22 This is a message about the city that is called ‘Vision Valley’. [ a ]
What are you doing? You have all climbed up on the roofs of your houses! [ b ]
2 Your city is full of the noise of parties, and people are shouting. It was not war that killed the people who are lying in your streets. They did not die in a battle.
3 When the enemy came, all your leaders ran far away. The enemy caught all your people. They caught them all and they did not need to shoot any arrows!
4 So I say, ‘Leave me alone! Let me weep with many tears. The enemy has killed many of my people, so do not try to comfort me.’
5 The Lord, the Almighty Lord , has decided to bring great trouble to Vision Valley. It is a day of fear. People run here and there because they do not know what to do. The enemy knocks down the city's walls. People shout to the hills for help. 6 Elam's soldiers came with bows and arrows. They came with chariots and riders on horses. Kir's soldiers prepared their shields to fight. 7 So your beautiful valleys were full of chariots. Soldiers on horses prepared to attack your city's gates.
8 The enemy destroyed Judah's strong places where people could be safe. In that day, you looked for weapons in the House of the Forest. [ c ] 9 You saw that there were many holes in the walls of the City of David. You stored water in the Lower Pool. 10 You counted the houses in Jerusalem and you knocked down some of them. You used the stones to make the city's wall stronger.
11 You built a place between the city's walls to store water from the Old Pool. But you did not trust the One who made the city. You did not think about the One who decided to build it a long time ago.
12 At that time, the Lord Almighty told you to be very sad and weep. He told you to cut all the hair off your heads and to wear rough clothes.
13 But instead, you are happy and you dance! You kill cows and sheep for a feast! You eat lots of meat and you drink lots of wine. You say, ‘We will have a big feast today, because tomorrow we will be dead!’
14 But the Lord Almighty has told me this: ‘I will never forgive this sin of my people for as long as they live.’
That is what the Lord, the Almighty Lord has said.
15 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Now go and speak to Shebna, the officer with authority in the king's palace. [ d ] 16 Say to him, “You should not be here in the palace. You have cut a grave in the rock here for yourself, but you do not have the authority to do that! You have made a beautiful grave high up on the hill, as if you belong with the kings.
17 But look! The Lord will catch you and he will throw you out! You are just a man. He will take hold of you with all his strength. 18 He will hold you in his hand like a ball and he will throw you far away. You will die in that large, open country. Your great chariots will be useless there with you. You have brought shame to your master's family.”
19 I will remove you from your job. You will no longer be an important officer in the palace.
20 At that time, I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, to come. 21 I will put on him your special clothes. I will tie your belt round him. I will give your authority to him. Then Eliakim will become like a father to the people in Jerusalem and the people in Judah. 22 I will give the key of David's royal family to him. He will have complete authority. Any door that he opens, nobody may close it. Any door that he closes, nobody may open it.
23 I will fix him strongly in his place, like a peg in a strong wall. Because of him, people will respect and praise his father's family. 24 His children and his family will become more important because of him. They will be like bowls, cups and jars that hang on him as the strong peg.’
25 The Lord Almighty says, ‘When the time comes, the strong peg will fall out of the wall. I will cut it down and it will fall. Then all the things that hang on it will fall down as well.’
That is what the Lord has said.
22 This is a message [ a ] about the Valley of Vision [ b ] :
Jerusalem, what is wrong?
Why has everyone gone up to hide in their upper rooms?
2 This city was so happy,
but now there is a terrible uproar.
There are bodies lying everywhere,
but they were not killed with swords.
The people died,
but not while fighting.
3 All your officers ran away together,
but they have all been captured without bows. [ c ]
All the leaders ran away together,
but they were found and captured.
4 So I say, “Don’t look at me!
Let me cry!
Don’t rush to comfort me
about the destruction of Jerusalem.”
