< 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?
מַשָּׂ֖א גֵּ֣יא חִזָּיֹ֑ון מַה־לָּ֣ךְ אֵפֹ֔וא כִּֽי־עָלִ֥ית כֻּלָּ֖ךְ לַגַּגֹּֽות׃
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].
תְּשֻׁאֹ֣ות ׀ מְלֵאָ֗ה עִ֚יר הֹֽומִיָּ֔ה קִרְיָ֖ה עַלִּיזָ֑ה חֲלָלַ֙יִךְ֙ לֹ֣א חַלְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶב וְלֹ֖א מֵתֵ֥י מִלְחָמָֽה׃
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.
כָּל־קְצִינַ֥יִךְ נָֽדְדוּ־יַ֖חַד מִקֶּ֣שֶׁת אֻסָּ֑רוּ כָּל־נִמְצָאַ֙יִךְ֙ אֻסְּר֣וּ יַחְדָּ֔ו מֵרָחֹ֖וק בָּרָֽחוּ׃
4 That is why I said, “Allow me to cry alone; do not try to comfort me [about my people being slaughtered].”
עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֛רְתִּי שְׁע֥וּ מִנִּ֖י אֲמָרֵ֣ר בַּבֶּ֑כִי אַל־תָּאִ֣יצוּ לְנַֽחֲמֵ֔נִי עַל־שֹׁ֖ד בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃
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.
כִּ֣י יֹום֩ מְהוּמָ֨ה וּמְבוּסָ֜ה וּמְבוּכָ֗ה לַֽאדֹנָ֧י יְהוִ֛ה צְבָאֹ֖ות בְּגֵ֣יא חִזָּיֹ֑ון מְקַרְקַ֥ר קִ֖ר וְשֹׁ֥ועַ אֶל־הָהָֽר׃
6 The armies from Elam and Kir [in Media] will attack, driving chariots and carrying shields.
וְעֵילָם֙ נָשָׂ֣א אַשְׁפָּ֔ה בְּרֶ֥כֶב אָדָ֖ם פָּֽרָשִׁ֑ים וְקִ֥יר עֵרָ֖ה מָגֵֽן׃
7 Our beautiful valleys will be filled with [our enemies’] chariots and the men who drive the chariots will stand outside [our city] gates.
וַיְהִ֥י מִבְחַר־עֲמָקַ֖יִךְ מָ֣לְאוּ רָ֑כֶב וְהַפָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים שֹׁ֖ת שָׁ֥תוּ הַשָּֽׁעְרָה׃
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”.
וַיְגַ֕ל אֵ֖ת מָסַ֣ךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַתַּבֵּט֙ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֔וּא אֶל־נֶ֖שֶׁק בֵּ֥ית הַיָּֽעַר׃
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].
וְאֵ֨ת בְּקִיעֵ֧י עִיר־דָּוִ֛ד רְאִיתֶ֖ם כִּי־רָ֑בּוּ וַֽתְּקַבְּצ֔וּ אֶת־מֵ֥י הַבְּרֵכָ֖ה הַתַּחְתֹּונָֽה׃
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.
וְאֶת־בָּתֵּ֥י יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם סְפַרְתֶּ֑ם וַתִּתְֿצוּ֙ הַבָּ֣תִּ֔ים לְבַצֵּ֖ר הַחֹומָֽה׃
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.
וּמִקְוָ֣ה ׀ עֲשִׂיתֶ֗ם בֵּ֚ין הַחֹ֣מֹתַ֔יִם לְמֵ֖י הַבְּרֵכָ֣ה הַיְשָׁנָ֑ה וְלֹ֤א הִבַּטְתֶּם֙ אֶל־עֹשֶׂ֔יהָ וְיֹצְרָ֥הּ מֵֽרָחֹ֖וק לֹ֥א רְאִיתֶֽם׃
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.
וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֲדֹנָ֧י יְהוִ֛ה צְבָאֹ֖ות בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֑וּא לִבְכִי֙ וּלְמִסְפֵּ֔ד וּלְקָרְחָ֖ה וְלַחֲגֹ֥ר שָֽׂק׃
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!”
