Isaiah 3 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Take a look! The Lord, the Lord Almighty, is going to take away from Jerusalem and from Judah everything they rely on—all their stocks of food and all means of supplying water,
1 For, behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supply and support, the whole supply of bread, and the whole supply of water;
2 their strong fighters and soldiers, leaders and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders,
2 the mighty man, the man of war, the judge, the prophet, the diviner, the elder,
3 army captains, state officials, counselors, craftsmen, masters of magic, and experts in the occult.
3 the captain of fifty, the honorable man, the counselor, the skilled craftsman, and the clever enchanter.
4 I will give them boys as their leaders who will rule over them in childish ways.
4 I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them.
5 People will mistreat one another, person against person, neighbor against neighbor; the young will assault the old, and the dregs of society will attack those who are reputable.
5 The people will be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbor. The child will behave himself proudly against the old man, and the wicked against the honorable.
6 A man will grab hold of one of his brothers in their father's house, and tell him, “You've got a coat, you can be our leader! Take over the running of this pile of ruins!”
6 Indeed a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, “You have clothing, you be our ruler, and let this ruin be under your hand.”
7 But immediately his brother will shout back, “No, not me! I can't take care of this family's problems. In my house I don't have food or clothes. Don't put me in charge as your leader!”
7 In that day he will cry out, saying, “I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing. You shall not make me ruler of the people.”
8 For Jerusalem has collapsed and Judah has fallen because of what they said and did in opposition to the Lord, rebelling right in front of him.
8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Yahweh, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9 The look on their faces proves what they've done, proclaiming their sin just like Sodom—they don't even bother to try and hide it! Tragedy is coming to them! They have brought disaster down upon themselves.
9 The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don’t hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought disaster upon themselves.
10 Tell those who live right that they will be fine, for they will be happy to receive the reward for what they have done.
10 Tell the righteous that it will be well with them, for they will eat the fruit of their deeds.
11 But tragedy comes to the wicked, for what they did will be done to them.
11 Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them, for the deeds of their hands will be paid back to them.
12 Leaders who act in childish ways mistreat my people; women rule over them. My people, your leaders are misleading you, confusing you about which way to go.
12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people, those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.
13 The Lord stands up to prosecute his case. The Lord stands up to judge the people.
13 Yahweh stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples.
14 The Lord comes to give his judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: You are the ones who have destroyed my vineyard; your houses are full with everything you've stolen from the poor.
14 Yahweh will enter into judgment with the elders of his people and their leaders: “It is you who have eaten up the vineyard. The plunder of the poor is in your houses.
15 Why have you crushed my people? Why have you ground the faces of the poor into the dirt? the Lord Almighty demands to know.
15 What do you mean that you crush my people, and grind the face of the poor?” says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.
16 The Lord says, The women of Zion are so conceited, walking with their heads held high, giving flirty glances, tripping along with their ankle bracelets jingling.
16 Moreover Yahweh said, “Because the daughters of Zion are arrogant, and walk with outstretched necks and flirting eyes, walking daintily as they go, jingling ornaments on their feet;
17 So the Lord will make their heads full of scabs, and the Lord will expose their private parts.
17 therefore the Lord brings sores on the crown of the head of the women of Zion, and Yahweh will make their scalps bald.”
18 At that time the Lord will remove their fine ornaments: ankle bracelets, headbands, crescent necklaces,
18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, the headbands, the crescent necklaces,
19 pendant earrings, bracelets, veils,
19 the earrings, the bracelets, the veils,
20 headdresses, bangles, sashes, perfume holders, lucky charms,
20 the headdresses, the ankle chains, the sashes, the perfume containers, the charms,
21 rings, nose rings,
21 the signet rings, the nose rings,
22 festival clothes, gowns, cloaks, handbags,
22 the fine robes, the capes, the cloaks, the purses,
23 hand mirrors, fine linen underwear, head wraps, and shawls.
23 the hand mirrors, the fine linen garments, the tiaras, and the shawls.
24 What will happen is that instead of smelling of perfume, she will stink. Instead of a wearing a sash, she will be tied with a rope. Instead of styled hair, she will be bald. Instead of fine clothes, she will wear sackcloth. Instead of looking beautiful, she will be shamed.
