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 ails you now, that you have all 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.

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

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

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

Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen 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.

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

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

You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke 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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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.’

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

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

20 I n that day I will call 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 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 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 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.

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 nail in a hard place. He will become a throne of honor 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 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.

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 “ 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,” 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.”