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A Warning of Destruction of Jerusalem

22 The oracle concerning the valley of vision.
What do you mean that you have gone up,
    all of you, to the housetops,
you who are full of shoutings,
    tumultuous city, exultant town?
Your slain are not slain with the sword
    or dead in battle.
All your rulers have fled together,
    without the bow they were captured.
All of you who were found were captured,
    though they had fled far away.[a]
Therefore I said:
“Look away from me,
    let me weep bitter tears;
do not labor to comfort me
    for the destruction of the daughter of my people.”

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 shouting to the mountains.
And Elam bore the quiver
    with chariots and horsemen,[b]
    and Kir uncovered the shield.
Your choicest valleys were full of chariots,
    and the horsemen took their stand at the gates.
He has taken away the covering of Judah.

In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest, and you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many, and you collected the waters of the lower pool, 10 and 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.

12 In that day the Lord God of hosts
    called to weeping and mourning,
    to baldness and 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 tomorrow we die.”
14 The Lord of hosts has revealed himself in my ears:
“Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you
    till you die,”
    says the Lord God of hosts.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 22:3 Gk Syr Vg: Heb from far away
  2. Isaiah 22:6 The Hebrew of this line is obscure

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.

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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