Isaiah 3:12
New International Version
Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. My people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path.

New Living Translation
Childish leaders oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you; they send you down the wrong road.

English Standard Version
My people—infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths.

Berean Standard Bible
Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths.”

New American Standard Bible
My people! Their oppressors treat them violently, And women rule over them. My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths.

NASB 1995
O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths.

NASB 1977
O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray, And confuse the direction of your paths.

Legacy Standard Bible
O My people! Their taskmasters are infants, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And swallow up the way of your paths.

Amplified Bible
O My people! Children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Your leaders lead you astray And confuse (destroy, swallow up) the direction of your paths.

Christian Standard Bible
Youths oppress my people, and women rule over them. My people, your leaders mislead you; they confuse the direction of your paths.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. My people, your leaders mislead you; they confuse the direction of your paths.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The Rulers of my people glean it, and women are authorized over my people. Announcing good news to you, they seduce you, and they have agitated the way of your paths

Brenton Septuagint Translation
O my people, your exactors strip you, and extortioners rule over you: O my people, they that pronounce you blesses lead you astray, and pervert the path of your feet.

Contemporary English Version
Though you are God's people, you are ruled and abused by women and children. You are confused by leaders who guide you down the wrong path.

Douay-Rheims Bible
As for my people, their oppressors have stripped them, and women have ruled over them. O my people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive thee, and destroy the way of thy steps.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Children will oppress my people. Women will rule them. My people, your guides mislead you, and you don't know which way to go."

Good News Translation
Moneylenders oppress my people, and their creditors cheat them. My people, your leaders are misleading you, so that you do not know which way to turn.

International Standard Version
"As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people, your leaders are misleading you— they're giving you confusing directions."

JPS Tanakh 1917
As for My people, a babe is their master, And women rule over them. O My people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, And destroy the way of thy paths.

Literal Standard Version
My people—its exactors [are] sucklings, | And women have ruled over it. My people—your eulogists are causing to err, | And the way of your paths swallowed up.

Majority Standard Bible
Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths.

New American Bible
My people—infants oppress them, women rule over them! My people, your leaders deceive you, they confuse the paths you should follow.

NET Bible
Oppressors treat my people cruelly; creditors rule over them. My people's leaders mislead them; they give you confusing directions.

New Revised Standard Version
My people—children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you, and confuse the course of your paths.

New Heart English Bible
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they who lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

World English Bible
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.

Young's Literal Translation
My people -- its exactors are sucklings, And women have ruled over it. My people -- thy eulogists are causing to err, And the way of thy paths swallowed up.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Judgment Against Judah
11Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done. 12Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths. 13The LORD arises to contend; He stands to judge the people.…

Cross References
Job 30:13
They tear up my path; they profit from my destruction, with no one to restrain them.

Proverbs 28:16
A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor, but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.

Ecclesiastes 10:16
Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.

Isaiah 3:4
"I will make mere lads their leaders, and children will rule over them."

Isaiah 9:16
For those who guide this people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up.

Isaiah 19:14
The LORD has poured into her a spirit of confusion. Egypt has been led astray in all she does, as a drunkard staggers through his own vomit.

Isaiah 28:14
Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.


Treasury of Scripture

As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.

children

Isaiah 3:4
And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

2 Kings 11:1
And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

Nahum 3:13
Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.

lead thee.

Isaiah 9:15
The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Numbers 6:23-27
Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, …

Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

destroy.

Matthew 23:14
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Jump to Previous
Acting Astray Authority Babe Cause Children Confuse Course Destroy Direction Err Eulogists Exactors Footsteps Guide Guides Lead Master Mislead Oppress Oppressors Path Paths Right Rule Ruled Ruler Sucklings Swallowed Turn Turning Wandering Way Women Youths
Jump to Next
Acting Astray Authority Babe Cause Children Confuse Course Destroy Direction Err Eulogists Exactors Footsteps Guide Guides Lead Master Mislead Oppress Oppressors Path Paths Right Rule Ruled Ruler Sucklings Swallowed Turn Turning Wandering Way Women Youths
Isaiah 3
1. The great calamities which come by sin
10. The different rewards of the righteous and wicked
12. The oppression and covetousness of the rulers
16. The judgments which shall be for the pride of the women
25. The general desolation














(12) Children are their oppressors . . .--This points, as before (Isaiah 3:4), to the youth and yet more the character of Ahaz. The influence of the queen-mother or of the seraglio was dominant in his counsels. Cowardly (Isaiah 7:2), idolatrous, delighting in foreign worships and foreign forms of art (2Kings 16:10), such was the king who then sat on the throne of Judah. And the evil worked downwards from the throne. Those who should have been the leaders of the people were quick only to mislead. Princes, priests, judges were all drifting with the current of debasement.

Verse 12. - As for my people. Return is now made to the sins of the dwellers in Jerusalem, and the first thing noted is that the people suffer from the childishness and effeminacy of their rulers. The rulers are called "oppressors" by the way here, the sin of oppression being dwelt on later (vers. 14, 15). Here the emphatic words are "children," "women." Children (see ver. 4). The rulers are "children," or rather "babes" - foolish, capricious, cowardly. It is not clear that any prince in particular is meant; rather, by the plural form, the upper class generally seems to be intended, as in Isaiah 1:10, 17, 23, etc. Women; comp. Herod., 8:88, where Xerxes says that "his men have shown themselves women, and his women men;" and see also Virg., 'AEneid '-

"O vere Phrygia, neque enim Phryges." The rulers were womanly, i.e. weak, wavering, timid, impulsive, passionate, and are therefore called actual "women." There is no allusion to female sovereigns. They which lead thee cause thee to err; or, they which direct thee lead thee astray. Professing to point out the right path, they led men away from it. Destroy the way; literally, swallow it up, or obliterate it.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Youths
מְעוֹלֵ֔ל (mə·‘ō·w·lêl)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5768: A suckling

oppress
נֹגְשָׂ֣יו (nō·ḡə·śāw)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5065: To drive, to tax, harass, tyrannize

My people,
עַמִּי֙ (‘am·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

and women
וְנָשִׁ֖ים (wə·nā·šîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

rule
מָ֣שְׁלוּ (mā·šə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4910: To rule, have dominion, reign

over them.
ב֑וֹ (ḇōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

O My people,
עַמִּי֙ (‘am·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

your guides
מְאַשְּׁרֶ֣יךָ (mə·’aš·šə·re·ḵā)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 833: To be straight, to go forward, be honest, proper

mislead you;
מַתְעִ֔ים (maṯ·‘îm)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 8582: To vacillate, reel, stray

they turn you
בִּלֵּֽעוּ׃ (bil·lê·‘ū)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1104: To swallow down, swallow up, engulf

from your paths.
אֹֽרְחֹתֶ֖יךָ (’ō·rə·ḥō·ṯe·ḵā)
Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 734: A well-trodden road, a caravan


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 3:12 As for my people children are their (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 3:11
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