5 The Lord God All-Powerful chose a special day for there to be riots and confusion. People trampled on each other in the Valley of Vision. The city walls were pulled down. People in the valley shouted up at those on the mountain. 6 Horse soldiers from Elam took their bags of arrows and rode into battle. Soldiers from Kir rattled their shields. 7 Your favorite valley was filled with chariots. Horse soldiers were stationed in front of the city gates. 8 Then the cover protecting Judah [ d ] was removed, and the people turned to the weapons they kept at the Forest Palace. [ e ]
9-11 Then you noticed how many cracks there were in the walls around the City of David, so you began collecting water from the Lower Pool. [ f ] You counted the houses and used stones from them to repair the walls. Then you built a pool between the double walls [ g ] for storing water from the Old Pool. [ h ]
You did all this to protect yourselves, but you did not trust the God who made all these things. You did not even notice the one who made all these things so long ago. 12 So the Lord God All-Powerful told the people to cry and mourn for their dead friends. He told them to shave their heads and wear mourning clothes. 13 But look, everyone was happy. The people rejoiced, saying,
“Kill the cattle and sheep,
and let’s celebrate.
Let’s eat meat and drink wine.
Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
14 The Lord All-Powerful said this to me and I heard it with my own ears: “You are guilty of doing wrong, and I promise that you will die before this guilt is forgiven.” The Lord God All-Powerful said these things.
15 The Lord God All-Powerful told me to go to Shebna, the palace manager, 16 and say this: “What are you doing here? None of your relatives are buried here, are they? Then what right do you have to prepare a tomb for yourself in this high place? Why are you cutting a tomb out of this rock?
17-18 “What a big man you are! But the Lord will crush you. He will roll you into a small ball and throw you far away into the open arms of another country, and there you will die.
“You are very proud of your chariots. But in that faraway land, your new ruler will have better chariots. And your chariots will not look important in his palace. 19 I will force you out of your position here. Your new leader will take you away from your important job. 20 At that time I will call for my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 I will take your robe and put it on him. I will give him your scepter. I will give him the important job you have, and he will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah’s family. [ i ]
22 “I will put the key to David’s house around his neck. If he opens a door, no one will be able to close it. If he closes a door, no one will be able to open it. 23 He will be like a favorite chair in his father’s house. I will make him like a strong peg in a solid board. 24 All the honored and important things of his father’s house will hang on him. All the adults and little children will depend on him. They will be like little dishes and big water bottles hanging on him.”
25 The Lord All-Powerful said, “At that time the peg that is now in the solid board will get weak and break. It will fall to the ground, and everything hanging on it will be destroyed. Then everything I said in this message will happen. It will happen because the Lord said it would.”
22 The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?
2 Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.
3 All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.
4 Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.
5 For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.
6 And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.
7 And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.
8 And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.
9 Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
10 And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
11 Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.
12 And in that day did the Lord God 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 it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts.
15 Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,
16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?
17 Behold, the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.
18 He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house.
19 And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee 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; so 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 glorious throne 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, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.
25 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.
22 The pronouncement 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 tumultuous town, you ( C ) jubilant city;
Your dead were ( D ) not killed with the sword,
Nor [ a ] did they die in battle.
3 ( E ) All your rulers have fled together,
And have been captured [ b ] without the bow;
All of you who were found were taken captive together,
[ c ] Though they had fled far away.
4 Therefore I say, “Look away from me,
Let me ( F ) weep bitterly,
Do not [ d ] try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”
5 ( G ) For the Lord [ e ] God of armies has a ( H ) day of panic, ( I ) subjugation, and confusion
( J ) In the valley of vision,
A breaking down of walls
And a crying [ f ] to the mountain.
6 ( K ) Elam picked up the quiver,
With the chariots, [ g ] infantry, and horsemen;
And ( L ) Kir uncovered the shield.
7 Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots,
And the horsemen took positions at the gate.
8 And He removed the [ h ] defense of Judah.
On that day you [ i ] depended on 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 [ j ] depend on Him who made it,
Nor did you [ k ] take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.
12 Therefore on that day the Lord [ l ] God of armies called you to ( Q ) weeping, to wailing,
To ( R ) shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth.
13 Instead, there is ( S ) joy and jubilation,
Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep,
Eating of meat and drinking of wine:
“ ( T ) Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”
14 But the Lord of armies revealed Himself [ m ] to me:
“Certainly this ( U ) wrongdoing ( V ) will not be [ n ] forgiven you
( W ) Until you die,” says the Lord [ o ] God of armies.
