Isaiah 3

Isaiah · Chapter 3

Isaiah 3:12

1For, 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.2The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,3The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.4And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.5And 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.6When 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:7In 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.8For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.9The 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.10Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.11Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.12As 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.13The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.14The 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.15What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.16Moreover 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:17Therefore 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.18In 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,19The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,20The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,21The rings, and nose jewels,22The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,23The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.24And 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.25Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.26And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
12As 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.Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths.As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
people myעַמִּי֙'a-MIH5971A
people

עַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

oppressors itsנֹגְשָׂ֣יוno-ge-SAVH5065
to oppress

נָגַשׂ (na.ga.s) 1) to press, drive, oppress, exact, exert demanding pressure 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to press, drive 1a2) to exact 1a3) driver, taskmaster, ruler, oppressor, tyrant, lord, exactor of tribute (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to be hard pressed

[is] acting like childrenמְעוֹלֵ֔לme-'o-LELH5953C
to mock

עָלַל (a.lal) (Poel) to act or play the child

and womenוְנָשִׁ֖יםve-na-SHIMH0802G
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

they have ruledמָ֣שְׁלוּMA-she-luH4910
to rule

מָשַׁל (ma.shal) 1) to rule, have dominion, reign 1a) (Qal) to rule, have dominion 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to rule 1b2) to exercise dominion

O people myעַמִּי֙'a-MIH5971A
people

עַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

guides yourמְאַשְּׁרֶ֣יךָme-'a-she-REI-khaH0833
to bless

אָשַׁר (a.shar) 1) to go straight, walk, go on, advance, make progress 1a)(Qal) to go straight on, make progress 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to go straight on, advance 1b2) to lead on (causative) 1b3) to set right, righten 1b4) to pronounce happy, call blessed 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to be advanced, be led on 1c2) to be made happy, be blessed

[are] misleadingמַתְעִ֔יםmat-'IMH8582
to go astray

תָּעָה (ta.ah) 1) to err, wander, go astray, stagger 1a) (Qal) to err 1a1) to wander about (physically) 1a2) of intoxication 1a3) of sin (ethically) 1a4) wandering (of the mind) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be made to wander about, be made to stagger (drunkard) 1b2) to be led astray (ethically) 1c) (Hiphil) to cause to wander 1c1) to cause to wander about (physically) 1c2) to cause to wander (of intoxication) 1c3) to cause to err, mislead (mentally and morally)

and [the] way ofוְדֶ֥רֶךְve-DE-rekhH1870G
way: conduct

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) : conduct/lifestyle 1) way, road, distance, journey, manner 1a) road, way, path 1b) journey 1c) direction 1d) manner, habit, way 1e) of course of life (fig.) 1f) of moral character (fig.)

paths yourאֹֽרְחֹתֶ֖יךָ'o-re-cho-TEI-khaH0734
way

אֹ֫רַח (o.rach) 1) way, path 1a) path, road 1b) the path, way, passing of life (fig.) 1c) way of living (fig.) 1d) traveller, wayfarer (meton) Aramaic equivalent: o.rach (אֹ֫רַח "way" H0735)

they have confusedבִּלֵּֽעוּ׃ סbi-LE-'uH1104
to swallow up

בָּלַע (ba.la) 1) to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to swallow down 1a2) to swallow up, engulf 1b) (Niphal) to be swallowed up 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to swallow 1c2) to swallow up, engulf 1c3) squandering (fig.) 1d) (Pual) to be swallowed up 1e) (Hithpael) to be ended

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.