Isaiah 22

1 [I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Jerusalem, about the valley where [Yahweh showed me] this vision. Why is everyone foolishly running up to their [flat] rooftops?

The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee nowe that thou art wholy gone vp vnto the house toppes?

2 Everyone in the city [seems to] be shouting. [There are a lot of] corpses [in the city], [but they] were not killed by [their enemies’] swords. They did not die in battles; [instead, they died from diseases and hunger].

Thou that art full of noise, a citie full of brute, a ioyous citie: thy slaine men shall not bee slaine with sworde, nor die in battell.

3 All the leaders of the city fled. [But then] they were captured because they did not have bows [and arrows to defend themselves]. Your [soldiers tried to] flee while the enemy [army] was still far away, but they also were captured.

All thy princes shall flee together from the bowe: they shalbe bound: all that shall be found in thee, shall be bound together, which haue fled from farre.

4 That is why I said, “Allow me to cry alone; do not try to comfort me [about my people being slaughtered].”

Therefore said I, Turne away from me: I wil weepe bitterly: labour not to comfort mee for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

5 The Commander of the armies of angels has [chosen] a time when there will be a great uproar, [soldiers] marching, and people being terrified in the valley [where I received this] vision. [It will be a time when our city] walls will be battered down and [the people’s] cries [for help] will be heard in the mountains.

For it is a day of trouble, and of ruine, and of perplexitie by the Lord God of hostes in the valley of vision, breaking downe the citie: and a crying vnto the mountaines.

6 The armies from Elam and Kir [in Media] will attack, driving chariots and carrying shields.

And Elam bare the quiuer in a mans charet with horsemen, and Kir vncouered the shield.

7 Our beautiful valleys will be filled with [our enemies’] chariots and the men who drive the chariots will stand outside [our city] gates.

And thy chiefe valleis were full of charets, and the horsemen set themselues in aray against the gate.

8 The walls that protect [the cities in] Judah will fall down. You [people of Jerusalem] will run to get the weapons [that are stored in the building called] “the Hall of the Forest”.

And hee discouered the couering of Iudah: and thou didest looke in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.

9 You will see that there are many breaks/holes in the walls of Jerusalem. You will store water in the lower pool [in the city].

And ye haue seene the breaches of the citie of Dauid: for they were many, and ye gathered the waters of the lower poole.

10 You will inspect the houses in Jerusalem, and [some of] them you will tear down to use the stones to repair the [city] wall.

And yee nombred the houses of Ierusalem, and the houses haue yee broken downe to fortifie the wall,

11 Between the walls [of the city] you will build a reservoir to [store] water from the old pool. But you will never request help from the one who made the city; you have never depended on Yahweh, who planned this city long ago.

And haue also made a ditche betweene the two walles, for the waters of the olde poole, and haue not looked vnto the maker thereof, neither had respect vnto him that formed it of olde.

12 The Commander of the armies of angels told you to weep and mourn; he told you to shave your heads and to wear rough sackcloth to show that you were sorry for the sins that you had committed.

And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call vnto weeping and mourning, and to baldnes and girding with sackecloth.

13 But instead of doing that, you were happy and celebrating; you slaughtered cattle and sheep, [in order to cook their] meat and eat it and drink wine. You said, “Let’s eat and drink [all that we want to], because [it is possible that] we will die tomorrow!”

And beholde, ioy and gladnes, slaying oxen and killing sheepe, eating flesh, and drinking wine, eating and drinking: for to morowe we shall die.

14 [So] the Commander of the armies of angels revealed this to me: “I will never forgive my people for sinning like this!”

And it was declared in ye eares of the Lord of hostes. Surely this iniquitie shall not be purged from you, til ye die, saith the Lord God of hostes.

15 The Commander of the armies of angels said this [to me]: “Go to Shebna, the official who supervises the workers in the palace, and give this message to him:

Thus sayeth the Lord God of hostes, Goe, get thee to that treasurer, to Shebna, the steward of the house, and say,

16 '[Who do you think you are?] Who gave you the authority to build a beautiful tomb where you will be buried, chiseling it out of the rocky cliff high above this valley?

What haste thou to doe here? and whome hast thou here? that thou shouldest here hewe thee out a sepulchre, as he that heweth out his sepulchre in an hie place, or that graueth an habitation for him selfe in a rocke?

17 You [think that you are] [IRO] a great man, but Yahweh is about to hurl you away. [It will be as though] he will seize you,

Beholde, the Lord wil carie thee away with a great captiuitie, and will surely couer thee.

18 and roll/crumple you into a ball and throw you away into a large distant land. You will die [and be buried] there, and your beautiful chariots will stay there [in the hands of your enemies]. And [because of what happens to you], your master, [the king], will be [very] ashamed/disgraced.

He wil surely rolle and turne thee like a bal in a large countrey: there shalt thou die, and there the charets of thy glory shalbe the shame of thy lordes house.

19 Yahweh will force you to quit working in the palace; you will be demoted from your important position.

And I wil driue thee from thy station, and out of thy dwelling will he destroy thee.

20 Then I will summon Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who has served serve me [well], to replace you.

And in that day will I call my seruant Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah,

21 I will allow him to wear your robe, and to fasten your sash around him, and I will give to him the authority that you had. He will be like [MET] a father to the people of Jerusalem and [all the other] towns in Judah.

And with thy garments will I clothe him, and with thy girdle will I strengthen him: thy power also will I commit into his hande, and hee shalbe a father of the inhabitats of Ierusalem, and of the house of Iudah.

22 I will give to him authority [MTY] over [what happens in] the palace where King David [lived]; when he decides something [MET], no one will be able to oppose it; when he refuses to do something, no one will be able to force him to do it.

And the key of the house of Dauid will I lay vpon his shoulder: so hee shall open, and no man shall shut: and he shall shut, and no man shall open.

23 I will cause his family to be greatly respected, because I will put him firmly in his position [as supervisor of the workers in the palace], like [SIM] a nail that is firmly hammered into a wall.

And I will fasten him as a naile in a sure place, and hee shall be for the throne of glorie to his fathers house.

24 Others will enable him to have much responsibility, with the result that all the members of his family, even the most insignificant ones, will be honored.'”

And they shall hang vpon him all the glorie of his fathers house, euen of the nephewes and posteritie all small vessels, from the vessels of the cuppes, euen to all the instruments of musike.

25 [But] the Commander of the armies of angels also says, “[Shebna is like] [MET] a peg that is firmly fastened to the wall. But there will be a time when I will [remove him from his position]; he will lose his power/influence, and everything that he promoted [MET] will fail. [That will surely happen] because [I], Yahweh, have said it.”

In that day, sayeth the Lord of hostes, shall the naile, that is fastned in the sure place, depart and shall be broken, and fall: and the burden, that was vpon it, shall bee cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.