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

The mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning the Valley of Vision: What do you mean that you have all gone up to the housetops,

2 Y ou 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.

You who are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous and exultant city? your slain warriors have not met death with the sword or in battle.

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

All your leaders have fled together; without the bow they have been taken captive and bound by the archers. All of you who were found were bound together, though they had fled far away.

4 T herefore 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.

Therefore I said, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly. Do not hasten and try to comfort me over the destruction of the daughter of my people.

5 F or 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.”

For it is a day of discomfiture and of tumult, of treading down, of confusion and perplexity from the Lord God of hosts in the Valley of Vision, a day of breaking down the walls and of crying to the mountains.

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

And Elam take up the quiver, with troops in chariots, infantry, and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.

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

And it came to pass that your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen took their station.

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

Then removed the protective covering of Judah; and you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest in that day.

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

You saw that the breaches of the City of David were many; you collected the waters of the Lower Pool.

10 Y ou numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.

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

11 Y ou 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.

You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the Maker of it, nor did you recognize Him Who planned it long ago.

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

And in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping and mourning, to the shaving off of all your hair and to the girding with sackcloth.

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

But instead, see the pleasure and mirth, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!

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

And the Lord of hosts revealed Himself in my ears, Surely this unatoned sin shall not be purged from you until death, says the Lord God of hosts.

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

Come, go to this steward and treasurer, to Shebna, who is over the house, and say to him,

16 ‘ 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!”

What business have you here? And whom have you entombed here, that you have the right to hew out for yourself a tomb here? He hews out a sepulcher for himself on the height! He carves out a dwelling for himself in the rock!

17 B ehold, Yahweh will overcome you and hurl you away violently. Yes, he will grasp you firmly.

Behold, the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong man; yes, He will take tight hold of you and He will surely cover you.

18 H e 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.

He will surely roll you up in a bundle and toss you like a ball into a large country; there you will die and there will be your splendid chariots, you disgrace to your master’s house!

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

And I will thrust you from your office, and from your station will you be pulled down.

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

And in that day I will call My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

21 a nd 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.

And I will clothe him with your robe and will bind your girdle on him and will commit your authority to his hand; he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

22 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.

And the key of the house of David I will lay upon his shoulder; he shall open and no one shall shut, he shall shut and no one shall open.

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

And I will fasten him like a peg or nail in a firm place; and he will become a throne of honor and glory to his father’s house.

24 T hey 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.

And they will hang on him the honor and the whole weight of his father’s house: the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the flasks and big bulging bottles.

25 “ 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.”

In that day, says the Lord of hosts, the nail or peg that was fastened into the sure place shall give way and be moved and be hewn down and fall, and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for the Lord has spoken it.