1 T he burden of the Valley of Vision. What -- to thee, now, that thou hast gone up, All of thee -- to the roofs?

The burden against the Valley of Vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops,

2 F ull of stirs -- a noisy city -- an exulting city, Thy pierced are not pierced of the sword, Nor dead in battle.

You who are full of noise, A tumultuous city, a joyous city? Your slain men are not slain with the sword, Nor dead in battle.

3 A ll thy rulers fled together from the bow, Bound have been all found of thee, They have been kept bound together, Afar off they have fled.

All your rulers have fled together; They are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; They have fled from afar.

4 T herefore I said, `Look ye from me, I am bitter in my weeping, Haste not 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 labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.”

5 F or a day of noise, and of treading down, And of perplexity, to the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In the valley of vision, digging down a wall, And crying unto the mountain.

For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity By the Lord God of hosts In the Valley of Vision— Breaking down the walls And of crying to the mountain.

6 A nd Elam hath borne a quiver, In a chariot of men -- horsemen, And Kir hath exposed a shield.

Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield.

7 A nd it cometh to pass, The choice of thy valleys have been full of chariots, And the horsemen place themselves diligently at the gate.

It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots, And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8 A nd one removeth the covering of Judah, And thou lookest in that day Unto the armour of the house of the forest,

He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest;

9 A nd the breaches of the city of David ye have seen, For they have become many, And ye gather the waters of the lower pool,

You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

10 A nd the houses of Jerusalem ye did number, And ye break down the houses to fence the wall.

You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall.

11 A nd a ditch ye made between the two walls, For the waters of the old pool, And ye have not looked unto its Maker, And its Framer of old ye have not seen.

You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.

12 A nd call doth the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In that day, to weeping and to lamentation, And to baldness and to girding on of sackcloth,

And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.

13 A nd lo, joy and gladness, slaying of oxen, And slaughtering of sheep, Eating of flesh, and drinking of wine, Eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.

But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

14 A nd revealed it hath been in mine ears, Jehovah of Hosts: Not pardoned is this iniquity to you, Till ye die, said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts.

Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts, “Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts. The Judgment on Shebna

15 T hus said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts: `Go, enter in unto this steward, Unto Shebna, who over the house:

Thus says the Lord God of hosts: “Go, proceed to this steward, To Shebna, who is over the house, and say:

16 W hat -- to thee here? And who -- to thee here? That thou hast hewn out to thee here -- a sepulchre? Hewing on high his sepulchre, Graving in a rock a dwelling for himself.

‘What have you here, and whom have you here, That you have hewn a sepulcher here, As he who hews himself a sepulcher on high, Who carves a tomb for himself in a rock?

17 L o, Jehovah is casting thee up and down, A casting up and down, O mighty one,

Indeed, the Lord will throw you away violently, O mighty man, And will surely seize you.

18 A nd thy coverer covering, wrapping round, Wrappeth thee round, O babbler, On a land broad of sides -- there thou diest, And there the chariots of thine honour the shame of the house of thy lord.

He will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball Into a large country; There you shall die, and there your glorious chariots Shall be the shame of your master’s house.

19 A nd I have thrust thee from thy station, And from thine office he throweth thee down.

So I will drive you out of your office, And from your position he will pull you down.

20 A nd it hath come to pass, in that day, That I have called to my servant, To Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

‘Then it shall be in that day, That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah;

21 A nd I have clothed him with thy coat, And with thy girdle I strengthen him, And thy garment I give into his hand, And he hath been for a father to the inhabitant of Jerusalem, And to the house of Judah.

I will clothe him with your robe And strengthen him with your belt; I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem And to the house of Judah.

22 A nd I have placed the key Of the house of David on his shoulder, And he hath opened, and none is shutting, And hath shut, and none is opening.

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

23 A nd I have fixed him a nail in a stedfast place, And he hath been for a throne of honour To the house of his father.

I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, And he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house.

24 A nd they have hanged on him All the honour of the house of his father, The offspring and the issue, All vessels of small quality, From vessels of basins to all vessels of flagons.

‘They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the posterity, all vessels of small quantity, from the cups to all the pitchers.

25 I n that day -- an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, Moved is the nail that is fixed In a stedfast place, Yea, it hath been cut down, and hath fallen, And cut off hath been the burden that on it, For Jehovah hath spoken!'

In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘the peg that is fastened in the secure place will be removed and be cut down and fall, and the burden that was on it will be cut off; for the Lord has spoken.’”