< Isaiah 22 >

1 The burden of the valley of vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?
The burden of the Valley of Vision. What — to thee, now, that thou hast gone up, All of thee — to the roofs?
2 You that are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous town, your slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle.
Full of stirs — a noisy city — an exulting city, Thy pierced are not pierced of the sword, Nor dead in battle.
3 All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away.
All thy rulers fled together from the bow, Bound have been all found of thee, They have been kept bound together, Afar off they have fled.
4 Therefore I said, “Look away from me. I will weep bitterly. Do not labor to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Therefore I said, 'Look ye from me, I am bitter in my weeping, Haste not to comfort me, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.'
5 For it is a day of confusion, and of treading down, and of perplexity from the Lord, GOD of Armies, in the valley of vision, a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains.”
For a day of noise, and of treading down, And of perplexity, [is] to the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In the valley of vision, digging down a wall, And crying unto the mountain.
6 Elam carried his quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.
And Elam hath borne a quiver, In a chariot of men — horsemen, And Kir hath exposed a shield.
7 Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate.
And it cometh to pass, The choice of thy valleys have been full of chariots, And the horsemen place themselves diligently at the gate.
8 He took away the covering of Judah; and you looked in that day to the armor in the house of the forest.
And one removeth the covering of Judah, And thou lookest in that day Unto the armour of the house of the forest,
9 You saw the breaches of David’s city, that they were many; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
And the breaches of the city of David ye have seen, For they have become many, And ye gather the waters of the lower pool,
10 You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.
And the houses of Jerusalem ye did number, And ye break down the houses to fence the wall.
11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who had done this, neither did you have respect for him who planned it long ago.
And a ditch ye made between the two walls, For the waters of the old pool, And ye have not looked unto its Maker, And its Framer of old ye have not seen.
12 In that day, the Lord, GOD of Armies, called to weeping, to mourning, to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth;
And call doth the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In that day, to weeping and to lamentation, And to baldness and to girding on of sackcloth,
13 and behold, there is joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: “Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.”
And lo, joy and gladness, slaying of oxen, And slaughtering of sheep, Eating of flesh, and drinking of wine, Eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.
14 The LORD of Armies revealed himself in my ears, “Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die,” says the Lord, GOD of Armies.
And revealed it hath been in mine ears, [By] Jehovah of Hosts: Not pardoned is this iniquity to you, Till ye die, said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts.
15 The Lord, GOD of Armies says, “Go, get yourself to this treasurer, even to Shebna, who is over the house, and say,
Thus said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts: 'Go, enter in unto this steward, Unto Shebna, who [is] over the house:
16 ‘What are you doing here? Who has you here, that you have dug out a tomb here?’ Cutting himself out a tomb on high, chiseling a habitation for himself in the rock!”
What — to thee here? And who — to thee here? That thou hast hewn out to thee here — a sepulchre? Hewing on high his sepulchre, Graving in a rock a dwelling for himself.
17 Behold, the LORD will overcome you and hurl you away violently. Yes, he will grasp you firmly.
Lo, Jehovah is casting thee up and down, A casting up and down, O mighty one,
18 He will surely wind you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a large country. There you will die, and there the chariots of your glory will be, you disgrace of your lord’s house.
And thy coverer covering, wrapping round, Wrappeth thee round, O babbler, On a land broad of sides — there thou diest, And there the chariots of thine honour [Are] the shame of the house of thy lord.
19 I will thrust you from your office. You will be pulled down from your station.
And I have thrust thee from thy station, And from thine office he throweth thee down.
20 It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
And it hath come to pass, in that day, That I have called to my servant, To Eliakim son of Hilkiah.
21 and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
And I have clothed him with thy coat, And with thy girdle I strengthen him, And thy garment I give into his hand, And he hath been for a father to the inhabitant of Jerusalem, And to the house of Judah.
22 I will lay the key of David’s house on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open.
And I have placed the key Of the house of David on his shoulder, And he hath opened, and none is shutting, And hath shut, and none is opening.
23 I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father’s house.
And I have fixed him a nail in a stedfast place, And he hath been for a throne of honour To the house of his father.
24 They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers.
And they have hanged on him All the honour of the house of his father, The offspring and the issue, All vessels of small quality, From vessels of basins to all vessels of flagons.
25 “In that day,” says the LORD of Armies, “the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken it.”
In that day — an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, Moved is the nail that is fixed In a stedfast place, Yea, it hath been cut down, and hath fallen, And cut off hath been the burden that [is] on it, For Jehovah hath spoken!'

< Isaiah 22 >