וְהִנֵּ֣ה ׀ שָׂשֹׂ֣ון וְשִׂמְחָ֗ה הָרֹ֤ג ׀ בָּקָר֙ וְשָׁחֹ֣ט צֹ֔אן אָכֹ֥ל בָּשָׂ֖ר וְשָׁתֹ֣ות יָ֑יִן אָכֹ֣ול וְשָׁתֹ֔ו כִּ֥י מָחָ֖ר נָמֽוּת׃
14 [So] the Commander of the armies of angels revealed this to me: “I will never forgive my people for sinning like this!”
וְנִגְלָ֥ה בְאָזְנָ֖י יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֑ות אִם־יְ֠כֻפַּר הֶעָוֹן֙ הַזֶּ֤ה לָכֶם֙ עַד־תְּמֻת֔וּן אָמַ֛ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה צְבָאֹֽות׃ פ
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:
כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה צְבָאֹ֑ות לֶךְ־בֹּא֙ אֶל־הַסֹּכֵ֣ן הַזֶּ֔ה עַל־שֶׁבְנָ֖א אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הַבָּֽיִת׃
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?
מַה־לְּךָ֥ פֹה֙ וּמִ֣י לְךָ֣ פֹ֔ה כִּֽי־חָצַ֧בְתָּ לְּךָ֛ פֹּ֖ה קָ֑בֶר חֹצְבִ֤י מָרֹום֙ קִבְרֹ֔ו חֹקְקִ֥י בַסֶּ֖לַע מִשְׁכָּ֥ן לֹֽו׃
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,
הִנֵּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ מְטַלְטֶלְךָ֔ טַלְטֵלָ֖ה גָּ֑בֶר וְעֹטְךָ֖ עָטֹֽה׃
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.
צָנֹ֤וף יִצְנָפְךָ֙ צְנֵפָ֔ה כַּדּ֕וּר אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ רַחֲבַ֣ת יָדָ֑יִם שָׁ֣מָּה תָמ֗וּת וְשָׁ֙מָּה֙ מַרְכְּבֹ֣ות כְּבֹודֶ֔ךָ קְלֹ֖ון בֵּ֥ית אֲדֹנֶֽיךָ׃
19 Yahweh will force you to quit working in the palace; you will be demoted from your important position.
וַהֲדַפְתִּ֖יךָ מִמַּצָּבֶ֑ךָ וּמִמַּעֲמָֽדְךָ֖ יֶהֶרְסֶֽךָ׃
20 Then I will summon Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who has served serve me [well], to replace you.
וְהָיָ֖ה בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֑וּא וְקָרָ֣אתִי לְעַבְדִּ֔י לְאֶלְיָקִ֖ים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּֽהוּ׃
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.
וְהִלְבַּשְׁתִּ֣יו כֻּתָּנְתֶּ֗ךָ וְאַבְנֵֽטְךָ֙ אֲחַזְּקֶ֔נּוּ וּמֶֽמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ֖ אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּיָדֹ֑ו וְהָיָ֥ה לְאָ֛ב לְיֹושֵׁ֥ב יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם וּלְבֵ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה׃
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.
וְנָתַתִּ֛י מַפְתֵּ֥חַ בֵּית־דָּוִ֖ד עַל־שִׁכְמֹ֑ו וּפָתַח֙ וְאֵ֣ין סֹגֵ֔ר וְסָגַ֖ר וְאֵ֥ין פֹּתֵֽחַ׃
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.
וּתְקַעְתִּ֥יו יָתֵ֖ד בְּמָקֹ֣ום נֶאֱמָ֑ן וְהָיָ֛ה לְכִסֵּ֥א כָבֹ֖וד לְבֵ֥ית אָבִֽיו׃
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.'”
וְתָל֨וּ עָלָ֜יו כֹּ֣ל ׀ כְּבֹ֣וד בֵּית־אָבִ֗יו הַצֶּֽאֱצָאִים֙ וְהַצְּפִעֹ֔ות כֹּ֖ל כְּלֵ֣י הַקָּטָ֑ן מִכְּלֵי֙ הָֽאַגָּנֹ֔ות וְעַ֖ד כָּל־כְּלֵ֥י הַנְּבָלִֽים׃
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.”
בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֗וּא נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות תָּמוּשׁ֙ הַיָּתֵ֔ד הַתְּקוּעָ֖ה בְּמָקֹ֣ום נֶאֱמָ֑ן וְנִגְדְּעָ֣ה וְנָפְלָ֗ה וְנִכְרַת֙ הַמַּשָּׂ֣א אֲשֶׁר־עָלֶ֔יהָ כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר׃ ס

< Isaiah 22 >