Isaiah , Sarah Barry
JUDGMENT ON CORRUPT LEADERS
Passage: Isaiah 3:1~15  
Key verse: 14
Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah3 See now, the Lord,
the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
both supply and support:(A)
all supplies of food(B) and all supplies of water,(C)
2 the hero and the warrior,(D)
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner(E) and the elder,(F)
3 the captain of fifty(G) and the man of rank,(H)
the counselor, skilled craftsman(I) and clever enchanter.(J)
4 “I will make mere youths their officials;
children will rule over them.”(K)
5 People will oppress each other—
man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(L)
The young will rise up against the old,
the nobody against the honored.
6 A man will seize one of his brothers
in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
take charge of this heap of ruins!”
7 But in that day(M) he will cry out,
“I have no remedy.(N)
I have no food(O) or clothing in my house;
do not make me the leader of the people.”(P)
8 Jerusalem staggers,
Judah is falling;(Q)
their words(R) and deeds(S) are against the Lord,
defying(T) his glorious presence.
9 The look on their faces testifies(U) against them;
they parade their sin like Sodom;(V)
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
They have brought disaster(W) upon themselves.
10 Tell the righteous it will be well(X) with them,
for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(Y)
11 Woe to the wicked!(Z)
Disaster(AA) is upon them!
They will be paid back(AB)
for what their hands have done.(AC)
12 Youths(AD) oppress my people,
women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(AE)
they turn you from the path.
13 The Lord takes his place in court;(AF)
he rises to judge(AG) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(AH)
against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
the plunder(AI) from the poor(AJ) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(AK)
and grinding(AL) the faces of the poor?”(AM)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(AN)
3 See now, the Lord,
the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
both supply and support:(A)
all supplies of food(B) and all supplies of water,(C)
2 the hero and the warrior,(D)
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner(E) and the elder,(F)
3 the captain of fifty(G) and the man of rank,(H)
the counselor, skilled craftsman(I) and clever enchanter.(J)
4 “I will make mere youths their officials;
children will rule over them.”(K)
5 People will oppress each other—
man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(L)
The young will rise up against the old,
the nobody against the honored.
6 A man will seize one of his brothers
in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
take charge of this heap of ruins!”
7 But in that day(M) he will cry out,
“I have no remedy.(N)
I have no food(O) or clothing in my house;
do not make me the leader of the people.”(P)
8 Jerusalem staggers,
Judah is falling;(Q)
their words(R) and deeds(S) are against the Lord,
defying(T) his glorious presence.
9 The look on their faces testifies(U) against them;
they parade their sin like Sodom;(V)
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
They have brought disaster(W) upon themselves.
10 Tell the righteous it will be well(X) with them,
for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(Y)
11 Woe to the wicked!(Z)
Disaster(AA) is upon them!
They will be paid back(AB)
for what their hands have done.(AC)
12 Youths(AD) oppress my people,
women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(AE)
they turn you from the path.
13 The Lord takes his place in court;(AF)
he rises to judge(AG) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(AH)
against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
the plunder(AI) from the poor(AJ) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(AK)
and grinding(AL) the faces of the poor?”(AM)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(AN)
Cross references
- Isaiah 3:1 : S Ps 18:18
- Isaiah 3:1 : S Lev 26:26; Am 4:6
- Isaiah 3:1 : Isa 5:13; 65:13; Eze 4:16
- Isaiah 3:2 : Eze 17:13
- Isaiah 3:2 : Dt 18:10
- Isaiah 3:2 : Isa 9:14-15
- Isaiah 3:3 : S 2Ki 1:9
- Isaiah 3:3 : S Job 22:8
- Isaiah 3:3 : 2Ki 24:14
- Isaiah 3:3 : S Ecc 10:11; Jer 8:17
- Isaiah 3:4 : ver 12; Ecc 10:16 fn
- Isaiah 3:5 : Ps 28:3; Isa 9:19; Jer 9:8; Mic 7:2, 6
- Isaiah 3:7 : S Isa 2:11
- Isaiah 3:7 : Jer 30:12; Eze 34:4; Hos 5:13
- Isaiah 3:7 : Joel 1:16
- Isaiah 3:7 : Isa 24:2
- Isaiah 3:8 : Isa 1:7
- Isaiah 3:8 : Isa 9:15, 17; 28:15; 30:9; 59:3, 13
- Isaiah 3:8 : 2Ch 33:6
- Isaiah 3:8 : S Job 1:11; Ps 73:9, 11; Isa 65:7
- Isaiah 3:9 : Nu 32:23; Isa 59:12; Jer 14:7; Hos 5:5
- Isaiah 3:9 : S Ge 13:13
- Isaiah 3:9 : S 2Ch 34:24; S Pr 8:36; Ro 6:23
- Isaiah 3:10 : S Dt 5:33; S 12:28; 28:1-14; Ps 37:17; Jer 22:15
- Isaiah 3:10 : S Ge 15:1; S Ps 128:2
- Isaiah 3:11 : S Job 9:13; Isa 57:20
- Isaiah 3:11 : Dt 28:15-68
- Isaiah 3:11 : S 2Ch 6:23
- Isaiah 3:11 : Jer 21:14; La 5:16; Eze 24:14
- Isaiah 3:12 : S ver 4
- Isaiah 3:12 : Isa 9:16; 19:14; 28:7; 29:9; Jer 23:13; 25:16; Mic 3:5
- Isaiah 3:13 : S Job 10:2
- Isaiah 3:13 : S Ps 82:1; S Isa 2:4
- Isaiah 3:14 : S 1Sa 12:7; S Job 22:4
- Isaiah 3:14 : S Job 24:9; Jas 2:6
- Isaiah 3:14 : Isa 11:4; 25:4
- Isaiah 3:15 : S Ps 94:5
- Isaiah 3:15 : S Job 24:14
- Isaiah 3:15 : Isa 10:6; 11:4; 26:6; 29:19; 32:6; 51:23
- Isaiah 3:15 : Isa 5:7
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
The LORD will judge the people for their wickedness. He will judge the elders and leaders who have ruined God’s vineyard by oppressing God’s people. Such leadership only cares about their own power and prosperity at the expense of others.
True leadership resembles Christ’s servant leadership, which reached out to the least of people, “the least of these” (Matt 25:40). Although he lacked political support and riches, Jesus brought healing, hope, and salvation to the marginalized and oppressed and to all who came to him.
Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to step up, not out of duty or honor, but out of faith that you can bless our hands, our money, and our talents, even if it seems small in our own eyes.
One Word: Step up to serve others in need