15 This is what the Lord [ p ] God of armies says:
“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 ) cut out a tomb for yourself here,
You who cut out a tomb on the height,
You who carve a resting place for [ q ] yourself in the rock?
17 Behold, the Lord is about to hurl you violently, you strong man.
And He is about to grasp you firmly
18 And wrap you up tightly like a ball,
To be ( Z ) driven into a vast country;
There you will die,
And there your splendid chariots will be,
You shame of your master’s house!’
19 I will ( AA ) depose you from your office,
And [ r ] I will pull you down from your position.
20 Then it will come about on 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 around him.
I will hand your [ s ] authority over to him,
And he will become a ( AC ) father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
22 Then I will put ( 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, the offspring and the [ t ] descendants, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars. 25 On that day,” declares the Lord of armies, “the ( AI ) peg driven into a firm place will give way; it will even ( AJ ) break off and fall, and the load that is hanging on it will be cut off, for the ( AK ) Lord has spoken.”
22 A prophecy ( A ) against the Valley ( B ) of Vision: ( C )
What troubles you now,
that you have all gone up on the roofs, ( D )
2 you town so full of commotion,
you city of tumult ( E ) and revelry? ( F )
Your slain ( G ) were not killed by the sword, ( H )
nor did they die in battle.
3 All your leaders have fled ( I ) together;
they have been captured ( J ) without using the bow.
All you who were caught were taken prisoner together,
having fled while the enemy was still far away.
4 Therefore I said, “Turn away from me;
let me weep ( K ) bitterly.
Do not try to console me
over the destruction of my people.” ( L )
5 The Lord, the Lord Almighty, has a day ( M )
of tumult and trampling ( N ) and terror ( O )
in the Valley of Vision, ( P )
a day of battering down walls ( Q )
and of crying out to the mountains.
6 Elam ( R ) takes up the quiver, ( S )
with her charioteers and horses;
Kir ( T ) uncovers the shield.
7 Your choicest valleys ( U ) are full of chariots,
and horsemen are posted at the city gates. ( V )
8 The Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah,
and you looked in that day ( W )
to the weapons ( X ) in the Palace of the Forest. ( Y )
9 You saw that the walls of the City of David
were broken through ( Z ) in many places;
you stored up water
in the Lower Pool. ( AA )
10 You counted the buildings in Jerusalem
and tore down houses ( AB ) to strengthen the wall. ( AC )
11 You built a reservoir between the two walls ( AD )
for the water of the Old Pool, ( AE )
but you did not look to the One who made it,
or have regard ( AF ) for the One who planned ( AG ) it long ago.
12 The Lord, the Lord Almighty,
called you on that day ( AH )
to weep ( AI ) and to wail,
to tear out your hair ( AJ ) and put on sackcloth. ( AK )
13 But see, there is joy and revelry, ( AL )
slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep,
eating of meat and drinking of wine! ( AM )
“Let us eat and drink,” you say,
“for tomorrow we die!” ( AN )
14 The Lord Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: ( AO ) “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned ( AP ) for,” says the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
15 This is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:
“Go, say to this steward,
to Shebna ( AQ ) the palace ( AR ) administrator: ( AS )
16 What are you doing here and who gave you permission
to cut out a grave ( AT ) for yourself ( AU ) here,
hewing your grave on the height
and chiseling your resting place in the rock?
17 “Beware, the Lord is about to take firm hold of you
and hurl ( AV ) you away, you mighty man.
18 He will roll you up tightly like a ball
and throw ( AW ) you into a large country.
There you will die
and there the chariots ( AX ) you were so proud of
will become a disgrace to your master’s house.
19 I will depose you from your office,
and you will be ousted ( AY ) from your position. ( AZ )
20 “In that day ( BA ) I will summon my servant, ( BB ) Eliakim ( BC ) son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash ( BD ) around him and hand your authority ( BE ) over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder ( BF ) the key ( BG ) to the house of David; ( BH ) what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ( BI ) 23 I will drive him like a peg ( BJ ) into a firm place; ( BK ) he will become a seat [ a ] of honor ( BL ) for the house of his father. 24 All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots—all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars.
25 “In that day, ( BM ) ” declares the Lord Almighty, “the peg ( BN ) driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down.” The Lord has spoken. ( BO )
