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 doom of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the roofs?

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].

O noiseful, tumultuous city, joyous town? thy slain ones are not slain with the sword, and not those that die in battle.

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 rulers are fled together, they are made prisoners by the bowmen: all that are found in thee are made prisoners together, who have run away from afar.

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, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly; be not urgent to comfort me, because of the wasting 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 a day of confusion, and of treading down, and of perplexity hath the Lord Eternal of hosts in the valley of vision; walls are broken, and crying is heard against the mountain.

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

And 'Elam beareth the quiver, [cometh] with men in chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovereth 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 it is so, that thy choicest valleys are full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array 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 he laid open the covering of Judah; and thou didst look on that day toward the armor 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 the breaches of the city of David have ye seen, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

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 the houses of Jerusalem have ye numbered, and ye have pulled down the houses to fortify 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 a tank have ye made between the two walls for the water of the old pool; but ye have not looked at the Maker thereof, him that fashioned it in distant times have ye not regarded.

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 the Lord Eternal of hosts called on that day for weeping, and for mourning, and for baldness, and for girding with sackcloth.

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 behold [there are] gladness and joy, slaying of oxen, and killing of sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we must 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 revealed in my ears by the Lord of hosts: Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven unto you until ye die, said the Lord the Eternal of hosts.

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 hath said the Lord, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, who is [superintendent] over the house;

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 hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewn out for thyself here a sepulchre, [the man] that hath hewn out on high his sepulchre, that holloweth out in the rock a habitation for himself?

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,

Behold, the Lord will thrust thee about with a mighty throw, O man! and will lay fast hold of 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 will roll thee up as a bundle, and [toss thee] like a ball into a country of ample space: there shalt thou die, and there shall [remain] the chariots of thy glory, thou disgrace of the house of thy lord.

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

And I will cast thee out from thy station, and from thy post shall he pull thee down.

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

And it shall come to pass on that day, that I will call my servant, for Elyakim the son of Chilkiyahu.

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

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 I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder; so that he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none 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 tent-nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a chair of honor to his father's 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 upon him all the glory of his father's house, the shoots and offshoots, all the small vessels, from the vessels of basins, even to all the vessels of flagons.

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.”

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