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XXII
1THE ORACLE CONCERNING THE VALLEY OF VISION.
What aileth thee now, that thou art gone up, all of thee to the house-tops?
2O thou, that wast full of noise,
A tumultuous city, a joyous city!
Thy slain are not slain by the sword,
Neither are they dead in battle.
3All thy leaders who fled away together, have been taken by the archers;
All that were found in thee have been taken together, even they who had fled from far.
4Wherefore I said: Turn your eyes away from me; I will weep bitterly:
Labour not to comfort me for the desolation of the daughter of my people.
5For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity,
From the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of vision:
They break down the wall,
And the outcry for help pierceth unto the mountains.
6And Elam beareth the quiver,
With chariots of men and horsemen;
And Kir uncovereth the shield.
7And it came to pass, that thy choicest valleys were filled with chariots,
And the horsemen did set themselves in array against the gate.
8And when he removed the veil of Judah,
Thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.
9Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they have multiplied;
And ye collected together the waters of the lower pool.
10And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem,
And the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
11Ye have made also a reservoir for water between the two walls,
For the water of the old pool.
But ye have not looked unto Him who hath disposed this;
And Him who formed it of old, ye have not regarded.
12And in that day did the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, call
To weeping and to lamentation;
And to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:
13But, behold joy and gladness,
Slaying of oxen, and killing of sheep;
Eating of flesh, and drinking of wine:
Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die.
14Therefore it was revealed in mine ears by Jehovah of hosts,
Surely this your iniquity shall not be expiated till ye die,
Saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
15Thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts:
Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, who is over the household, and say:
16What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here?
That thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here?
O thou that hewest out thy sepulchre on high,
That gravest in the rock an habitation for thyself!
17Behold, Jehovah casteth thee down with a mighty overthrow:
And grasping he will grasp thee;
18In whirling he will whirl thee with a whirl,
Like that of a ball, into a wide country:
There shalt thou die; and there shall thy glorious chariots be;
O thou the shame of the house of thy lord!
19And I will drive thee from thy station,
And from thy state shall he pull thee down.
20And it shall come to pass in that day,
That I will call my servant,
Even Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
21And I will clothe him with thy robe,
And strengthen him with thy girdle;
And thy government will I commit into his hand;
And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
And to the house of Judah.
22And I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder;
And he shall open, and none shall shut;
And he shall shut, and none shall open.
23And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place;
And he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house.
24And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house,
The offspring of high and of low degree;
All small vessels, from vessels used as cups
To every sort of meaner vessels.
25In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts,
Shall the nail that is fastened in a sure place be removed,
And be cut down, and fall;
And the burden which was upon it shall be cut off:
For Jehovah hath spoken it.