A Message about Jerusalem
1 This 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? 2 The whole city is in an uproar, filled with noise and excitement.
Your people who died in this war did not die fighting. 3 All your leaders ran away and were captured before they shot a single arrow. 4 Now leave me alone to weep bitterly over all those of my people who have died. Don't try to comfort me. 5 This 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.
6 The 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. 7 The fertile valleys of Judah were filled with chariots; soldiers on horseback stood in front of Jerusalem's gates. 8 All of Judah's defenses crumbled.
When that happened, you brought weapons out of the arsenal. 9-10 You 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, 11 you 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.
12 The Sovereign Lord Almighty was calling you then to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth. 13 Instead, 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.”
14 The 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
15 The 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 do you have to carve a tomb for yourself out of the rocky hillside? 17 You may be important, but the Lord will pick you up and throw you away. 18 He 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. 19 The Lord will remove you from office and bring you down from your high position.”
20 The Lord said to Shebna, “When that happens, I will send for my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 I 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 I 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. 23 I will fasten him firmly in place like a peg, and he will be a source of honor to his whole family.
24 “But all his relatives and dependents will become a burden to him. They will hang on him like pots and bowls hanging from a peg! 25 When that happens, the peg that was firmly fastened will pull loose and fall. And that will be the end of everything that was hanging on it.” The Lord has spoken.
1 The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee nowe that thou art wholy gone vp vnto the house toppes? 2 Thou that art full of noise, a citie full of brute, a ioyous citie: thy slaine men shall not bee slaine with sworde, nor die in battell. 3 All thy princes shall flee together from the bowe: they shalbe bound: all that shall be found in thee, shall be bound together, which haue fled from farre. 4 Therefore said I, Turne away from me: I wil weepe bitterly: labour not to comfort mee for the destruction of the daughter of my people. 5 For it is a day of trouble, and of ruine, and of perplexitie by the Lord God of hostes in the valley of vision, breaking downe the citie: and a crying vnto the mountaines. 6 And Elam bare the quiuer in a mans charet with horsemen, and Kir vncouered the shield. 7 And thy chiefe valleis were full of charets, and the horsemen set themselues in aray against the gate. 8 And hee discouered the couering of Iudah: and thou didest looke in that day to the armour of the house of the forest. 9 And ye haue seene the breaches of the citie of Dauid: for they were many, and ye gathered the waters of the lower poole. 10 And yee nombred the houses of Ierusalem, and the houses haue yee broken downe to fortifie the wall, 11 And haue also made a ditche betweene the two walles, for the waters of the olde poole, and haue not looked vnto the maker thereof, neither had respect vnto him that formed it of olde. 12 And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call vnto weeping and mourning, and to baldnes and girding with sackecloth. 13 And beholde, ioy and gladnes, slaying oxen and killing sheepe, eating flesh, and drinking wine, eating and drinking: for to morowe we shall die. 14 And it was declared in ye eares of the Lord of hostes. Surely this iniquitie shall not be purged from you, til ye die, saith the Lord God of hostes. 15 Thus sayeth the Lord God of hostes, Goe, get thee to that treasurer, to Shebna, the steward of the house, and say, 16 What haste thou to doe here? and whome hast thou here? that thou shouldest here hewe thee out a sepulchre, as he that heweth out his sepulchre in an hie place, or that graueth an habitation for him selfe in a rocke? 17 Beholde, the Lord wil carie thee away with a great captiuitie, and will surely couer thee. 18 He wil surely rolle and turne thee like a bal in a large countrey: there shalt thou die, and there the charets of thy glory shalbe the shame of thy lordes house. 19 And I wil driue thee from thy station, and out of thy dwelling will he destroy thee. 20 And in that day will I call my seruant Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah, 21 And with thy garments will I clothe him, and with thy girdle will I strengthen him: thy power also will I commit into his hande, and hee shalbe a father of the inhabitats of Ierusalem, and of the house of Iudah. 22 And the key of the house of Dauid will I lay vpon his shoulder: so hee shall open, and no man shall shut: and he shall shut, and no man shall open. 23 And I will fasten him as a naile in a sure place, and hee shall be for the throne of glorie to his fathers house. 24 And they shall hang vpon him all the glorie of his fathers house, euen of the nephewes and posteritie all small vessels, from the vessels of the cuppes, euen to all the instruments of musike. 25 In that day, sayeth the Lord of hostes, shall the naile, that is fastned in the sure place, depart and shall be broken, and fall: and the burden, that was vpon it, shall bee cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.