Isaiah 22

The Valley of Vision

1The pronouncement concerning the 1valley of vision: What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the 2housetops?2You who were full of noise, You tumultuous town, you 3jubilant city; Your dead were 4not killed with the sword, Nor 5did they die in battle.36All your rulers have fled together, And have been captured 7without the bow; All of you who were found were taken captive together, 8Though they had fled far away.4Therefore I say, “Look away from me, Let me 9weep bitterly, Do not 10try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”511For the Lord 12God of armies has a 13day of panic, 14subjugation, and confusion 15In the valley of vision, A breaking down of walls And a crying 16to the mountain.617Elam picked up the quiver, With the chariots, 18infantry, and horsemen; And 19Kir uncovered the shield.7Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots, And the horsemen took positions at the gate.8And He removed the 20defense of Judah. On that day you 21depended on the weapons of the 22house of the forest,9And you saw that the breaches In the wall of the city of David were many; And you 23collected 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 24between the two walls For the waters of the 25old pool. But you did not 26depend on Him who made it, Nor did you 27take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.

12Therefore on that day the Lord 28God of armies called you to 29weeping, to wailing, To 30shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth.13Instead, there is 31joy and jubilation, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “32Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”14But the Lord of armies revealed Himself 33to me: “Certainly this 34wrongdoing 35will not be 36forgiven you 37Until you die,” says the Lord 38God of armies.

15This is what the Lord 39God of armies says: “Come, go to this steward, To 40Shebna who is in charge of the royal household,16‘What right do you have here, And whom do you have here, That you have 41cut out a tomb for yourself here, You who cut out a tomb on the height, You who carve a resting place for 42yourself in the rock?17Behold, the Lord is about to hurl you violently, you strong man. And He is about to grasp you firmly18And wrap you up tightly like a ball, To be 43driven into a vast country; There you will die, And there your splendid chariots will be, You shame of your master’s house!’19I will 44depose you from your office, And 45I will pull you down from your position.20Then it will come about on that day, That I will summon My servant 46Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,21And I will clothe him with your tunic And tie your sash securely around him. I will hand your 47authority over to him, And he will become a 48father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.22Then I will put 49the key of the 50house of David on his shoulder; When he opens, no one will shut, When he shuts, no one will 51open.23I will drive him like a 52peg in a firm place, And he will become a 53throne of glory to his father’s house. 24So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the 54descendants, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars. 25On that day,” declares the Lord of armies, “the 55peg driven into a firm place will give way; it will even 56break off and fall, and the load that is hanging on it will be cut off, for the 57Lord has spoken.”