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

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 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 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 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 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.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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.’

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

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

20 “ Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant 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 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.

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 “ 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.

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 “ 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 fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory 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.

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,” 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 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.”