Isaiah 22
22
A Message about Jerusalem
1This is a message about the Valley of Vision.
What is happening? Why are all the people of the city celebrating on the roofs of the houses? 2The whole city is in an uproar, filled with noise and excitement.
Your people who died in this war did not die fighting. 3All your leaders ran away and were captured before they shot a single arrow. 4Now leave me alone to weep bitterly over all those of my people who have died. Don't try to comfort me. 5This is a time of panic, defeat, and confusion in the Valley of Vision, and the Sovereign LORD Almighty has sent it on us. The walls of our city have been battered down, and cries for help have echoed among the hills.
6The soldiers from the land of Elam came riding on horseback, armed with bows and arrows. Soldiers from the land of Kir had their shields ready. 7The fertile valleys of Judah were filled with chariots; soldiers on horseback stood in front of Jerusalem's gates. 8All Judah's defences crumbled.
When that happened, you brought weapons out of the arsenal. 9-10You found the places where the walls of Jerusalem needed repair. You inspected all the houses in Jerusalem and tore some of them down to get stones to repair the city walls. In order to store water, 11you built a reservoir inside the city to hold the water flowing down from the old pool. But you paid no attention to God, who planned all this long ago and who caused it to happen.
12The Sovereign LORD Almighty was calling you then to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth. 13#1 Cor 15.32Instead, you laughed and celebrated. You killed sheep and cattle to eat, and you drank wine. You said, “We might as well eat and drink! Tomorrow we'll be dead.”
14The Sovereign LORD Almighty himself spoke to me and said, “This evil will never be forgiven them as long as they live. I, the Sovereign LORD Almighty, have spoken.”
A Warning to Shebna
15The Sovereign LORD Almighty told me to go to Shebna, the manager of the royal household, and say to him, 16“Who do you think you are? What right have you to carve a tomb for yourself out of the rocky hillside? 17You may be important, but the LORD will pick you up and throw you away. 18He will pick you up like a ball and throw you into a much larger country. You will die there beside the chariots you were so proud of. You are a disgrace to your master's household. 19The LORD will remove you from office and bring you down from your high position.”
20The LORD said to Shebna, “When that happens, I will send for my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21I will put your official robe and belt on him and give him all the authority you have had. He will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. 22#Rev 3.7I will give him complete authority under the king, the descendant of David. He will have the keys of office; what he opens, no one will shut, and what he shuts, no one will open. 23I will fasten him firmly in place like a peg, and he will be a source of honour to his whole family.
24“But all his relatives and dependants will become a burden to him. They will hang on him like pots and bowls hanging from a peg! 25When that happens, the peg that was firmly fastened will work loose and fall. And that will be the end of everything that was hanging on it.” The LORD has spoken.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Isaiah 22
22
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.
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Translated by Rev John Jones (Ioan Tegid).Published at Oxford in 1830, second edition 1842.