24 It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of well set hair, baldness; instead of a robe, a wearing of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will be killed by the sword; your soldiers will die in battle.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty in the war.
26 The gates of Zion will cry and mourn. The city will be like a banished woman sitting on the ground.
26 Her gates shall lament and mourn. She shall be desolate and sit on the ground.
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Leviticus 26:26; Isaiah 1:24; Ezekiel 4:16–17; Ezekiel 14:13; Isaiah 5:13
- 2 2 Kings 24:14–16; Isaiah 9:14–15; Ezekiel 8:12; Amos 2:3; Ezekiel 9:5
- 3 Exodus 18:21; Judges 8:18; Deuteronomy 1:15; 1 Samuel 8:12; Exodus 4:10
- 4 Ecclesiastes 10:16; 2 Chronicles 36:9; 2 Chronicles 33:1; 2 Chronicles 36:5; 1 Kings 3:7–9
- 5 Jeremiah 9:3–8; Malachi 3:5; Micah 3:11; Mark 14:65; Ezekiel 22:12
- 6 Isaiah 4:1; Judges 11:6–8; John 6:15
- 7 Hosea 5:13; Hosea 6:1; Deuteronomy 32:40; Ezekiel 34:4; Revelation 10:5–6
- 8 Ezekiel 9:9; 1 Corinthians 10:22; Malachi 3:13–15; Hosea 7:16; Lamentations 5:16–17
- 9 Genesis 13:13; Genesis 18:20–21; Jeremiah 6:15; Proverbs 30:13; 2 Kings 9:30
- 10 Psalm 128:1–2; Hebrews 6:10; Galatians 6:7–8; Ecclesiastes 8:12; Ezekiel 18:9–19
- 11 Ecclesiastes 8:13; James 2:13; Psalm 120:3–4; Psalm 28:4; Psalm 62:12
- 12 Isaiah 3:4; Nahum 3:13; Isaiah 28:14–15; 2 Kings 11:1; Isaiah 9:15–16
- 13 Micah 6:2; Hosea 4:1–2; Psalm 12:5; Proverbs 22:22–23; Proverbs 23:10–11
- 14 Job 22:4; Job 24:9; Isaiah 3:2–3; Amos 4:1; Psalm 143:2
- 15 Micah 3:2–3; Psalm 94:5; Amos 8:4–6; Amos 2:6–7; Ezekiel 18:2
- 16 Isaiah 32:9–11; Ezekiel 16:49–50; Proverbs 30:13; Luke 23:28; Isaiah 4:4
- 17 Jeremiah 13:22; Revelation 16:2; Isaiah 20:4; Leviticus 13:43–44; Micah 1:11
- 18 Judges 8:21; Judges 8:26
- 19 Ezekiel 16:11; Genesis 24:30; Genesis 24:53; Numbers 31:50; Exodus 35:22
- 20 Exodus 39:28; Hosea 2:13; Genesis 35:4; Ezekiel 16:12; Exodus 32:2
- 21 Genesis 24:47; 1 Peter 3:3–4; Ezekiel 16:12; Genesis 41:42; 1 Timothy 2:9–10
- 23 Revelation 19:8; Song of Songs 5:7; Exodus 38:8; Genesis 41:42; Ezekiel 16:10
- 24 Ezekiel 27:31; Lamentations 2:10; Isaiah 15:3; 1 Peter 3:3; Micah 1:16
- 25 Isaiah 1:20; Jeremiah 18:21; Lamentations 2:21; Jeremiah 11:22; 2 Chronicles 29:9
- 26 Jeremiah 14:2; Lamentations 2:10; Lamentations 1:4; Job 2:13; Luke 19:44
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And shouldest thou enter into a church, thou goest forth, without getting anything but countless leers, and revilings, and curses, not from the beholders only, but also from the prophet. For straightway Isaiah, that hath the fullest voice of all, as soon as he hath seen thee, will cry out, "These things saith the Lord against the princely daughters of …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Esaias says, Woe unto their soul, for they have taken evil counsel against themselves, saying, Let us bind the Just, for He is troublesome to us.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
Again, He was led to the judgment-seat before the Elders; thou hast already the testimony to this, The Lord Himself will come into judgment with the ancients of His people, and with the princes thereof.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)