Isaiah 2:6--4:1

The Lord’s Day of Judgment

2:6 Indeed, O Lord, you have abandoned your people,

the descendants of Jacob.

For diviners from the east are everywhere;

they consult omen readers like the Philistines do.

Plenty of foreigners are around.

2:7 Their land is full of gold and silver;

there is no end to their wealth.

Their land is full of horses;

there is no end to their chariots.

2:8 Their land is full of worthless idols;

they worship the product of their own hands,

what their own fingers have fashioned.

2:9 Men bow down to them in homage,

they lie flat on the ground in worship.

Don’t spare them!

2:10 Go up into the rocky cliffs,

hide in the ground.

Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord,

from his royal splendor!

2:11 Proud men will be brought low,

arrogant men will be humiliated;

the Lord alone will be exalted

in that day.

2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment,

for all the high and mighty,

for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;

2:13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,

that are so high and mighty,

for all the oaks of Bashan;

2:14 for all the tall mountains,

for all the high hills,

2:15 for every high tower,

for every fortified wall,

2:16 for all the large ships,

for all the impressive ships.

2:17 Proud men will be humiliated,

arrogant men will be brought low;

the Lord alone will be exalted

in that day.

2:18 The worthless idols will be completely eliminated.

2:19 They will go into caves in the rocky cliffs

and into holes in the ground,

trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord

and his royal splendor,

when he rises up to terrify the earth.

2:20 At that time men will throw

their silver and gold idols,

which they made for themselves to worship,

into the caves where rodents and bats live,

2:21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs

and the openings under the rocky overhangs,

trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord

and his royal splendor,

when he rises up to terrify the earth.

2:22 Stop trusting in human beings,

whose life’s breath is in their nostrils.

For why should they be given special consideration?

A Coming Leadership Crisis

3:1 Look, the sovereign Lord who commands armies

is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah

every source of security, including

all the food and water,

3:2 the mighty men and warriors,

judges and prophets,

omen readers and leaders,

3:3 captains of groups of fifty,

the respected citizens,

advisers and those skilled in magical arts,

and those who know incantations.

3:4 The Lord says, “I will make youths their officials;

malicious young men will rule over them.

3:5 The people will treat each other harshly;

men will oppose each other;

neighbors will fight.

Youths will proudly defy the elderly

and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected.

3:6 Indeed, a man will grab his brother

right in his father’s house and say,

‘You own a coat –

you be our leader!

This heap of ruins will be under your control.’

3:7 At that time the brother will shout,

‘I am no doctor,

I have no food or coat in my house;

don’t make me a leader of the people!’”

3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,

Judah falls,

for their words and their actions offend the Lord;

they rebel against his royal authority.

3:9 The look on their faces testifies to their guilt;

like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin.

Too bad for them!

For they bring disaster on themselves.

3:10 Tell the innocent it will go well with them,

for they will be rewarded for what they have done.

3:11 Too bad for the wicked sinners!

For they will get exactly what they deserve.

3:12 Oppressors treat my people cruelly;

creditors rule over them.

My people’s leaders mislead them;

they give you confusing directions.

3:13 The Lord takes his position to judge;

he stands up to pass sentence on his people.

3:14 The Lord comes to pronounce judgment

on the leaders of his people and their officials.

He says, “It is you who have ruined the vineyard!

You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor.

3:15 Why do you crush my people

and grind the faces of the poor?”

The sovereign Lord who commands armies has spoken.

Washing Away Impurity

3:16 The Lord says,

“The women of Zion are proud.

They walk with their heads high

and flirt with their eyes.

They skip along

and the jewelry on their ankles jingles.

3:17 So the sovereign master will afflict the foreheads of Zion’s women with skin diseases,

the Lord will make the front of their heads bald.”

3:18 At that time the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry, neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, 3:19 earrings, bracelets, veils, 3:20 headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets, amulets, 3:21 rings, nose rings, 3:22 festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, 3:23 garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns.

3:24 A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices,

a rope will replace a belt,

baldness will replace braided locks of hair,

a sackcloth garment will replace a fine robe,

and a prisoner’s brand will replace beauty.

3:25 Your men will fall by the sword,

your strong men will die in battle.

3:26 Her gates will mourn and lament;

deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground.

4:1 Seven women will grab hold of

one man at that time.

They will say, “We will provide our own food,

we will provide our own clothes;

but let us belong to you –

take away our shame!”