·What is wrong with you people [or What is the reason; ^LWhat to you, then]?
    Why are you on your roofs [^Croofs were flat and used for living and storage space]?
² This city was ·a very busy city [^Lfull of noise],
    ·full of noise and wild parties [town of tumult and revelry].
Now your people have been ·killed [slain],
    but not with swords,
    nor did they die in battle.
³ All your leaders ·ran away [fled] together,
    but they have been captured without using a bow.
All you who were captured
    tried to run ·away before the enemy came [or far away; or while the enemy was far away].
⁴ So I say, “Don’t look at me.
    Let me ·cry loudly [weep bitterly].
Don’t hurry to ·comfort [console] me
    about the destruction of ·Jerusalem [or my vulnerable people; ^Lthe daughter of my people].”
⁵ The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] has ·chosen a special day [^La day]
    of ·riots [tumult] and confusion.
    ·People will trample each other […and trampling] in the Valley of Vision.
The city walls will be knocked down,
    and the people will cry out to the mountain.
⁶ ·The soldiers from Elam [^LElam] will ·gather their arrows [^Lpick up its quiver]
    and their chariots and men on horses.
    Kir will ·prepare [^Luncover] their shields.
⁷ Your ·nicest [choicest; fairest] valleys will be filled with chariots.
    Horsemen ·will be ordered to guard [take their positions at] the gates of the city.
⁸     ·The walls protecting Judah will fall [^LHe removed defenses/covering from Judah; ^C“He” could be the Lord or the invading army].

·At that time [^LIn that day] the people of Jerusalem ·depended on [looked to]
    the weapons kept at the ·Palace [^Lhouse] of the Forest [^Cprobably the royal armory; 1 Kin. 7:2–5; 10:16–17].
⁹ You saw that the walls of Jerusalem
    had many ·cracks that needed repairing [breaches; breaks].
    You stored up water in the lower pool [^Cpreparation for a siege].
¹⁰ You ·counted [surveyed] the houses of Jerusalem,
    and you tore down houses to ·repair the walls with their stones [^Lstrengthen/fortify the wall].
¹¹ You made a ·pool [reservoir] between the two walls
    to save water from the old pool,
but you did not ·trust [look to] the ·God who made these things [^Lone who made it; ^Cthe “it” could be the pool, the wall or the whole city of Jerusalem];
    you did not ·respect [consider; have regard for] the One who ·planned [or fashioned; formed] ·them [it] long ago.

¹² ·At that time [^LIn that day] the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] ·told the people
    to cry and be sad [^Lcalled for weeping and mourning],
    ·to shave their heads [^Lfor baldness] and ·wear rough cloth [for wearing burlap/sackcloth; ^Csigns of sorrow and repentance].
¹³ But look, ·the people are happy
    and are having wild parties [^Ljoy and revelry].
They slaughter cattle and kill sheep;
    they eat ·the food [meat; flesh] and drink the wine.
They say, “Let us eat and drink,
    because tomorrow we will die.”

“Go to this ·servant [steward; administrator] Shebna [36:3, 11, 22; 37:2; 2 Kin. 18:37; 19:2],
    ·the manager of the palace [^Lwho is over the house].
¹⁶ Say to him, ‘What ·are you doing here [or right do you have to be here]?
    Who said you could ·cut out [carve; hew] a tomb for yourself here?
Why are you ·preparing [carving; hewing] your tomb in a high place?
    Why are you ·carving out [cutting; inscribing] a ·tomb [^Ldwelling place] from the rock?
¹⁷ Look, ·mighty one [or mere man; ^Lman]! The Lord ·will throw you away [^Lhurling will hurl you].
    ·He will take firm hold of [^LSeizing he will seize] you
¹⁸ and roll you tightly into a ball
    and throw you into another country.
There you will die,
    and there your ·fine [glorious; splendid] chariots will remain.
    You ·are a disgrace [bring shame] to your master’s house.
¹⁹ I will force you out of your ·important job [office],
    and you will be thrown down from your ·important place [position].’