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

The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?

2 y ou 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.

Thou that wast full of stir, a town of tumult, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

3 A ll 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.

All thy rulers have fled together, they are taken prisoners without the bow: all that are found of thee are made prisoners together; they were fleeing far off.

4 S o 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.”

Therefore said I, Look away from me; let me weep bitterly: labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.

5 F or 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.

For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of vision; breaking down the wall, and of crying to the mountain:

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

—Elam beareth the quiver with chariots of men horsemen; and Kir uncovereth the shield.

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

And it shall come to pass thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8 T hen 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.

And he uncovereth the covering of Judah: and thou didst look in that day to the armour in the house of the forest;

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

and ye have seen the breaches of the city of David, that they are many; and ye have gathered together the waters of the lower pool;

10 T hen you numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and tore down houses to make the wall stronger.

and ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and have broken down the houses to fortify the wall;

11 Y ou 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.

and ye have made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not had regard unto the maker thereof, neither have ye looked unto him that fashioned it long ago.

12 S o 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.

And in that day did the Lord Jehovah of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth;

13 B ut 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.”

and behold joy and rejoicing, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine:—Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.

14 B ut 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

And it was revealed in mine ears by Jehovah of hosts: Assuredly this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

15 T he Lord God of All says, “Come, go to this person in Shebna who is taking care of the king’s house. Say to him,

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah of hosts: Go, get thee in unto this steward, unto Shebna, who is over the house,

16 ‘ 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!

What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewn thee out a sepulchre here, he that heweth out his sepulchre on high, cutting out in the rock a habitation for himself?

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

Behold, Jehovah will hurl thee with the force of a mighty man, and will cover thee entirely.

18 a nd 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.’

Rolling thee up completely, he will roll thee as a ball into a wide country: there shalt thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, O shame of thy lord's house!

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

And I will drive thee from thine office, and from thy station will I pull thee down.

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

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkijah;

21 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.

and 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.

22 T hen 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.

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

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

And I will fasten him a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a throne of glory to his father's house:

24 S o 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.

and they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all the small vessels, as well the vessels of cups as all the vessels of flagons.

25 “ 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.”

In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in a sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for Jehovah hath spoken.