1 T he oracle concerning the valley of vision. What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?

The special word about the Valley of Visions: What is wrong, that you have all gone up to the house tops,

2 Y ou 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.

you who were full of noise, you loud town, you joy-filled city? Your dead were not killed with the sword. They did not die in battle.

3 A ll 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.

All your rulers have run away together, and were taken without using the bow. All of you who were found were taken away together, even though you had run far away.

4 T herefore 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.”

So I said, “Turn your eyes away from me. Let me cry with much sorrow. Do not try to comfort me about my people being destroyed.”

5 F or 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.

For the Lord God of All has a day of fear, crushing down, and trouble in the Valley of Vision. There is a breaking down of walls and a crying out to the mountain.

6 E lam took up the quiver With the chariots, infantry and horsemen; And Kir uncovered the shield.

Elam took up the arrows with the war-wagons, soldiers and horsemen. And Kir let the battle-covering be seen.

7 T hen your choicest valleys were full of chariots, And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate.

Your best valleys were full of war-wagons, and the horsemen took their places at the gate.

8 A nd He removed the defense of Judah. In that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest,

Then God took away the safe-covering of Judah. In that day you trusted in the objects you had to fight with that were stored in the house among the trees.

9 A nd you saw that the breaches In the wall of the city of David were many; And you collected the waters of the lower pool.

You saw that there were many broken places in the wall of the city of David. You stored water in the lower pool.

10 T hen you counted the houses of Jerusalem And tore down houses to fortify the wall.

Then you numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and tore down houses to make the wall stronger.

11 A nd 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.

You made a place to store water between the two walls for the waters of the old pool. But you did not trust in God Who made it. You did not think about Him Who planned it long ago.

12 T herefore in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth.

So in that day the Lord God of All called you to cry in sorrow, to cut off the hair from your head, and to wear cloth made from hair.

13 I nstead, 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.”

But instead, there is joy and happiness, killing of cattle and sheep, eating of meat, and drinking of wine. You say, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

14 B ut 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.

But the Lord of All has made Himself known to me. The Lord God of All says, “For sure you will not be forgiven for this sin until you die.” Word about Shebna

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

The Lord God of All says, “Come, go to this person in Shebna who is taking care of the king’s house. Say to him,

16 ‘ 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?

‘What right do you have here? Who told you that you could cut out a grave for yourself here? You cut out a grave on a high place! You cut a resting place for yourself in the rock!

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

See, the Lord will throw you away without pity, O you strong man. He will take a strong hold of you

18 A nd 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.’

and roll you up like a ball to be thrown into a wide land. There you will die, and there your great war-wagons will be. You are a shame to your king’s house.’

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

I will throw you out of your place of power. I will take you down from your place.

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

In that day I will call My servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah.

21 A nd 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.

I will clothe him with your coat, and tie your belt around him. I will give him the power you had. He will become a father to the people of Jerusalem and to the family of Judah.

22 “ 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.

Then I will put on his shoulder the rule of the family of David. What he opens, no one will shut. What he shuts, no one will open.

23 “ I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house.

I will drive him like a nail in a hard place. He will become a throne of honor to his father’s house.

24 S o 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.

So they will put on him all the honor of his father’s house, and of his children, and every little dish, from the cups to all the jars.

25 I n 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.”

“In that day,” says the Lord of All, “the nail driven in a hard place will give way. It will break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off. For the Lord has spoken.”