An Oracle against Jerusalem

22 An oracle(A) against the Valley of Vision:(B)

What’s the matter with you?
Why have all of you gone up to the rooftops?(C)
The noisy city, the jubilant town,(D)
is filled with revelry.
Your dead did not die by the sword;
they were not killed in battle.
All your rulers have fled together,
captured without a bow.
All your fugitives were captured together;
they had fled far away.
Therefore I said,
“Look away from me! Let me weep bitterly!(E)
Do not try to comfort me
about the destruction of my dear[a] people.”
For the Lord God of Hosts
had a day of tumult, trampling, and confusion(F)
in the Valley of Vision—
people shouting[b] and crying to the mountains;
Elam took up a quiver
with chariots and horsemen,[c]
and Kir(G) uncovered the shield.
Your best valleys were full of chariots,
and horsemen were positioned at the gates.
He removed the defenses of Judah.

On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest.(H) You saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the city of David.(I) You collected water from the lower pool.(J) 10 You counted the houses of Jerusalem so that you could tear them down to fortify the wall. 11 You made a reservoir between the walls(K) for the waters of the ancient pool,(L) but you did not look to the One who made it, or consider the One who created it long ago.

12 On that day the Lord God of Hosts
called for weeping,(M) for wailing, for shaven heads,
and for the wearing of sackcloth.
13 But look: joy and gladness,
butchering of cattle, slaughtering of sheep,
eating of meat, and drinking of wine—
“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”(N)
14 The Lord of Hosts has directly revealed to me:(O)
“This sin of yours will never[d] be wiped out.”(P)
The Lord God of Hosts has spoken.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 22:4 Lit of the daughter of my
  2. Isaiah 22:5 Or Vision—a tearing down of a wall, or Vision—Kir raged; Hb obscure
  3. Isaiah 22:6 Lit chariots of man
  4. Isaiah 22:14 Lit will not until you die

Jerusalem is Rebuked

22 A message[a] concerning the Valley of Vision.[b]

“What troubles you,
    now that you’ve all gone up
        to the rooftops,
you who are full of commotion,
    you passionate city,
        you rollicking town?
Your slain weren’t killed by the sword,
    nor are they dead in battle.
All your leaders have fled together;
    she is captured[c] without using bows.
All of you who were caught were captured together,
although they had fled
        while the enemy was still[d] far away.
Therefore I said:
    “Look away from me;
        and let me weep bitter tears;
don’t try to console[e] me
    over the destruction of the daughter of my people.”[f]
For to the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies
    belongs the day of tumult, trampling, and confusion
        in the Valley of Vision,[g]
and the pulling down of his Temple on[h] its mountain.
Elam takes up the quiver
    with chariots and cavalry,
        while Kir unsheathes the shield.
And it will come about[i]
    that your choicest valleys will be filled with chariots,
        and horsemen will take their positions at the gates.
He has uncovered the defenses of Judah.”

At that time,[j] you looked at the arsenal of the Palace of the Forest,[k] and saw that there were many breaches in the City of David. So you stored up water from the Lower Pool, 10 counted the houses of Jerusalem, tore down certain houses to strengthen the wall, 11 and built a reservoir between the walls to store water from the Old Pool. But you did not look at[l] the One who did it, nor did you see the One who planned it long ago.

12 On that day the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies
    called for weeping and mourning,
        for shaving heads[m] and wearing sackcloth.
13 But look!
    There is joy and festivity,
slaughtering of cattle
    and killing of sheep,
eating meat
    and drinking[n] wine.
“Let us eat and drink, you say,
    because we die tomorrow.”

14 “Nevertheless, the Lord of the Heavenly Armies has revealed himself to my hearing:
‘“Surely because of you[o]
    this iniquity will not be forgiven
        you until you die,’
says the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 22:1 Lit. An oracle
  2. Isaiah 22:1 I.e. a poetic allusion to the Hinnom Valley in Jerusalem
  3. Isaiah 22:3 So 1QIsaa; MT reads they were captured
  4. Isaiah 22:3 The Heb. lacks while the enemy was still
  5. Isaiah 22:4 Lit. don’t insist on consoling
  6. Isaiah 22:4 I.e. the Lord’s beloved people
  7. Isaiah 22:5 I.e. a poetic allusion to the Hinnom Valley in Jerusalem
  8. Isaiah 22:5 Or his Holy Place on; so 1QIsaa; MT reads and a crying out for help to
  9. Isaiah 22:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads it came about
  10. Isaiah 22:8 Lit. On that day
  11. Isaiah 22:8 Cf. 1King 10:16-17
  12. Isaiah 22:11 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX 4QIsac read to
  13. Isaiah 22:12 Lit. for baldness
  14. Isaiah 22:13 So 1QIsaa MT; 1QIsac reads and they drink
  15. Isaiah 22:14 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsac MT LXX lack because of you