UST GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR EZRA NEH EST JOB PSA PROV ECC SNG ISA JER LAM EZE DAN HOS JOEL AMOS OBA YNA MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL MAT MARK LUKE YHN ACTs ROM 1 COR 2 COR GAL EPH PHP COL 1 TH 2 TH 1 TIM 2 TIM TIT PHM HEB YAC 1 PET 2 PET 1 YHN 2 YHN 3 YHN YUD REV

ISA C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31 C32 C33 C34 C35 C36 C37 C38 C39 C40 C41 C42 C43 C44 C45 C46 C47 C48 C49 C50 C51 C52 C53 C54 C55 C56 C57 C58 C59 C60 C61 C62 C63 C64 C65 C66

UST ISA Chapter 3

◄ ISA 3 ► ║ ═ ©

3 Pay attention! Yahweh the Lord, the commander of the heavenly armies,

is about to take away the food and drink

that the people of Jerusalem and Judah depend on.

2 He will also take away the people they depend on, their heroes and soldiers,

their judges and prophets,

their fortunetellers and elders,

3 their military officers and important officials,

their advisors, skilled craftsmen,

and clever magicians.

4 Yahweh says, “I will make mere youths their leaders,

and immature people will make foolish decisions about them.”

5 People will treat each other cruelly;

they will fight with one another, even with their neighbors.

Young people will treat older people disrespectfully,

and insignificant people will mock those they should honor.

6 At that time, people will go to one of their relatives and say,

“You have a coat, so you must have some resources.

You be our leader!

We will give you the authority to govern our community,

which is in a very bad situation.”

7 But that relative will protest and say,

“No, I cannot fix this situation.

I do not have any food or a coat in my house.

So do not make me your leader!”

8 The people of Jerusalem and Judah are saying and doing things

that offend Yahweh right in his glorious presence.

As a result, their society has increasingly worse problems.

9 The look on their faces shows that they are guilty

of sins as bad as the ones that the people of Sodom committed.

But they sin openly, without trying to hide what they are doing.

How terrible it will be for them!

God will punish them as they deserve.

10 Tell righteous people that things will go well for them.

They will experience the good results of what they have done.

11 But how terrible it will be for wicked people!

It will be terrible because God will punish them as they deserve for the evil things they have done.

12 My people now have immature and inexperienced leaders

who are oppressing them.

Those leaders of my people are telling them to do the wrong things.

They are not providing good direction for them.

13 Yahweh is ready to judge his people,

as if he had taken his place as a prosecutor in a courtroom.

14 Yahweh brings charges against the elders and the rulers of his people.

He says, “Your houses are full of things that you have stolen from poor people.

It is as if my people were a vineyard and you had stolen all the grapes it produced.

15 How dare you oppress my people who are poor

as if you were grinding their faces into the dirt!”

This is what Yahweh the Lord, the commander of the heavenly armies, declares.

16 Yahweh also says,

“I am going to punish the women of Jerusalem because they are vain.

They hold their heads high

and flirt with their eyes.

They walk with short, dainty steps

and jingle the bracelets on their ankles.

17 To punish them, I, the Lord will make sores appear on their scalps,

and I, Yahweh, will make them go bald.”

18 When Yahweh does that, he will also strip away all the things the women of Jerusalem use to make themselves beautiful. He will take away their ankle ornaments, their headbands, their crescent-shaped necklaces, 19 their earrings, bracelets, and veils, 20 their scarves, ankle chains, sashes, perfume containers, and charms, 21 their signet rings and nose rings, 22 their fine robes, capes, cloaks, and purses, 23 and their mirrors, linen garments, turbans, and shawls.

24 Instead of smelling sweet like perfume, they will stink.

Instead of wearing sashes, they will have ropes around their waists.

Instead of having fancy hair, they will have bald heads.

Instead of wearing fine robes, they will wear rough sackcloth.

Instead of being beautiful, they will have scars from branding as captives.

25 The strong men of Jerusalem will die in battle.

26 People at the gates of the city will mourn and cry.

Enemies will plunder the city.

It will be as if Jerusalem is a desolate woman

sitting alone on the ground.