God Removes the Leaders
Study note
Isaiah describes how God will remove every source of strength and stability from Jerusalem and Judah. This includes not just food and water, but all capable leaders: soldiers, judges, prophets, elders, military officers, respected citizens, advisors, and skilled workers. With no capable leaders left, young and inexperienced people will be put in charge, and society will descend into chaos where everyone fights against everyone else. Things will be so bad that people will grab anyone who has a coat and beg them to be their leader.
1 Listen! The Lord of heaven's armies will strip Jerusalem and Judah bare. He will take away all they count on. He will remove every last scrap of bread and every last drop of water. For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
2 He will remove their heroes and soldiers. He will take away their judges and prophets. Their fortune-tellers and leaders will be gone too. The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
3 He will remove their army captains and top leaders. He will take away their advisors and skilled craftsmen. He will remove their best speakers too. The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
4 "I will put young boys in charge of them. Children will be their rulers." And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
5 Everyone will push each other around. People will fight with their neighbors. Young people will disrespect the elderly, and ordinary people will insult those who deserve respect. And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
6 A man will grab his brother back at their father's house and say, "At least you still have a coat on! You be our leader. Take charge of this disaster!" When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:
7 But his brother will protest, "I cannot fix this mess! I barely have enough food and clothing for myself. Do not put me in charge of the people!" In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.
8 Jerusalem is falling apart and Judah is collapsing, because everything they say and do goes against the Lord. They insult him right to his glorious face. For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
God Judges the Leaders and the People
Study note
The people do not even try to hide their sin. They display it openly, like the people of Sodom did. God announces that things will go well for those who do right and badly for those who do wrong. The Lord stands up in court like a lawyer bringing charges against the elders and leaders of the people. They are guilty of robbing the poor and crushing the needy. This courtroom scene shows that God takes the mistreatment of the poor very seriously.
9 You can tell what they are like just by looking at their faces. They show off their sin openly like the people of Sodom and do not even bother hiding it. How awful for them! They have brought this disaster on themselves. The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.
10 Tell the people who do right that good things are ahead for them. They will enjoy the rewards of what they have done. Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11 But how awful it will be for wicked people! Things will go badly for them, because they will get exactly what they deserve. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.
12 My people are bullied by those who act like children and bossed around by leaders who send them the wrong way. My people, your guides are steering you off course, pushing you away from the right direction. As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
13 The Lord stands up to make his case. He rises to judge the people. The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.
14 The Lord brings charges against the elders and leaders of his people: "You have stripped the vineyard bare! Your houses are full of things you stole from poor people!" The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 "How dare you crush my people and grind poor people's faces into the dirt?" says the Lord who commands heaven's armies. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
Warning to the Proud Women of Jerusalem
Study note
Isaiah delivers a specific warning to the wealthy women of Jerusalem who were proud and vain. He describes how they walked with their noses in the air, flirting with their eyes and jingling the jewelry on their ankles. God then lists all of the fine jewelry and expensive clothing that will be taken away from them. Instead of perfume there will be a bad smell, instead of a fine belt there will be a rope, instead of styled hair there will be baldness, and instead of fine clothes there will be rough sackcloth. This was fulfilled when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and took the people as prisoners.
16 The Lord also says, "The women of Zion are full of themselves. They strut around with their noses in the air, flirting with their eyes, taking dainty little steps, and making their ankle bracelets jingle." Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:
17 So the Lord will cause sores to break out on the heads of the women of Zion, and he will leave them exposed and shamed. Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.
18 When that day comes, the Lord will strip away all their fancy extras. He will take their ankle chains, headbands, and moon-shaped necklaces. In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,
19 He will take away their hanging earrings, their bracelets, and their veils. The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
20 He will take their headdresses, their ankle chains, their decorative sashes, their perfume bottles, and their good luck charms. The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
21 He will take their rings and their nose jewelry. The rings, and nose jewels,
22 He will take their expensive robes, their outer wraps, their shawls, and their handbags. The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,
23 He will take their mirrors, their linen clothing, their elaborate head coverings, and their long veils. The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the veils.
24 Where there was sweet perfume, there will be a terrible stench. Where there was a beautiful belt, there will be a rough rope. Where there was styled hair, there will be shaved heads. Where there were fine clothes, there will be scratchy sackcloth. Where there was beauty, there will be the brand of shame. And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.
25 Your men will be killed in battle, and your warriors will die in the fighting. Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
26 The gates of Jerusalem will weep and mourn. The city will sit on the ground, stripped of everything. And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.