Isaiah 22

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

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

2 Thou that wast full of stir, a town of tumult, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

You 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.

3 All thy rulers have fled together, they are taken prisoners without the bow: all that are found of thee are made prisoners together; they were fleeing far off.

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

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

Therefore 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.

5 For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of vision; [a day of] breaking down the wall, and of crying to the mountain:

For 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.”

6 — Elam beareth the quiver with chariots of men [and] horsemen; and Kir uncovereth the shield.

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

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.

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

8 And he uncovereth the covering of Judah: and thou didst look in that day to the armour in the house of the forest;

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

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

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

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

You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.

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

You 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 planned it long ago.

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

In that day, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, called to weeping, to mourning, to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth;

13 and behold joy and rejoicing, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: — Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.

and behold, there is joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: “Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.”

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

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

15 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah of hosts: Go, get thee in unto this steward, unto Shebna, who is over the house, [and say, ]

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

16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewn thee out a sepulchre here, [as] he that heweth out his sepulchre on high, cutting out in the rock a habitation for himself?

‘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!”

17 Behold, Jehovah will hurl thee with the force of a mighty man, and will cover thee entirely.

Behold, Yahweh will overcome you and hurl you away violently. Yes, he will grasp you firmly.

18 Rolling thee up completely, he will roll thee as a ball into a wide country: there shalt thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, O shame of thy lord's house!

He 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 disgrace of your lord’s house.

19 And I will drive thee from thine office, and from thy station will I pull thee down.

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

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

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

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.

and 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.

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

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.

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

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

24 and they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all the small vessels, as well the vessels of cups as all the vessels of flagons.

They 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.

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

“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.”