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An Oracle Concerning the Valley of Vision

22 The [a]oracle concerning the (A)valley of vision.

What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the (B)housetops?
You who were full of noise,
You roaring city, you (C)exultant town;
Your slain were (D)not slain with the sword,
Nor [b]did they die in battle.
(E)All your rulers have fled together,
And have been captured [c]without the bow;
All of you who were found were captured together,
[d]Though they had fled far away.
Therefore I say, “Turn your gaze away from me,
Let me (F)weep bitterly,
Do not insist on comforting me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”
(G)For Lord Yahweh of hosts has a (H)day of confusion, (I)oppression, and panic
(J)In the valley of vision,
A breaking down of walls
And a crying [e]to the mountain.
(K)Now Elam took up the quiver
With the chariots, [f]infantry, and horsemen;
And (L)Kir uncovered the shield.
Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots,
And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate.
And He revealed the [g]defense of Judah.
In that day you looked to the weapons of the (M)house of the forest,
And you saw that the breaches
In the wall of the city of David were many;
And you (N)collected the waters of the lower pool.
10 Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem
And tore down houses to fortify the wall.
11 And you made a reservoir (O)between the two walls
For the waters of the (P)old pool.
But you did not look to Him who made it,
Nor did you see Him who formed it long ago.

12 Therefore in that day Lord Yahweh of hosts called you to (Q)weeping, to wailing,
To (R)shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth.
13 Instead, behold, there is (S)joy and gladness,
Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep,
Eating of meat and drinking of wine:
(T)Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”
14 But Yahweh of hosts revealed Himself in my ears,
“Surely this (U)iniquity (V)shall not be atoned for you
(W)Until you die,” says Lord Yahweh of hosts.

15 Thus says Lord Yahweh of hosts,

“Come, go to this steward,
To (X)Shebna, who is in charge of the royal household,
16 ‘What right do you have here,
And whom do you have here,
That you have (Y)hewn a tomb for yourself here,
You who hew a tomb on the height,
You who carve a dwelling place for [h]yourself in the cliff?
17 Behold, Yahweh is about to hurl you headlong, O man.
And He is about to grasp you firmly
18 And He will surely roll you tightly like a ball,
To be (Z)cast into a vast country;
There you will die,
And there your glorious chariots will be,
You disgrace of your master’s house.’
19 I will (AA)push you out of your office,
And [i]I will pull you down from your station.
20 Then it will be in that day,
That I will summon My servant (AB)Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
21 And I will clothe him with your tunic
And tie your sash securely about him.
I will give your [j]authority into his hand,
And he will become a (AC)father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
22 Then I will set (AD)the key of the (AE)house of David on his shoulder,
When he opens no one will shut,
When he shuts no one will (AF)open.
23 I will drive him like a (AG)peg in a firm place,
And he will become a (AH)throne of glory to his father’s house.

24 So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and [k]issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars. 25 In that day,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “the (AI)peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even (AJ)break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for (AK)Yahweh has spoken.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 22:1 Or burden of
  2. Isaiah 22:2 Lit dead in battle
  3. Isaiah 22:3 Lit from a bow
  4. Isaiah 22:3 As in ancient versions; Heb They fled far away
  5. Isaiah 22:5 Or against
  6. Isaiah 22:6 Lit man
  7. Isaiah 22:8 Lit screen, covering
  8. Isaiah 22:16 Lit himself
  9. Isaiah 22:19 As in many ancient versions; Heb He
  10. Isaiah 22:21 Lit rule
  11. Isaiah 22:24 Or possibly leaf

22 The [a]burden of the valley of vision.

What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops? O thou that art full of shoutings, a tumultuous city, a joyous town; thy slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle. All thy rulers fled away together, they were bound [b]by the archers; all that were found of thee were bound together; [c]they fled afar off. Therefore said I, Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; [d]labor not to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

For it is a day of discomfiture, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of vision; a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the [e]mountains. And Elam bare the quiver, with [f]chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield. And it came to pass, that thy choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate. And he took away the covering of Judah; and thou didst look in that day to the armor in the house of the forest. And ye saw the breaches of the city of David, that they were many; and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool; 10 and ye numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and ye brake down the houses to fortify the wall; 11 ye made also a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But ye looked not unto [g]him that had done this, neither had ye respect unto him that purposed it long ago.

12 And in that day did the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: 13 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 And Jehovah of hosts revealed himself in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be [h]forgiven you till ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

15 Thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, Go, get thee unto this [i]treasurer, even unto Shebna, who is over the house, and say, 16 What doest thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out here a sepulchre? hewing him out a sepulchre on high, graving a habitation for himself in the rock! 17 Behold, Jehovah, [j]like a strong man, will hurl thee away violently; yea, he will [k]wrap thee up closely. 18 He will surely wind thee round and round, and toss thee like a ball into a large country; there shalt thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, thou shame of thy lord’s house. 19 And I will thrust thee from thine office; and from thy station shalt thou be pulled down. 20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: 21 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 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a throne of glory to his father’s house. 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the flagons. 25 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, shall the nail that was fastened in a sure place give way; and it shall be hewn down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for Jehovah hath spoken it.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 22:1 Or, oracle concerning
  2. Isaiah 22:3 Or, without the bow
  3. Isaiah 22:3 Or, that had fled from far
  4. Isaiah 22:4 Or, hasten
  5. Isaiah 22:5 Or, mountain
  6. Isaiah 22:6 Or, troops
  7. Isaiah 22:11 Or, the maker thereof
  8. Isaiah 22:14 Or, expiated by
  9. Isaiah 22:15 Or, steward
  10. Isaiah 22:17 Or, O thou strong man
  11. Isaiah 22:17 Or, lay fast hold on thee