15 Thus says the Lord God of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, to (A)Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him: 16 What have you to do here, and whom have you here, (B)that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you (C)who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock? 17 Behold, the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. (D)He will seize firm hold on you 18 and whirl you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a wide land. There you shall die, and there shall be (E)your glorious chariots, you shame of your master's house. 19 (F)I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station. 20 In that day I will call my servant (G)Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, 21 and (H)I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be (I)a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22 And I will place (J)on his shoulder (K)the key of the house of David. (L)He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him (M)like a peg in a secure place, and he will become (N)a throne of honor to his father's house. 24 And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father's house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons. 25 In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, (O)the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken.”

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An Oracle against Shebna

15 The Lord God of Hosts said: “Go to Shebna,(A) that steward who is in charge of the palace, and say to him: 16 What are you doing here? Who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here, carving your tomb on the height and cutting a crypt for yourself out of rock?(B) 17 Look, you strong man! The Lord is about to shake you violently. He will take hold of you, 18 wind you up into a ball, and sling you into a wide land.[a] There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will be—a disgrace to the house of your lord. 19 I will remove you from your office; you will be ousted from your position.

20 “On that day I will call for my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah.(C) 21 I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority into his hand, and he will be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the House of Judah.(D) 22 I will place the key(E) of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one can close; what he closes, no one can open.(F) 23 I will drive him, like a peg, into a firm place. He will be a throne of honor for his father’s house. 24 They will hang on him the whole burden of his father’s house: the descendants and the offshoots—all the small vessels, from bowls to every kind of jar. 25 On that day”—the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“the peg that was driven into a firm place will give way, be cut off, and fall, and the load on it will be destroyed.” Indeed, the Lord has spoken.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 22:18 Hb obscure