Sunday, August 17, 2014

Even now, the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts,
deprives Judea and Jerusalem
of both staff and crutch—
all food supply and water supply,
2 the valiant man and soldier,
the magistrate and prophet, the augur and elder,
3 the officer and dignitary,
advisers, skilled craftsmen, and orators.
4 I, Jehovah, will make adolescents their rulers;
delinquents will lord it over them.
5 People will oppress one another,
every man his neighbor.
The young will be insolent to the elderly,
the vile to the honorable.
6 Then will a man apprehend a kinsman
of his father’s house, and say,
You have a tunic: be our leader
and take charge of this ruination!
7 But he will raise his hand in that day
and swear, I am no physician.
There is neither food nor clothing in my house;
you cannot make me a leader of the people.
8 Jerusalem will falter and Judea fall
because their tongue and their actions
are contrary to Jehovah,
an affront to his glory before his very eyes.
9 The look on their faces betrays them:
they flaunt their sin like Sodom;
they cannot hide it.
Woe to their souls;
they have brought disaster upon themselves!
10 Tell the righteous it shall be well with them;
they shall eat the fruits of their own labors.
11 But woe to the wicked
when calamity overtakes them:
they shall be paid back
for the deeds they have done!
12 As for my people, babes subject them;
women wield authority over them.
O my people, your leaders mislead you,
abolishing your traditional ways.
13 Jehovah will take a stand and contend with them;
he has arisen to judge the nations.
14 He will bring to trial the elders of his people
and their rulers, and say to them,
It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
you fill your houses by depriving the needy.
15 What do you mean by oppressing my people,
humbling the faces of the poor?
says Jehovah of Hosts.
16 Jehovah says, moreover,
Because the women of Zion are haughty
and put on airs, painting their eyes,
ever flirting when they walk
and clacking with their feet,
17 my Lord will afflict the scalps
of the women of Zion with baldness;
Jehovah will expose their private parts.
18 In that day my Lord will strip away their finery—the anklets, head ornaments and crescents,
19 the pendants, chains and scarves, 20 tiaras, bracelets and ribbons, zodiac signs and charm
amulets, 21 the rings, the noselets, 22 the elegant dress, the shawl, the kerchief and the purse, 23
hosiery, sheer linen, millinery, and cloaks.
24 And instead of perfume there shall be a stench,
instead of the girdle, a piece of twine,
instead of the coiffure, baldness,
instead of the festive dress, a loincloth of burlap;
for in place of beauty
there shall be ignominy.
25 Your men shall be felled by the sword,
your might overthrown in war.
26 Her gateways shall lie bereaved and forlorn;
she shall sit on the ground destitute.
(Isaiah 3)