Isaiah 22
Legacy Standard Bible
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?
2 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.
3 (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.
4 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.”
5 (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.
6 (K)Now Elam took up the quiver
With the chariots, [f]infantry, and horsemen;
And (L)Kir uncovered the shield.
7 Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots,
And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate.
8 And He revealed the [g]defense of Judah.
In that day you looked to the weapons of the (M)house of the forest,
9 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
- Isaiah 22:1 Or burden of
- Isaiah 22:2 Lit dead in battle
- Isaiah 22:3 Lit from a bow
- Isaiah 22:3 As in ancient versions; Heb They fled far away
- Isaiah 22:5 Or against
- Isaiah 22:6 Lit man
- Isaiah 22:8 Lit screen, covering
- Isaiah 22:16 Lit himself
- Isaiah 22:19 As in many ancient versions; Heb He
- Isaiah 22:21 Lit rule
- Isaiah 22:24 Or possibly leaf
Isaiah 22
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
A Warning of Destruction of Jerusalem
22 The oracle concerning the valley of vision.
What has happened that you have gone up,
all of you, to the housetops,(A)
2 city full of shouting,
tumultuous city, panic-stricken town?
Your slain are not slain by the sword,
nor are they dead in battle.(B)
3 Your rulers have all fled together;
they were captured without the use of a bow.[a]
All of your people who were found were captured,
though they had fled far away.[b](C)
4 Therefore I said:
“Look away from me;
let me weep bitter tears;
do not try to comfort me
for the destruction of my beloved people.”(D)
5 For the Lord God of hosts has a day
of tumult and trampling and confusion
in the valley of vision,
a battering down of walls
and a cry for help to the mountains.(E)
6 Elam bore the quiver
with chariots and cavalry,[c]
and Kir uncovered the shield.(F)
7 Your choicest valleys were full of chariots,
and the cavalry took their stand at the gates.(G)
8 He has taken away the covering of Judah.
On that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest,(H) 9 and you saw that there were many breaches in the city of David, and you collected the waters of the lower pool.(I) 10 You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. 11 You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it or have regard for him who planned it long ago.(J)
12 On that day the Lord God of hosts
called for weeping and mourning,
for baldness and putting on sackcloth,(K)
13 but instead there was joy and festivity,
killing oxen and slaughtering sheep,
eating meat and drinking wine.
“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”(L)
14 The Lord of hosts has revealed himself in my ears:
“Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die,”
says the Lord God of hosts.(M)
Denunciation of Self-Seeking Officials
15 Thus says the Lord God of hosts: “Go to the steward Shebna, who is master of the household, and say to him:(N) 16 What right do you have here? Who are your relatives here, that you have cut out a tomb here for yourself, cutting a tomb[d] on the height and carving a habitation for yourself[e] in the rock?(O) 17 The Lord is about to hurl you away violently, my fellow. He will seize firm hold on you, 18 whirl you round and round, and throw you like a ball into a wide land; there you shall die, and there your splendid chariots shall lie, O you disgrace to your master’s house!(P) 19 I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your post.
20 “On that day I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah(Q) 21 and will clothe him with your robe and bind your sash on him. I will commit your authority to his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open.(R) 23 I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his ancestral house.(S) 24 And they will hang on him the whole weight of his ancestral house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons. 25 On that day, says the Lord of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way; it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will perish, for the Lord has spoken.”(T)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.