Isaiah, 22

1. Oracle of the Valley of Vision: What is the matter with you now, that you have gone up, all of you, to the housetops,

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

2. O city full of noise and chaos, O wanton town! Your slain are not slain with the sword, nor killed in battle.

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

3. All your leaders fled away together, fled afar off; All who were in you were captured together, captured without the use of a bow.

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.

4. At this I say: Turn away from me, let me weep bitterly; Do not try to comfort me for the ruin of the daughter of my people.

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.'

5. It is a day of panic, rout and confusion, from the Lord, the GOD of hosts, in the Valley of Vision. Walls crash; they cry for help to the mountains.

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.

6. Elam takes up the quivers, Aram mounts the horses, and Kir uncovers the shields.

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

7. Your choice valleys are filled with chariots, and horses are posted at the gates,

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

8. and shelter over Judah is removed. On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest;

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

9. you saw that the breaches in the City of David were many; you collected the water of the lower pool.

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

10. You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, tearing some down to strengthen the wall;

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

11. you made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to the city's Maker, nor did you consider him who built it long ago.

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.

12. On that day the Lord, the GOD of hosts, called on you To weep and mourn, to shave your head and put on sackcloth.

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

13. But look! you feast and celebrate, you slaughter oxen and butcher sheep, You eat meat and drink wine: "Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"

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.'

14. This reaches the ears of the LORD of hosts-- You shall not be pardoned this wickedness till you die, says the Lord, the GOD of hosts.

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.

15. Thus says the Lord, the GOD of hosts: Up, go to that official, Shebna, master of the palace,

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

16. Who has hewn for himself a sepulcher on a height and carved his tomb in the rock: "What are you doing here, and what people have you here, that here you have hewn for yourself a tomb?"

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.

17. The LORD shall hurl you down headlong, mortal man! He shall grip you firmly

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

18. And roll you up and toss you like a ball into an open land To perish there, you and the chariots you glory in, you disgrace to your master's house!

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!

19. I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station.

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

20. On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;

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

21. I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

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.

22. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open.

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.

23. I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family;

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

24. On him shall hang all the glory of his family: descendants and offspring, all the little dishes, from bowls to jugs.

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.

25. On that day, says the LORD of hosts, the peg fixed in a sure spot shall give way, break off and fall, and the weight that hung on it shall be done away with; for the LORD has spoken.

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.'