1 ¶ The burden of the valley of the vision. What ails thee now that thou art completely gone up to the housetops?

The burden of the valley of vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?

2 T hou that art full of tumults, a tumultuous city, a joyous city, thy dead are not slain with the sword nor slain in battle.

You that are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous town; your slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle.

3 A ll thy princes together fled from the bow; they were bound; all that were found in thee were bound together; the others fled far away.

All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away.

4 T herefore I said, Leave me; I will weep bitterly; do not labour to comfort me of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Therefore I said, “Look away from me. I will weep bitterly. Don’t labor to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

5 F or a day of trouble and of treading down and of wearing down by the Lord GOD of the hosts is sent in the valley of the vision to break down the wall and give a cry unto the mountain.

For it is a day of confusion, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, in the valley of vision; a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains.”

6 A lso Elam bore the quiver in a chariot of men and of horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

Elam carried his quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.

7 A nd it came to pass, that thy choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the soldiers set themselves in array at the gate.

Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate.

8 ¶ And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the house of weapons of the forest.

He took away the covering of Judah; and you looked in that day to the armor in the house of the forest.

9 Y e have also seen the breaches of the city of David that they are multiplied, and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

You saw the breaches of David’s city, that they were many; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

10 A nd ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and ye have broken down houses to fortify the wall.

You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.

11 Y e also made a moat between the two walls with the water of the old pool, but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, nor had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.

You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you didn’t look to him who had done this, neither did you have respect for him who purposed it long ago.

12 T herefore the Lord GOD of the hosts did call in this day unto weeping and to mourning and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth:

In that day, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, called to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth:

13 A nd behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine while they say, let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall die.

and behold, joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.”

14 T his was revealed in my ears by the LORD of the hosts, That surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you until ye die, saith the Lord GOD of the hosts.

Yahweh of Armies revealed himself in my ears, “Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die,” says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.

15 ¶ Thus saith the Lord GOD of the hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,

Thus says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, “Go, get yourself to this treasurer, even to Shebna, who is over the house, and say,

16 W hat hast thou here? or whom hast thou here that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here as he that hews himself out a sepulchre on a high place or that graves a habitation for himself in a rock?

‘What are you doing here? Who has you here, that you have dug out a tomb here?’ Cutting himself out a tomb on high, chiseling a habitation for himself in the rock!”

17 B ehold, the LORD will carry thee away in a hard captivity and will surely cover thy face.

Behold, Yahweh will overcome you and hurl you away violently. Yes, he will grasp you firmly.

18 H e will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country, there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall come to an end, the shame of the house of thy Lord.

He will surely wind you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a large country. There you will die, and there the chariots of your glory will be, you shame of your lord’s house.

19 A nd I will drive thee from thy place, and he shall pull thee down from thy state.

I will thrust you from your office. You will be pulled down from your station.

20 A nd it shall come to pass in that day that I will call my slave Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:

It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,

21 A nd 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.

and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will 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; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open.

I will lay the key of David’s house on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open.

23 A nd I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place, and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house.

I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father’s house.

24 A nd they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the sons and the grandsons, all the vessels of small quantity, from the cups to drink from even unto all the instruments of music.

They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers.

25 I n that day, saith the LORD of the hosts, the nail that is fastened in the sure place shall be removed and be cut down and fall and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD has spoken it.

“In that day,” says Yahweh of Armies, “the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down, and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for Yahweh has spoken it.”