Isaiah, 22

1. Prophecy on the Valley of Vision: Now what is the matter with you for you all to be up on the housetops,

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

2. full of excitement, boisterous town, joyful city? Your slain have not fallen to the sword nor died in battle.

2. Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain [men are] not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

3. Your leaders have all fled together, captured without a bow between them, all who could be found have been captured at a blow, far though they had fled.

3. All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, [which] have fled from far.

4. That is why I said, 'Turn your eyes away from me, let me weep bitterly; do not try to comfort me over the ruin of the daughter of my people.'

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

5. For this is a day of rout, panic and confusion, the work of the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth in the Valley of Vision. The wall is sapped, cries for help ring out to the mountains.

5. For [it is] a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.

6. Elam has picked up his quiver, with manned chariots and horsemen, and Kir has bared his shield.

6. And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men [and] horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

7. Your fairest valleys are full of chariots and the horsemen take up positions at the gates;

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

8. thus falls the defence of Judah. That day you turned your gaze to the weapons in the House of the Forest.

8. And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.

9. You saw how many breaches there were in the City of David. You collected the waters of the lower pool.

9. Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

10. You surveyed the houses in Jerusalem and pulled houses down to strengthen the wall.

10. And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.

11. Between the two walls you made a reservoir for the waters of the old pool. But you did not look to the Creator of these things, you did not look to the One who fashioned them long ago.

11. Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.

12. That day the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth called on you to weep and mourn, to shave your heads, to put on sackcloth.

12. And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

13. But instead there is joy and merriment, killing of oxen, slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat, drinking of wine, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall be dead.'

13. And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

14. Then Yahweh Sabaoth revealed this to my ears, 'This guilt will never be forgiven you, until you are dead,' says the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth.

14. And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

15. The Lord Yahweh Sabaoth says this: Go and find that steward, Shebna, the master of the palace:

15. Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, [even] unto Shebna, which [is] over the house, [and say],

16. 'What do you own here, who gave you the right for you to hew yourself a tomb here?' He is hewing himself a tomb, is digging a resting-place for himself in the rock.

16. What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, [as] he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, [and] that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?

17. But Yahweh will throw you away, strong as you are, will grasp you in his grip,

17. Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.

18. will screw you up into a ball, a ball thrown into a vast space. There you will die, with your splendid chariots, disgrace to your master's palace!

18. He will surely violently turn and toss thee [like] a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory [shall be] the shame of thy lord's house.

19. I shall hound you from your office, I shall snatch you from your post

19. And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.

20. and, when that day comes, I shall summon my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

20. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:

21. I shall dress him in your tunic, I shall put your sash round his waist, I shall invest him with your authority; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the House of Judah.

21. 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. I shall place the key of David's palace on his shoulder; when he opens, no one will close, when he closes, no one will open.

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

23. I shall drive him like a nail into a firm place; and he will become a throne of glory for his family.

23. And I will fasten him [as] a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.

24. 'On him will depend all the glory of his family, the descendants and offspring, all the vessels of small capacity too, from cups to pitchers.

24. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.

25. That day, declares Yahweh Sabaoth, the nail driven into a firm place will give way, will be torn out and fall. And the whole load hanging on it will be lost. For Yahweh has spoken.'

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