Esias 22

1 THE WORD OF THE VALLEY OF SION. What has happened to you, that now you are all gone up to the housetops which help you not?

The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?

2 The city is filled with shouting [men]: your slain are not slain with swords, nor are your dead those who have died in battle.

Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

3 All your princes have fled, and [your] captives are tightly bound, and the mighty [men] in you have fled far away.

All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.

4 Therefore I said, Let me alone, I will weep bitterly; labor not to comfort me for the breach of the daughter of my people.

Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.

5 For [it is] a day of trouble, and of destruction, and of treading down, and [there is] perplexity [sent] from the Lord of hosts: they wander in the valley of Sion; they wander from the least to the greatest on the mountains.

For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Sovereign YHWH of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.

6 And the Elamites took [their] quivers, and [there were] men mounted on horses, and [there was] a gathering for battle.

And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

7 And it shall be [that] your choice valleys shall be filled with chariots, and horsemen shall block up your gates.

And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8 And they shall uncover the gates of Juda, and they shall look in that day on the choice houses of the city.

And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.

9 And they shall uncover the secret places of the houses of the citadel of David: and they saw that they were many, and that one [had] turned the water of the old pool into the city;

Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

10 and that they [had] pulled down the houses of Jerusalem, to fortify the wall of the city.

And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.

11 And you procured to yourselves water between the two walls within the ancient pool: but you looked not to him that made it from the beginning, and regarded not him that created it.

Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.

12 And the Lord, the Lord of hosts, called in that day for weeping, and lamentation, and baldness, and for girding with sackcloth:

And in that day did the Master YHWH of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

13 but they engaged in joy and gladness, slaying calves, and killing sheep, so as to eat flesh, and drink wine; saying, Let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die.

And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

14 And these things are revealed in the ears of the Lord of hosts: for this sin shall not be forgiven you, until you die.

And it was revealed in mine ears by YHWH of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Master YHWH of hosts.

15 Thus says the Lord of hosts, Go into the chamber, to Somnas the treasurer, and say to him, Why are you here?

Thus saith the Master YHWH of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,

16 and what have you to do here, that you have here hewn yourself a sepulchre, and made yourself a sepulchre on high, and have graven for yourself a dwelling in the rock?

What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?

17 Behold now, the Lord of hosts casts forth and will utterly destroy [such] a man, and will take away your robe and your glorious crown,

Behold, YHWH will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.

18 and will cast you into a great and unmeasured land, and there you shall die: and he will bring your fair chariot to shame, and the house of your prince to be trodden down.

He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy master's house.

19 And you shall be removed from your stewardship, and from your place.

And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Chelcias:

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:

21 and I will put on him your robe, and I will grant him your crown with power, and I will give your stewardship into his hands: and he shall be as a father to them that dwell in Jerusalem, and to them that dwell in Juda.

And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

22 And I will give him the glory of David; and he shall rule, and there shall be none to speak against him: and I will give him the key of the house of David [upon] his shoulder; and he shall open, and there shall be none to shut; and he shall shut, and there shall be none to open.

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

23 And I will make him a ruler in a sure place, and he shall be for a glorious throne of his father's house.

And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.

24 And every one that is glorious in the house of his father shall trust in him, from the least to the greatest; and they shall depend upon him in that day.

And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.

25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, The man that is fastened in the sure place shall be removed and be taken away, and shall fall; and the glory that is upon him shall be utterly destroyed: for the Lord has spoken it.

In that day, saith YHWH of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for YHWH hath spoken it.