Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 01 September 2018

Well, another milestone attained, for what that is worth.
Have briefly looked over the usual "Saturday morning body count", the news of the deaths, injuries, arrests, etc. as the proximate result of the "festivities" that seem to be a culturally-ingrained imperative.  Wife and I, both of us, as a result of some of our experiences, know pretty well how to interpret some of this, and fill in some of the blanks.  Knowing, as we do, that there will be a good bit not reported, or which will be covered in the Monday or Tuesday "document dump" on page C-12 next to an advertisement.  We've both seen too much, often at close range: her work as both an EMT and a police officer certainly.  Drunk driving, and the "usual' results of that.  NOT pretty, I can assure you.  And the results of various "recreational pharmaceuticals" adding to that.  Every.Single.Weekend.
Makes it all too easy to be discouraged, but I've seen that in itself give rise to more of the same behaviors.

An unusual song for today

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Isaiah 3

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.the honourable…: Heb. a man eminent in countenanceeloquent…: or, skilful of speech

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.swear: Heb. lift up the handhealer: Heb. binder up

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.given…: Heb. done to 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.lead…: or, call thee blesseddestroy: Heb. swallow up

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.eaten: or, burnt

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:wanton…: Heb. deceiving with their eyesmincing: or, tripping nicely

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.discover: Heb. make naked

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,cauls: or, networks

19The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,chains: or, sweet ballsmufflers: or, spangled ornaments

20The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,tablets: Heb. houses of the soul

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 veils.

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.mighty: Heb. might

26And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

Isaiah 4

1And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.let…: Heb. let thy name be called upon usto take…: or, take thou away

2In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.beautiful…: Heb. beauty and glorythem…: Heb. the escaping

3And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:among…: or, to life

4When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

5And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.upon all: or, above alldefence: Heb. covering

6And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.