ישעה 22

1 משא גיא חזיון מה לך אפוא כי עלית כלך לגגות

[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?

2 תשאות מלאה עיר הומיה--קריה עליזה חלליך לא חללי חרב ולא מתי מלחמה

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].

3 כל קציניך נדדו יחד מקשת אסרו כל נמצאיך אסרו יחדו מרחוק ברחו

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.

4 על כן אמרתי שעו מני אמרר בבכי אל תאיצו לנחמני על שד בת עמי

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

5 כי יום מהומה ומבוסה ומבוכה לאדני יהוה צבאות--בגי חזיון מקרקר קר ושוע אל ההר

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.

6 ועילם נשא אשפה ברכב אדם פרשים וקיר ערה מגן

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

7 ויהי מבחר עמקיך מלאו רכב והפרשים שת שתו השערה

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

8 ויגל את מסך יהודה ותבט ביום ההוא אל נשק בית היער

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”.

9 ואת בקיעי עיר דוד ראיתם כי רבו ותקבצו את מי הברכה התחתונה

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].

10 ואת בתי ירושלם ספרתם ותתצו הבתים לבצר החומה

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

11 ומקוה עשיתם בין החמתים למי הברכה הישנה ולא הבטתם אל עשיה ויצרה מרחוק לא ראיתם

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.

12 ויקרא אדני יהוה צבאות--ביום ההוא לבכי ולמספד ולקרחה ולחגר שק

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.

13 והנה ששון ושמחה הרג בקר ושחט צאן אכל בשר ושתות יין אכול ושתו כי מחר נמות

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!”

14 ונגלה באזני יהוה צבאות אם יכפר העון הזה לכם עד תמתון אמר אדני יהוה צבאות

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

15 כה אמר אדני יהוה צבאות לך בא אל הסכן הזה על שבנא אשר על הבית

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:

16 מה לך פה ומי לך פה כי חצבת לך פה קבר חצבי מרום קברו חקקי בסלע משכן לו

'[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?

17 הנה יהוה מטלטלך טלטלה גבר ועטך עטה

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,

18 צנוף יצנפך צנפה כדור אל ארץ רחבת ידים שמה תמות ושמה מרכבות כבודך--קלון בית אדניך

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.

19 והדפתיך ממצבך וממעמדך יהרסך

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

20 והיה ביום ההוא וקראתי לעבדי לאליקים בן חלקיהו

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

21 והלבשתיו כתנתך ואבנטך אחזקנו וממשלתך אתן בידו והיה לאב ליושב ירושלם ולבית יהודה

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.

22 ונתתי מפתח בית דוד על שכמו ופתח ואין סגר וסגר ואין פתח

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.

23 ותקעתיו יתד במקום נאמן והיה לכסא כבוד לבית אביו

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.

24 ותלו עליו כל כבוד בית אביו הצאצאים והצפעות כל כלי הקטן--מכלי האגנות ועד כל כלי הנבלים

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.'”

25 ביום ההוא נאם יהוה צבאות תמוש היתד התקועה במקום נאמן ונגדעה ונפלה ונכרת המשא אשר עליה--כי יהוה דבר

[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.”