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 oracle concerning the valley of vision. What do you mean that you have gone up, all of you, to the housetops,

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

2. you who are full of shoutings, tumultuous city, exultant town? Your slain are not slain with the sword or 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 your rulers have fled together, without the bow they were captured. All of you who were found were captured, though they had fled far away.

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 I said: "Look away from me, let me weep bitter tears; do not labor to comfort me for the destruction 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 the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the valley of vision, a battering down of walls and a shouting to the mountains.

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

6. And Elam bore the quiver with chariots 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. Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen took their stand at the gates.

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

8. He has taken away the covering of Judah. In that day you looked to the weapons 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. and you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many, and you collected the waters of the lower pool,

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

10. and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses 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. You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or have regard for him who planned 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. In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called to weeping and mourning, to baldness and 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 tomorrow we 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. The LORD of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: "Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you till you die," says 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 says the Lord GOD of hosts, "Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him:

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 have you to do here and whom have you here, that you have hewn here a tomb for yourself, you who hew a tomb on the height, and carve a habitation for yourself in the rock?

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

17. Behold, the LORD will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you,

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. and whirl you round and round, and throw you like a ball into a wide land; there you shall die, and there shall be your splendid chariots, you shame of your master's house.

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

19. I will thrust you from your office, and you will be cast down from your station.

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

20. In that day I will call my servant Eli'akim the son of Hilki'ah,

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 your robe, and will bind your girdle on him, and will commit your authority to 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 I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; 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 like a peg in a sure place, and he will become a throne of honor 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 will hang on him the whole weight of his father's house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the 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, says the LORD of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a sure place will give way; and it will be cut down and fall, and the burden that was upon it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken."