1 See how the Lord,
Yahweh Sabaoth,
takes away provisions and supplies
from Judah and Jerusalem –
2 the hero and the soldier,
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner and the elder,
3 the captain and the man of rank,
the counselor, the wise man, the
craftsman, and the enchanter.
4 I will make striplings their princes
and raw lads their rulers.
5 People will oppress each other –
every neighbor his neighbor;
the young will bully the old
and the base will insult the honorable.
6 When that day comes,
a man will take hold of his brother
in the house of his father
and say, “You have clothes,
so be our leader
and rule over this heap of ruins.”
7 But he will cry out in protest:
“I cannot undertake to remedy all this,
when in my own house
there is neither food nor clothing;
do not make me leader of the people.”
8 See how Jerusalem crumbles
and Judah falls,
for in word and deed
they have defied the Lord,
and insulted his glorious presence.
Alas for the wicked!
9 The look on their faces de noun ces them: they do not hide their sin; instead, they parade it, like Sodom: Woe to them! They bring about their own downfall!
10 Say, “Fortunate are the righteous, they will eat of the fruit of their deeds.”
11 But woe to the wicked: the evil that their hands have done shall be done to them!
12 O my people, plundered by your rulers, enslaved by your creditors! O my people, your leaders de ceive you and lead you astray.
13 Yahweh takes his place in court and stands to try his people.
14 Yah weh calls to judgment the elders and the princes:
“You have devoured my vineyard. The spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 What right have you to crush the people and to grind down the poor?” declares Yahweh Saba oth.
How haughty are these women!
16 Yahweh says, “Haughty are the women of Zion, walking with their heads held high, with mincing steps, flirting with their eyes, ornaments tinkling on their ankles.”
17 But Yahweh will cover with scabs the heads of Zion’s women and make their scalps bald.
18 On that day the Lord will take away the ankle ornaments, the head bands and the crescents,
19 the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves,
20 the head dresses, the arm lets, the sashes, the perfume bottles and the amulets,
21 the signet rings and nose rings,
22 the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags,
23 the garments, the turbans, and the veils.
24 Instead of fragrance, there will be stench; instead of girdle, rope; instead of well-set hair, baldness; instead of jew eled gown, sackcloth; and instead of beauty, shame.
25 Your men will fall by the sword;
your heroes, in battle.
26 The city gates will lament and mourn
as Zion, ravaged, sits on the ground.
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Comments Isaiah, Chapter 3
• 3.9 The prophets do not speak of poverty because it would hide historic reality. In Isaiah’s view, the poor are poor because others are oppressors. The sin is in the laws and in those who have forgotten God to the point of taking power into their own hands. Isaiah denounces the sin of the leaders in order to save the entire people from God’s judgment.
• 16. Isaiah castigates the wealthy women of Jerusalem, all equipped to seduce like the idols whose jewels have been paid for with the blood of the poor. We have the same maledictions in Amos 4:1. Maledictions that the poor of today could legitimately call down on our materialist countries: we think of the astronomic sums dispensed for dogs, drugs and pornography, not to mention the remedies for those who have over-eaten.
The remainder of the discourse is in 4:1: the imminent disaster will account for the many widows; cost what it may, they will search for a husband who will give them legal protection at least.