The Valley of Vision

1The burden of the valley of vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?

2You that are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous town; your slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle.

3All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away.

4Therefore I said, "Look away from me. I will weep bitterly. Don't labor to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

5For it is a day of confusion, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, in the valley of vision; a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains."

6Elam carried his quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.

7It happened that your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate.

8He took away the covering of Judah; and you looked in that day to the armor in the house of the forest.

9You saw the breaches of the city of David, that they were many; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

10You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.

11You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you didn't look to him who had done this, neither did you have respect for him who purposed it long ago.

12In that day, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, called to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth:

13and behold, joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die."

14Yahweh of Armies revealed himself in my ears, "Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die," says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.

A Message for Shebna

15Thus says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, "Go, get yourself to this treasurer, even to Shebna, who is over the house, and say,

16'What are you doing here? Who has you here, that you have dug out a tomb here?' Cutting himself out a tomb on high, chiseling a habitation for himself in the rock!"

17Behold, Yahweh will overcome you and hurl you away violently. Yes, he will grasp you firmly.

18He will surely wind you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a large country. There you will die, and there the chariots of your glory will be, you shame of your lord's house.

19I will thrust you from your office. You will be pulled down from your station.

20It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,

21and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

22I will lay the key of the house of David on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open.

23I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father's house.

24They will hang on him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers. 25"In that day," says Yahweh of Armies, "the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down, and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for Yahweh has spoken it."