The Valley of Vision

1The burden of the Valley of Vision. What — to thee, now, that thou hast gone up, All of thee — to the roofs?

2Full of stirs — a noisy city — an exulting city, Thy pierced are not pierced of the sword, Nor dead in battle.

3All thy rulers fled together from the bow, Bound have been all found of thee, They have been kept bound together, Afar off they have fled.

4Therefore I said, ‘Look ye from me, I am bitter in my weeping, Haste not to comfort me, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.’

5For a day of noise, and of treading down, And of perplexity, [is] to the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In the valley of vision, digging down a wall, And crying unto the mountain.

6And Elam hath borne a quiver, In a chariot of men — horsemen, And Kir hath exposed a shield.

7And it cometh to pass, The choice of thy valleys have been full of chariots, And the horsemen place themselves diligently at the gate.

8And one removeth the covering of Judah, And thou lookest in that day Unto the armour of the house of the forest,

9And the breaches of the city of David ye have seen, For they have become many, And ye gather the waters of the lower pool,

10And the houses of Jerusalem ye did number, And ye break down the houses to fence the wall.

11And a ditch ye made between the two walls, For the waters of the old pool, And ye have not looked unto its Maker, And its Framer of old ye have not seen.

12And call doth the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In that day, to weeping and to lamentation, And to baldness and to girding on of sackcloth,

13And lo, joy and gladness, slaying of oxen, And slaughtering of sheep, Eating of flesh, and drinking of wine, Eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.

14And revealed it hath been in mine ears, [By] Jehovah of Hosts: Not pardoned is this iniquity to you, Till ye die, said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts.

A Message for Shebna

15Thus said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts: ‘Go, enter in unto this steward, Unto Shebna, who [is] over the house:

16What — to thee here? And who — to thee here? That thou hast hewn out to thee here — a sepulchre? Hewing on high his sepulchre, Graving in a rock a dwelling for himself.

17Lo, Jehovah is casting thee up and down, A casting up and down, O mighty one,

18And thy coverer covering, wrapping round, Wrappeth thee round, O babbler, On a land broad of sides — there thou diest, And there the chariots of thine honour [Are] the shame of the house of thy lord.

19And I have thrust thee from thy station, And from thine office he throweth thee down.

20And it hath come to pass, in that day, That I have called to my servant, To Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

21And I have clothed him with thy coat, And with thy girdle I strengthen him, And thy garment I give into his hand, And he hath been for a father to the inhabitant of Jerusalem, And to the house of Judah.

22And I have placed the key Of the house of David on his shoulder, And he hath opened, and none is shutting, And hath shut, and none is opening.

23And I have fixed him a nail in a stedfast place, And he hath been for a throne of honour To the house of his father.

24And they have hanged on him All the honour of the house of his father, The offspring and the issue, All vessels of small quality, From vessels of basins to all vessels of flagons. 25In that day — an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, Moved is the nail that is fixed In a stedfast place, Yea, it hath been cut down, and hath fallen, And cut off hath been the burden that [is] on it, For Jehovah hath spoken!’