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 oracle concerning the valley of vision. What is the matter with you now, that you have all 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.

You who were full of noise, You boisterous town, you exultant city; Your slain were not slain with the sword, Nor did they die 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 your rulers have fled together, And have been captured without the bow; All of you who were found were taken captive together, Though they had fled far away.

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 I say, “Turn your eyes away from me, Let me weep bitterly, Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction 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 the Lord God of hosts has a day of panic, subjugation and confusion In the valley of vision, A breaking down of walls And a 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 took up the quiver With the chariots, infantry and horsemen; And Kir uncovered the shield.

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

Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots, And the horsemen took up fixed positions 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 removed the defense of Judah. In that day you depended on the weapons of 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 you saw that the breaches In the wall of the city of David were many; And you collected 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.

Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem And tore down 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 you made a reservoir between the two walls For the waters of the old pool. But you did not depend on Him who made it, Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned 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.

Therefore in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head and to wearing 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!

Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “ Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may 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.

But the Lord of hosts revealed Himself to me, “Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you Until you die,” says the Lord God of hosts.

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

Thus says the Lord God of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, To Shebna, who is in charge of the royal household,

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 right do you have here, And whom do you have here, That you have hewn a tomb for yourself here, You who hew a tomb on the height, You who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock?

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, the Lord is about to hurl you headlong, O man. And He is about to grasp you firmly

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!

And roll you tightly like a ball, To be cast into a vast country; There you will die And there your splendid chariots will be, You shame of your master’s house.’

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

“I will depose you from your office, And I will pull you down from your station.

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

“Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,

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 your tunic And tie your sash securely about him. I will entrust him with your authority, And he will become 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.

“Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will 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.

“I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, And he will become 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.

So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars.

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,” declares the Lord of hosts, “the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken.”