Isaiah 22

The Valley of Vision

1The 1oracle concerning the 2valley of vision. What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the 3housetops?2You who were full of noise, You boisterous town, you 4exultant city; Your slain were 5not slain with the sword, Nor 6did they die in battle.37All your rulers have fled together, And have been captured 8without the bow; All of you who were found were taken captive together, 9Though they had fled far away.4Therefore I say, “Turn your eyes away from me, Let me 10weep bitterly, Do not 11try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”512For the Lord 13God of hosts has a 14day of panic, 15subjugation and confusion 16In the valley of vision, A breaking down of walls And a crying 17to the mountain.618Elam took up the quiver With the chariots, 19infantry and horsemen; And 20Kir uncovered the shield.7Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots, And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate.8And He removed the 21defense of Judah. In that day you 22depended on the weapons of the 23house of the forest,9And you saw that the breaches In the wall of the city of David were many; And you 24collected the waters of the lower pool.10Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem And tore down houses to fortify the wall.11And you made a reservoir 25between the two walls For the waters of the 26old pool. But you did not 27depend on Him who made it, Nor did you 28take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.

12Therefore in that day the Lord 29God of hosts called you to 30weeping, to wailing, To 31shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth.13Instead, there is 32gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “33Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”14But the Lord of hosts revealed Himself 34to me, “Surely this 35iniquity 36shall not be 37forgiven you 38Until you die,” says the Lord 39God of hosts.

15Thus says the Lord 40God of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, To 41Shebna, who is in charge of the royal household,16‘What right do you have here, And whom do you have here, That you have 42hewn a tomb for yourself here, You who hew a tomb on the height, You who carve a resting place for 43yourself in the rock?17Behold, the Lord is about to hurl you headlong, O man. And He is about to grasp you firmly18And roll you tightly like a ball, To be 44cast into a vast country; There you will die And there your splendid chariots will be, You shame of your master’s house.’19I will 45depose you from your office, And 46I will pull you down from your station.20Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant 47Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,21And I will clothe him with your tunic And tie your sash securely about him. I will entrust him with your 48authority, And he will become a 49father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.22Then I will set 50the key of the 51house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will 52open.23I will drive him like a 53peg in a firm place, And he will become a 54throne of glory to his father’s house. 24So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and 55issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars. 25In that day,” declares the Lord of hosts, “the 56peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even 57break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the 58Lord has spoken.”