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 -- to thee, now, that thou hast gone up, All of thee -- to the roofs?

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.

Full of stirs -- a noisy city -- an exulting city, Thy pierced are not pierced of 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 fled together from the bow, Bound have been all found of thee, They have been kept bound together, Afar off they have fled.

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 said, `Look ye from me, I am bitter in my weeping, Haste not to comfort me, For 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 a day of noise, and of treading down, And of perplexity, to the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In the valley of vision, digging down a wall, And crying unto the mountain.

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

And Elam hath borne a quiver, In a chariot of men -- horsemen, And Kir hath exposed a shield.

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

And it cometh to pass, The choice of thy valleys have been full of chariots, And the horsemen place themselves diligently 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 one removeth the covering of Judah, And thou lookest in that day Unto the armour 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 the breaches of the city of David ye have seen, For they have become many, And ye gather 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 the houses of Jerusalem ye did number, And ye break down the houses to fence 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 a ditch ye made between the two walls, For the waters of the old pool, And ye have not looked unto its Maker, And its Framer of old ye have not seen.

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 call doth the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In that day, to weeping and to lamentation, And to baldness and to girding on of 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 lo, joy and gladness, slaying of oxen, And slaughtering of sheep, Eating of flesh, and drinking of wine, 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 revealed it hath been in mine ears, Jehovah of Hosts: Not pardoned is this iniquity to you, Till ye die, said 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 said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts: `Go, enter in unto this steward, Unto Shebna, who 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 -- to thee here? And who -- to thee here? That thou hast hewn out to thee here -- a sepulchre? Hewing on high his sepulchre, Graving in a rock a dwelling 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.

Lo, Jehovah is casting thee up and down, A casting up and down, O mighty one,

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 thy coverer covering, wrapping round, Wrappeth thee round, O babbler, On a land broad of sides -- there thou diest, And there the chariots of thine honour the shame of the house of thy lord.

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

And I have thrust thee from thy station, And from thine office he throweth thee down.

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

And it hath come to pass, in that day, That I have called to my servant, To Eliakim 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 have clothed him with thy coat, And with thy girdle I strengthen him, And thy garment I give into his hand, And he hath been for a father to the inhabitant 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 I have placed the key Of the house of David on his shoulder, And he hath opened, and none is shutting, And hath shut, and none is opening.

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 have fixed him a nail in a stedfast place, And he hath been for a throne of honour To the house of his father.

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 have hanged on him All the honour of the house of his father, The offspring and the issue, All vessels of small quality, From vessels of basins to all 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 -- an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, Moved is the nail that is fixed In a stedfast place, Yea, it hath been cut down, and hath fallen, And cut off hath been the burden that on it, For Jehovah hath spoken!'