Isaiah 22

1 A declaration about the Valley of Vision: What is the reason that you have all gone up to the housetops?

The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou hast wholly gone up to the house-tops?

2 Is it so you may hear a city full of noises, a town full of revelry? Your dead were not killed with the sword, and they did not die in battle.

Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain [men are] not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

3 All your rulers fled away together, but they were captured without using a bow; all of them were captured together, though they had fled far away.

All thy rulers have fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, [who] have fled from far.

4 Therefore I said, “Do not look at me, I will weep bitterly; do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”

Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labor not to comfort me, because of the devastation of the daughter of my people.

5 For there is a day of tumult, treading down, and confusion for the Lord Yahweh of hosts, in the Valley of Vision, a breaking down of the walls, and people crying out to the mountains.

For [it is] a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.

6 Elam takes up the quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir lays the shield bare.

And Elam bore the quiver with chariots of men [and] horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

7 It will come about that your choicest valleys will be full of chariots, and the horsemen will take their positions at the gate.

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.

8 He took away the protection of Judah; and you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest.

And he uncovered the coverings of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armor of the house of the forest.

9 You saw the breaches of the city of David, that they were many, and you collected the water of the lower pool.

Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye collected the waters of the lower pool.

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

And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.

11 You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not consider the city's maker, who had planned it long ago.

Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked to its maker, neither had respect to him that fashioned it long ago.

12 The Lord Yahweh of hosts called on that day for weeping, for mourning, for shaved heads, and the wearing of sackcloth.

And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

13 But look, instead, celebration and gladness, killing cattle and slaughtering sheep, eating meat and drinking wine; let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.

And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we shall die.

14 This was revealed in my ears by Yahweh of hosts: “Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you, even when you die,” says the Lord Yahweh of hosts.

And it was revealed in my ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

15 The Lord Yahweh of hosts, says this, “Go to this administrator, to Shebna, who is over the house, and say,

Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, Go, repair to this treasurer, [even] to Shebna, who [is] over the house, [and say],

16 'What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a tomb for yourself, hewing out a grave on the heights and carving out a resting place in the rock?'”

What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulcher here, [as] he that heweth him out a sepulcher on high, [and] that graveth a habitation for himself in a rock?

17 See, Yahweh is about to throw you, a mighty man, about to throw you down; he will grasp you tightly.

Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.

18 He will surely wind you round and round, and toss you like a ball into a vast country. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will be; you will be the shame of your master's house!

With violence he will surely turn and toss thee [like] a ball into a wide country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory [shall be] the shame of thy lord's house.

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

And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.

20 It will come about on that day that I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:

21 I will clothe him with your tunic and put on him your sash, and I will transfer your authority into his hand. He will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

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.

22 I will place the key of the house of David on his shoulder; he will open, and none will shut; he will shut, and none will open.

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

23 I will fasten him, a peg in a secure place, and he will become a seat of glory for his father's house.

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

24 They will hang on him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and descendants, every small container from the cups to all the jugs.

And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.

25 On that day—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts—the peg driven in a firm place will give way, break off, and fall, and the weight that was on it will be cut off—for Yahweh has spoken.

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