Isaiah 3:1-5:6

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah 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.

1In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!”

The Branch of the LORD 2In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit Or the Spirit of judgment and a spirit Or the Spirit of fire. 5Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory Or over all the glory there will be a canopy. 6It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.

The Song of the Vineyard 1I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.

2He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.

3“Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.

4What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?

5Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled.

6I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”