Isaiah 3:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.

NIV: Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.

NASB: Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him, For what he deserves will be done to him.

CSB: Woe to the wicked—it will go badly for them, for what they have done will be done to them.

NLT: But the wicked are doomed, for they will get exactly what they deserve.

KJV: Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

NKJV: Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, For the reward of his hands shall be given him.

Perhaps the most terrifying consequence for sin is to be treated as one has treated others. This is the judgement proclaimed against those Israelites in ancient Jerusalem and Judah who have been declared wicked (Isaiah 3:1–8). Due to their open sinfulness and defiance before God, they will experience the harm they have done to others.

Some of the Lord's charges against His people involved mistreatment of the poor by the rich and the powerful. In an act of divine justice, the Lord will cause those who have done such things to receive the same treatment in time (Isaiah 3:14–15).

Isaiah 3:1–15 describes what will happen when God removes all the men of importance from Jerusalem . From soldiers to commanders and judges to charms experts. Those left behind will soon turn on each other for survival, oppressing the poor and old. Any man offered the role of Jerusalem's leader will refuse, knowing he cannot bring healing or provision to God's people. The Lord will bring charges against Judah's current leaders for mistreating the poor and taking everything from them.

Isaiah reveals that the Lord will take away all the qualified men from Judah and Jerusalem in His judgment. This includes military, political, and spiritual leaders. After they're gone, the people will turn on each other to survive, trying to convince anyone with the slightest advantage to be their leader. The Lord makes his case against Judah's leaders for taking from the poor instead of providing for them. The Lord will take away from Judah's women all the adornments they displayed in public in their arrogance and immorality. Jerusalem's men will fall, and she will be left empty.

Isaiah 3 picks up where the last verse in Isaiah 2 left off (Isaiah 2:22). There Isaiah warned the people not to trust in mere men and now he proclaims that the Lord will remove all the qualified men from Jerusalem. Those left behind will turn on each other. The Lord will bring charges against Jerusalem's current leaders for mistreating the poor. Because the wealthy women of Jerusalem and Judah are arrogant and immoral, the Lord will take away all their adornments, replacing hair with baldness and beauty with enemy brands. Jerusalem's men will die, leaving her broken and empty. This likely refers to the eventual invasion of Jerusalem and the capture of her people (2 Kings 24:14).

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 9/20/2024 9:05:37 PM