1 T he mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning the Valley of Vision: What do you mean that you have all gone up to the housetops,

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

2 Y ou who are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous and exultant city? your slain warriors have not met death with the sword or in battle.

Thou that wast full of stir, a town of tumult, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

3 A ll your leaders have fled together; without the bow they have been taken captive and bound by the archers. All of you who were found were bound together, though they had fled far away.

All thy rulers have fled together, they are taken prisoners without the bow: all that are found of thee are made prisoners together; they were fleeing far off.

4 T herefore I said, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly. Do not hasten and try to comfort me over the destruction of the daughter of my people.

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

5 F or it is a day of discomfiture and of tumult, of treading down, of confusion and perplexity from the Lord God of hosts in the Valley of Vision, a day of breaking down the walls and of crying to the mountains.

For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of vision; breaking down the wall, and of crying to the mountain:

6 A nd Elam take up the quiver, with troops in chariots, infantry, and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.

—Elam beareth the quiver with chariots of men horsemen; and Kir uncovereth the shield.

7 A nd it came to pass that your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen took their station.

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

8 T hen removed the protective covering of Judah; and you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest in that day.

And he uncovereth the covering of Judah: and thou didst look in that day to the armour in the house of the forest;

9 Y ou saw that the breaches of the City of David were many; you collected the waters of the Lower Pool.

and ye have seen the breaches of the city of David, that they are many; and ye have gathered together the waters of the lower pool;

10 A nd you numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.

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

11 Y ou also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the Maker of it, nor did you recognize Him Who planned it long ago.

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

12 A nd in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping and mourning, to the shaving off of all your hair and to the girding with sackcloth.

And in that day did the Lord Jehovah of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth;

13 B ut instead, see the pleasure and mirth, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!

and behold joy and rejoicing, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine:—Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.

14 A nd the Lord of hosts revealed Himself in my ears, Surely this unatoned sin shall not be purged from you until death, says the Lord God of hosts.

And it was revealed in mine ears by Jehovah of hosts: Assuredly this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

15 C ome, go to this steward and treasurer, to Shebna, who is over the house, and say to him,

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah of hosts: Go, get thee in unto this steward, unto Shebna, who is over the house,

16 W hat business have you here? And whom have you entombed here, that you have the right to hew out for yourself a tomb here? He hews out a sepulcher for himself on the height! He carves out a dwelling for himself in the rock!

What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewn thee out a sepulchre here, he that heweth out his sepulchre on high, cutting out in the rock a habitation for himself?

17 B ehold, the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong man; yes, He will take tight hold of you and He will surely cover you.

Behold, Jehovah will hurl thee with the force of a mighty man, and will cover thee entirely.

18 H e will surely roll you up in a bundle and toss you like a ball into a large country; there you will die and there will be your splendid chariots, you disgrace to your master’s house!

Rolling thee up completely, he will roll thee as a ball into a wide country: there shalt thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, O shame of thy lord's house!

19 A nd I will thrust you from your office, and from your station will you be pulled down.

And I will drive thee from thine office, and from thy station will I pull thee down.

20 A nd in that day I will call My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

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

21 A nd I will clothe him with your robe and will bind your girdle on him and will commit your authority to his hand; he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

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 A nd the key of the house of David I will lay upon his shoulder; he shall open and no one shall shut, he shall shut and no one shall open.

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

23 A nd I will fasten him like a peg or nail in a firm place; and he will become a throne of honor and glory to his father’s house.

And I will fasten him a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a throne of glory to his father's house:

24 A nd they will hang on him the honor and the whole weight of his father’s house: the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the flasks and big bulging bottles.

and they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all the small vessels, as well the vessels of cups as all the vessels of flagons.

25 I n that day, says the Lord of hosts, the nail or peg that was fastened into the sure place shall give way and be moved and be hewn down and fall, and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for the Lord has spoken it.

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