Isaiah 22

1 [I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Jerusalem, about the valley where [Yahweh showed me] this vision. Why is everyone foolishly running up to their [flat] rooftops?

The burden of the Valley of Vision. What — to thee, now, that thou hast gone up, All of thee — to the roofs?

2 Everyone in the city [seems to] be shouting. [There are a lot of] corpses [in the city], [but they] were not killed by [their enemies’] swords. They did not die in battles; [instead, they died from diseases and hunger].

Full of stirs — a noisy city — an exulting city, Thy pierced are not pierced of the sword, Nor dead in battle.

3 All the leaders of the city fled. [But then] they were captured because they did not have bows [and arrows to defend themselves]. Your [soldiers tried to] flee while the enemy [army] was still far away, but they also were captured.

All 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.

4 That is why I said, “Allow me to cry alone; do not try to comfort me [about my people being slaughtered].”

Therefore 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.'

5 The Commander of the armies of angels has [chosen] a time when there will be a great uproar, [soldiers] marching, and people being terrified in the valley [where I received this] vision. [It will be a time when our city] walls will be battered down and [the people’s] cries [for help] will be heard in the mountains.

For a day of noise, and of treading down, And of perplexity, [is] to the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In the valley of vision, digging down a wall, And crying unto the mountain.

6 The armies from Elam and Kir [in Media] will attack, driving chariots and carrying shields.

And Elam hath borne a quiver, In a chariot of men — horsemen, And Kir hath exposed a shield.

7 Our beautiful valleys will be filled with [our enemies’] chariots and the men who drive the chariots will stand outside [our city] gates.

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

8 The walls that protect [the cities in] Judah will fall down. You [people of Jerusalem] will run to get the weapons [that are stored in the building called] “the Hall of the Forest”.

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

9 You will see that there are many breaks/holes in the walls of Jerusalem. You will store water in the lower pool [in the city].

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

10 You will inspect the houses in Jerusalem, and [some of] them you will tear down to use the stones to repair the [city] wall.

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

11 Between the walls [of the city] you will build a reservoir to [store] water from the old pool. But you will never request help from the one who made the city; you have never depended on Yahweh, who planned this city long ago.

And 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.

12 The Commander of the armies of angels told you to weep and mourn; he told you to shave your heads and to wear rough sackcloth to show that you were sorry for the sins that you had committed.

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

13 But instead of doing that, you were happy and celebrating; you slaughtered cattle and sheep, [in order to cook their] meat and eat it and drink wine. You said, “Let’s eat and drink [all that we want to], because [it is possible that] we will die tomorrow!”

And 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.

14 [So] the Commander of the armies of angels revealed this to me: “I will never forgive my people for sinning like this!”

And revealed it hath been in mine ears, [By] Jehovah of Hosts: Not pardoned is this iniquity to you, Till ye die, said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts.

15 The Commander of the armies of angels said this [to me]: “Go to Shebna, the official who supervises the workers in the palace, and give this message to him:

Thus said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts: 'Go, enter in unto this steward, Unto Shebna, who [is] over the house:

16 '[Who do you think you are?] Who gave you the authority to build a beautiful tomb where you will be buried, chiseling it out of the rocky cliff high above this valley?

What — 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.

17 You [think that you are] [IRO] a great man, but Yahweh is about to hurl you away. [It will be as though] he will seize you,

Lo, Jehovah is casting thee up and down, A casting up and down, O mighty one,

18 and roll/crumple you into a ball and throw you away into a large distant land. You will die [and be buried] there, and your beautiful chariots will stay there [in the hands of your enemies]. And [because of what happens to you], your master, [the king], will be [very] ashamed/disgraced.

And 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 [Are] the shame of the house of thy lord.

19 Yahweh will force you to quit working in the palace; you will be demoted from your important position.

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

20 Then I will summon Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who has served serve me [well], to replace you.

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

21 I will allow him to wear your robe, and to fasten your sash around him, and I will give to him the authority that you had. He will be like [MET] a father to the people of Jerusalem and [all the other] towns in Judah.

And 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.

22 I will give to him authority [MTY] over [what happens in] the palace where King David [lived]; when he decides something [MET], no one will be able to oppose it; when he refuses to do something, no one will be able to force him to do it.

And 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.

23 I will cause his family to be greatly respected, because I will put him firmly in his position [as supervisor of the workers in the palace], like [SIM] a nail that is firmly hammered into a wall.

And 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.

24 Others will enable him to have much responsibility, with the result that all the members of his family, even the most insignificant ones, will be honored.'”

And 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.

25 [But] the Commander of the armies of angels also says, “[Shebna is like] [MET] a peg that is firmly fastened to the wall. But there will be a time when I will [remove him from his position]; he will lose his power/influence, and everything that he promoted [MET] will fail. [That will surely happen] because [I], Yahweh, have said it.”

In 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 [is] on it, For Jehovah hath spoken!'