The Book of Mormon
~559–545 BC

2 Nephi 13

Isaiah describes Jerusalem and Judah's collapse as leadership, resources, and order vanish. Children and base men rule while society crumbles. God judges people for sins displayed openly like Sodom. The righteous fare well, but the wicked face destruction. Haughty women will suffer humiliation.

God Will Take Away Judah’s Leaders

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will take away from Jerusalem and Judah their food and water. He will take away their strong soldiers, their men of war, their judges, their prophets, their wise men, and their elders. He will take away their army captains, their important men, their advisors, their skilled workers, and their powerful speakers.

I will let children be their leaders. Babies will rule over them. The people will hurt each other. Every person will hurt his neighbor. Children will act proud toward elders. Low people will act proud toward important people.

A man will grab his brother from his father’s house. He will say: 'You have clothes. Be our ruler. Don’t let this broken place fall under your care.' On that day he will say: 'I won’t be a healer. I don’t have any food or clothes in my house. Don’t make me a ruler of the people.'

Jerusalem Has Fallen Because of Sin

Jerusalem is broken and Judah has fallen. They spoke and acted against the Lord. They made his glory angry. The look on their faces shows their guilt. They show their sin like the people of Sodom did. They can’t hide it. How terrible it will be for them! They have brought trouble on themselves.

Tell the good people that things will go well for them. They will enjoy what they have earned. How terrible it will be for the bad people! They will die. What they have done will come back on them.

My people have children as their bosses. Women rule over them. O my people, your leaders make you go the wrong way. They ruin the path you should follow.

The Lord Judges Bad Leaders

The Lord stands up to judge the people. The Lord will judge the elders and leaders of his people. He says: 'You have eaten up the vineyard. What you stole from poor people is in your houses.' 'What do you think you’re doing? You beat my people. You crush poor people.' The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies says this.

The Proud Women of Zion

The Lord also says: 'The women of Zion are proud. They walk with their heads held high. They flirt with their eyes. They take tiny steps. They make noise with their feet.' So the Lord will make sores on their heads. The Lord will take away their beauty. On that day the Lord will take away their beautiful jewelry. He will take away their ankle bracelets and their headbands. He will take away their necklaces, bracelets, and veils. He will take away their caps, leg chains, belts, perfume bottles, and earrings. He will take away their rings and nose rings. He will take away their nice dresses, coats, shawls, and purses. He will take away their mirrors, fine clothes, hoods, and veils.

Instead of sweet smell, there will be a bad smell. Instead of a belt, there will be a rope. Instead of nice hair, they will be bald. Instead of fine clothes, they will wear rough cloth. Instead of beauty, there will be scars. Your men will die in battle. Your strong soldiers will die in war. The city gates will cry and be sad. The city will be empty and sit on the ground.

Influences

  • 13:1 — Isaiah 3:1 (KJV)
    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.
  • 13:2 — Isaiah 3:2 (KJV)
    The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
  • 13:3 — Isaiah 3:3 (KJV)
    The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
  • 13:4 — Isaiah 3:4 (KJV)
    And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
  • 13:5 — Isaiah 3:5 (KJV)
    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.
  • 13:6 — Isaiah 3:6 (KJV)
    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:
  • 13:7 — Isaiah 3:7 (KJV)
    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.
  • 13:8 — Isaiah 3:8 (KJV)
    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.
  • 13:9 — Isaiah 3:9 (KJV)
    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.
  • 13:10 — Isaiah 3:10 (KJV)
    Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
  • 13:11 — Isaiah 3:11 (KJV)
    Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.
  • 13:12 — Isaiah 3:12 (KJV)
    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.
  • 13:13 — Isaiah 3:13 (KJV)
    The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.
  • 13:14 — Isaiah 3:14 (KJV)
    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.
  • 13:15 — Isaiah 3:15 (KJV)
    What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
  • 13:16 — Isaiah 3:16 (KJV)
    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:
  • 13:17 — Isaiah 3:17 (KJV)
    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.
  • 13:18 — Isaiah 3:18 (KJV)
    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,
  • 13:19 — Isaiah 3:19 (KJV)
    The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
  • 13:20 — Isaiah 3:20 (KJV)
    The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
  • 13:21 — Isaiah 3:21 (KJV)
    The rings, and nose jewels,
  • 13:22 — Isaiah 3:22 (KJV)
    The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,
  • 13:23 — Isaiah 3:23 (KJV)
    The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.
  • 13:24 — Isaiah 3:24 (KJV)
    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.
  • 13:25 — Isaiah 3:25 (KJV)
    Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
  • 13:26 — Isaiah 3:26 (KJV)
    And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.
2 Nephi 122 Nephi 14