthy list of the clothes, jewelry, and accessories worn and carried by the rich women of his day. He says the Lord will take away everything from their anklets to their mirrors, from their pendant earrings to their occultic amulets (Isaiah 3:18–23). When judgment comes, their perfume will be replaced by stench, their fine belts with rough ropes, their styled hair with baldness, and their beauty with the brands of their enemies (Isaiah 3:24).

Speaking next of Jerusalem as a woman, Isaiah writes that her men will die in battle leaving her unprotected (Isaiah 3:25). The enemy will carry off everything and everyone of value. This is likely a reference to the eventual conquest of Jerusalem and the captivity of the people (2 Kings 24:14). This would leave Jerusalem's remnants to mourn while she sits empty and broken on a hill (Isaiah 3:26).
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