Isaiah 3

Look at this!
The LORD of all—of everything that exists—
Is pulling the rug out from under Jerusalem and Judah.
He’s taking everything they need to live.
Every crumb of food.
Every drop of water.
2Every soldier and guard.
Every sorcerer and stateman.
3Every captain of 50.
Every advisor, artisan, and magician.
4God will appoint boys to rule you,
He’s putting children in charge.
5People will make life miserable for each other.
They go out to get whatever they can
At anyone else’s expense.
Young will push elderly aside.
Nobodies replace Somebodies.
“I don’t want to be in charge”
6In those tragic days, [1] you’ll single out a relative,
Someone from your clan.
You’ll say, “Since you’re lucky enough to have a cloak,
You’re in charge. We’re living in the ruins of a demolished city,
But what’s left will be your kingdom.”
7Your relative will say,
“Hold on. I’m not going to be in charge.
Don’t ask me to put this mess back together.
Besides, I don’t have a cloak.
I don’t even have bread.
So don’t think you’re making me leader.”
8Jerusalem tripped
And Judah fell
Because of what they said and did.
The took a stand against the glorious LORD
And they did it right to his face.
9Now look at their faces,
Written with guilt.
They don’t bother to hide their sin.
They highlight it, like Sodom did.
Too bad for them they unlocked trouble,
It’s coming back to bite them.
10Good folks will do just fine
Because they made good choices.
Now they’ll enjoy the consequences
Of what they chose to do.
11Too bad for evil people.
It won’t go well for them.
They did bad things and now those things
Are coming back for them.
12Children push my people around.
Women tell them how high to jump.
My people, listen to me.
Your leaders led you down the wrong trail.
They got you good and lost.

The LORD is taking you to court.
He’s standing as the prosecutor
To level charges against his people.
14The LORD presents the charge
Against the royal families and leaders:
“You drank the vineyards dry.
You emptied the homes of the poor.
15What do you think you’re doing?
Do you think it’s okay
To crush the life out of my people?”
Those words come from the LORD of everyone.

The LORD says, “Jerusalem’s women are all about themselves.
They walk proudly with their noses in the sky,
Eyes forever flirting, and ankle bracelets tinkling
as they skip along their merry way.
17God’s going to gift them with scabby sores,
Those proud women of Jerusalem.
They’re going to lose their hair.
God’s going to put bald heads on display."

She wore sweet perfume.
Now she stinks.
She draped herself with a sash.
Now she’s tied up with a rope.
She showed off her fancy hairdo.
Now she hides her shiny head.
She dressed in luxurious robes.
Now she’s lucky to wear a feed sack.
25Your men will die in war.
Your soldiers will fall in battle.
26The very gates of the city itself
Will break down and cry,
As Jerusalem crumbles to the ground.