1 The burden of the valley of vision.

What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops? 2 O thou that art full of shoutings, a tumultuous city, a joyous town; thy slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle. 3 All thy rulers fled away together, they were bound by the archers; all that were found of thee were bound together; they fled afar off. 4 Therefore said I, Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; labor not to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

5 For it is a day of discomfiture, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of vision; a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains. 6 And Elam bare the quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield. 7 And it came to pass, that thy choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate. 8 And he took away the covering of Judah; and thou didst look in that day to the armor in the house of the forest. 9 And ye saw the breaches of the city of David, that they were many; and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool; 10 and ye numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and ye brake down the houses to fortify the wall; 11 ye made also a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But ye looked not unto him that had done this, neither had ye respect unto him that purposed it long ago.

12 And in that day did the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: 13 and, behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die. 14 And Jehovah of hosts revealed himself in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you till ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

15 Thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, who is over the house, and say, 16 What doest thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out here a sepulchre? hewing him out a sepulchre on high, graving a habitation for himself in the rock! 17 Behold, Jehovah, like a strong man, will hurl thee away violently; yea, he will wrap thee up closely. 18 He will surely wind thee round and round, and toss thee like a ball into a large country; there shalt thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, thou shame of thy lord’s house. 19 And I will thrust thee from thine office; and from thy station shalt thou be pulled down. 20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: 21 and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a throne of glory to his father’s house. 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the flagons. 25 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, shall the nail that was fastened in a sure place give way; and it shall be hewn down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for Jehovah hath spoken it.

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

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

3 All 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.

4 Therefore 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.`

5 For 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.

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

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

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

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

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

11 And 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.

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

13 And 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.

14 And 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.

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

16 What -- 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.

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

18 And 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.

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

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

21 And 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.

22 And 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.

23 And 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.

24 And 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.

25 In 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!`